“Aren’t you becoming quite studious of late?” Mr. Parker inquired, noting the brief-case tucked under her arm. “Off to the library again?”
“Over to Louise’s house,” Penny corrected vaguely6. “From that point on there’s no guarantee.”
“You’ll be home early?”
“I hope so,” Penny answered earnestly. “If for any reason I fail to appear, don’t search in any of the obvious places.”
Leaving her father to ponder over the remark, she hastily quitted the house. A clock chimed nine o’clock as she reached the Sidell house, and a moment later her chum joined her in the yard.
[111]
“I had trouble getting away,” Louise reported. “Mother asked a thousand questions.”
“Did you bring the flashlight?”
“Yes, here it is. My, but it’s a dark night!”
“All the better for our purpose,” Penny said cheerfully.
A single light burned in the kitchen window of the Marborough house as the girls presently approached it. The garden was shrouded7 in damp, wispy8 mist and the unkempt grounds never had appeared more desolate9.
“Penny, must we go through with this?” Louise asked, rapidly losing enthusiasm for the venture.
“I’ll admit the idea doesn’t look quite as attractive as it did this afternoon,” her chum replied. “All the same, I’m going through with it!”
“What can you hope to find down in that well?”
Penny did not answer. Walking ahead of Louise, she noiselessly crossed the yard to the old wishing well. Flashing her light into the circular interior, her courage nearly failed her. However, she gave no indication of it to her companion.
“Better be careful of that light,” Louise warned. “That is, unless you want Mrs. Marborough to come out and catch us.”
Penny switched off the flashlight and thereafter worked in darkness. Taking the silken ladder from its case, she fastened the two iron hooks over the stone ledge10. Next, she lowered the ladder into the well, listening until she heard a faint splash in the water below.
[112]
“Now you stay here and keep watch,” she instructed briskly. “I’ll be down and back again before you know it!”
“The ladder may break,” Louise said pessimistically, seating herself on the stone ledge of the well. “Silk deteriorates11 with age, and those braided strands12 never did look strong.”
“They once held one of Riverview’s most notorious apartment-house burglars,” Penny returned with forced cheerfulness. She climbed over the ledge, gazing down into the dark well. “It’s safe enough—I hope.”
“In case you slip and fall, just what am I to do?”
“That’s your problem,” Penny chuckled13. “Now hand me the flashlight. I’m on my way.”
Despite their banter14, both girls were tense and worried. By daylight, a descent into the well had seemed to Penny an amusing stunt15; but now as she cautiously descended16 into the damp, circular pit, she felt that for once in her life she had ventured too far.
“What do you see?” Louise called softly from above. “Anything?”
Reminded of the work before her, Penny clung with one hand to the swaying ladder, while with the other she directed the flashlight beam about the circular walls. The sides were cracked in many places and covered with a slimy green moss17.
[113]
“What do you see, Penny?” Louise called again. “Are any of the bricks loose?”
“Not that I can discover,” Penny answered, and her voice echoed weirdly18. Intrigued19 by the sound she tried an experimental yodel. “Why, it’s just like a cave scene on the radio!”
“In case you’ve forgotten, you’re in a well,” Louise said severely20. “Furthermore, if you don’t work fast, Mrs. Marborough will come out here!”
“I have to have a little relaxation,” Penny grumbled21.
Descending22 deeper into the well, she resumed her task of examining the walls. There were no loose bricks, nothing to indicate that anything ever had been hidden in the cavern23. Reaching the last rung without realizing it, she stepped not into space, but water.
Surprisingly her foot struck a solid foundation.
Hastily pulling herself back on the ladder, Penny shouted the information to her chum.
“Lou, the water isn’t more than a foot and a half deep! There’s an old boot or something of the sort floating around. You don’t catch me drinking any more of this water. No sir!”
There was no reply from above.
“Louise!” Penny called, flashing her light upward.
“Quiet!” came the whispered response. “I think someone is coming!”
“Mrs. Marborough?” Penny gasped24, thoroughly25 alarmed.
“No! Two men! They’re turning in at the gate!”
[114]
Penny began to climb the silken ladder with frantic26 haste.
“You never can get out without them seeing you!” Louise hissed27. “I’m ducking out!”
“Don’t you dare!”
“They’ll see me if I don’t. Stay where you are Penny, and I’ll come back after they go. Oh, the ladder! It’s sure to give you away!”
In the emergency, Penny’s mind worked with rapidity. Lowering herself into the well several rungs, she deliberately28 stepped into the water. To her relief it came just below her knees.
“Quick! Pull up the ladder!” she instructed.
The two men were so close that Louise dared not obey. Instead she loosed the iron hooks and dropped the ladder into the well. Penny barely was able to catch it and prevent a loud splash.
“Of all the tricks—” she muttered, but Louise did not hear. She had fled into a clump29 of bushes.
Penny huddled30 against the slimy wall, listening intently. Thinking that she heard footsteps, she switched out the flashlight.
“This is the place all right,” a masculine voice said. “Wonder if the old lady is at home?”
“There’s a light showing.”
The voices faded away, and Penny drew a deep sigh of relief. Impatiently she waited for Louise to come to her aid. After several minutes she realized why her chum delayed, for she again heard voices.
[115]
“The old lady must be inside the house. Funny she wouldn’t come to the door. They say she’s a queer one though.”
To Penny’s discomfort31, the two men paused by the wishing well.
“Want a drink?” she heard one ask.
The voices seemed faintly familiar to Penny and suddenly it dawned upon her that the two men were Mr. Coaten and his Texas friend. However, she could think of no reason why they should call upon Mrs. Marborough. Her reflection came to an abrupt32 end, as the well bucket splashed into the water beside her.
Suppressing a giggle33, she groped for the old boot which floated nearby. Dropping it into the bucket, she watched as it was raised to the surface. A moment later she heard an exclamation34 of wrath35 from above.
“See what I’ve drawn36 up!” one of the men muttered. “These old wells must be filled with filth37!”
Penny hoped that the strangers would immediately depart, but instead they loitered by the well, talking.
“We’ve been wasting entirely too much time in this,” remarked the man whom she took to be Mr. Coaten. “Suppose we were to offer Ted4 a hundred dollars to sign the paper. Would he do it?”
“I think he might, but the girl is the one who’ll make trouble. She’s shrewd.”
“We’ll get around her somehow,” the other said gruffly. “This thing can’t drag on forever. I have work waiting for me in Texas.”
[116]
The voices gradually died away and Penny heard no more. However, from the snatch of conversation, she was convinced that Rhoda’s suspicions regarding the Texas strangers had been well founded. But what had brought the two men to Riverview?
“If Rhoda or Ted own property, I could understand why it would be desirable to adopt them,” she thought. “As it is, the thing doesn’t make sense.”
To keep from freezing, Penny gingerly waded38 around and around in the well. It seemed ages before Louise thrust her head over the ledge and called softly:
“Are you still there, pet?”
“I’m frozen into one big icicle!” Penny retorted. “Get me out of here.”
Instructing her chum to lower the bucket, Penny fastened the silken ladder to the handle. Louise hauled it up, and again hooked the irons to the ledge of the well.
Stiffly, Penny climbed toward the surface. She had nearly reached the top when the beam of light chanced to play across a section of brick which hitherto had escaped her notice. Halting, she traced with her finger a rectangular pattern on the wall.
“That’s not an ordinary crack!” she thought. “It might be an old opening which has been bricked up!”
“Are you coming?” Louise called impatiently.
“I am,” said Penny, emerging from the well. “And don’t you dare say that this night has been a failure. I’ve just made a most astounding39 discovery!”
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收听单词发音
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1
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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4
ted
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| vt.翻晒，撒，撒开 | |
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attic
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| n.顶楼，屋顶室 | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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7
shrouded
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| v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密 | |
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8
wispy
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| adj.模糊的；纤细的 | |
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9
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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10
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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11
deteriorates
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| 恶化，变坏( deteriorate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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12
strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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13
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
banter
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| n.嘲弄，戏谑；v.取笑，逗弄，开玩笑 | |
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15
stunt
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| n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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weirdly
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| 古怪地 | |
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intrigued
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| adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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27
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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29
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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30
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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31
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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33
giggle
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| n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
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34
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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35
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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36
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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37
filth
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| n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥 | |
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38
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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