Chapter II: Part 2

"We'll see," laughed the ranger. "Gasoline stoves are more bother than they're worth in my opinion."

As Penny watched in amazed admiration he built a good fire which soon made a bed of glowing cherry red coals.

"How about a nice pan of fish fried to a crisp brown?" the ranger tempted her. "I caught a string of them this morning. Beauties!"

From the car he brought a basket of fat trout, already dressed and ready for cooking. Without asking Penny for anything, he wrapped them in corn meal, salted each fish and let it sizzle in hot butter.

"Do you always travel with your car equipped like a kitchen cabinet?" Penny joked. Crouching beside the fire, she barely could take her eyes from the food.

"Not always," the ranger laughed. "I've been on an overnight trip. Usually have the fixings of a meal with me though."

While the fish slowly sizzled, Bill put on a pot of coffee and fried potatoes. He accomplished everything with such ease that Penny could only watch dumbfounded.

"Guess you and your father considered me an old crab last night," he remarked. "Sometimes we hate to enforce the rules, but we have to treat everyone alike. If we allowed folks to camp wherever they pleased the danger of forest fire would be greatly increased."

"You're right, of course. Have you had any fires this season?"

"Not here." Deftly the ranger dished up the potatoes and crisply browned fish. "Plenty of them farther South. Not all caused by carelessness of campers either."

Penny was quick to seize upon the remark. "Sabotage?" she questioned.

"That's what we think," the ranger nodded. He poured two cups of steaming, black coffee. "Fact is, enemy agents have made quite a few attempts to set fire to our forests. Nearly always they're caught, but that doesn't mean we dare let up our vigilance."

Penny ate every morsel of the food, praising the ranger highly for his cooking ability.

"I wish Dad could have had some of this fish," she added. "He went down to Sunset Beach for supplies and for some reason hasn't returned."

"I'll have to be on the road myself," the ranger declared, getting up from the ground. "I'm due in town at twelve o'clock and it's nearly that now."

"You're driving to Sunset Beach?"

"Yes, want to ride along?"

Penny debated briefly. "Wait until I get my coat," she requested. "It's lonesome here alone. Anyway, I want to learn what's keeping Dad."

The park road had dried considerably, but even so the car skidded from side to side until it reached the paved highway. At Sunset Beach, the ranger dropped Penny off at the postoffice. Rather at a loss to know what to do with herself, she wandered about the half-deserted streets in search of her father. He was not at any of the stores, nor did inquiry reveal his whereabouts.

"Perhaps he's sunning himself on the beach," she thought.

A boardwalk led over the dunes to the water front. The tide was at ebb, revealing a long, wide stretch of white sand strewn with shells and seaweed. Penny paused to gaze meditatively upon the wind-swept sea. For a time she watched the waves break and spill their foam on the sandy shore. Then she walked slowly on toward the imposing Crystal Inn.

Approaching the private beach area, Penny met only a few persons, mostly soldiers on furlough with their girls. There were no bathers for a sharp, cool wind blew off the water.

"Sunset Beach is nice," thought Penny, "but it's lonesome."

At the Crystal Inn there was more activity. Tennis courts were in use and so was the swimming pool. Penny circled the well-kept grounds, not intending to enter the building. However, as she drew near, her attention was drawn to the flagstone terrace overlooking the formal garden. Though it was set with tables there were not many diners.

Suddenly Penny stopped short, scarcely believing her eyes. At one of the tables near the stone railing sat her father with Mrs. Deline.

CHAPTER
7
_THE BEARDED STRANGER_

Penny's first thought upon seeing her father and Mrs. Deline was to steal quietly away. Then amazement and injury gave way to a feeling of indignation. Perhaps her father had a perfect right to lunch with Mrs. Deline, but it was inconsiderate of him to so completely forget his own daughter.

"I might just as well be an orphan!" Penny sighed. "Well, we'll see!"

Stiffly she marched across the lawn to the railed-in hotel veranda. Her father saw her coming. His look of surprise changed to one of guarded welcome.

"Come up and have lunch with us," he invited. "The food here is quite an improvement on what we've been having at camp."

Penny could find no outside entranceway to the terrace. To Mrs. Deline's horror and her father's amusement, she climbed over the stone railing.

"Dad," Penny began, ignoring the widow except for a curt nod, "I was just about ready to get out a search warrant for you."

Mr. Parker drew another chair to the table for his daughter. Her hair was none too well combed, she wore no stockings, and the coat did not entirely cover her camp costume. By contrast Mrs. Deline was perfectly turned out in tailored tweed suit with a smart little hat of feathers. Though the woman said nothing, her gaze was scornful as she appraised Penny.

"What shall I order for you?" Mr. Parker asked, signaling a waiter.

"Nothing, thank you." Penny was coldly polite. "I had a very fine lunch at camp, thanks to one of the rangers."

"I'm sorry I didn't get back," Mr. Parker apologized. "It took a long while to have the stove repaired. Then I met Mrs. Deline and--"

"Oh, I understand," Penny broke in. "The point is, when, if ever, are you coming back to camp?"

"Why, right now I suppose. We've finished our luncheon."

The waiter had come to the table. Mr. Parker asked for the bill, paid it, and arose. As he bade Mrs. Deline goodbye, he remarked that he probably would see her again soon.

Walking to the hotel parking lot where Mr. Parker had left the car, neither he nor Penny had much to say. Not until they were driving through the village was the subject of Mrs. Deline mentioned.

"I don't see why you can't be a bit nicer to her," Mr. Parker commented. "You scarcely spoke a word to her."

"Did she say anything to me?"

"Well, I don't recall."

"I've treated Mrs. Deline just as well as she treats me!" Penny defended herself. "I'll admit I don't like her."

"And you show it too."

"Maybe I do, but she has no business taking so much of your time."

"So that's where the shoe pinches," chuckled Mr. Parker. "My little girl is jealous."

"The very idea!"

"Mrs. Deline is brilliant--a highly educated woman and I enjoy talking to her," Mr. Parker said thoughtfully. "I assure you it's no more serious than that."

Penny moved close to her father and squeezed his arm.

"We've been pals for such a long while," she said wistfully. "If anything ever should come between us--"

"Penny, you're positively morbid!" her father interrupted. "Of course nothing ever will come between us! Now let's talk of more cheerful subjects."

"Such as?"

"I've been thinking, Penny. You need a friend, someone to pal around with."

"You're the only friend I need, Dad."

"I mean someone your own age, Penny. Why not send for Louise Sidell? I'll gladly pay her train fare."

"It would be fun having Lou here."

"Then it's settled. We'll send a wire now." Mr. Parker turned the car around and drove to the local telegraph office.

Before Penny could change her mind, the message was sent. Not until long after she and her father had returned to the park did it occur to her that unwittingly she might have fashioned her own undoing. Though camping would be far more interesting with Louise to share her experiences, it also would give her father added opportunity to see Mrs. Deline.

"Maybe he didn't think of that angle," Penny reflected uneasily. "I'll keep it to myself."

The following day Mr. Parker spent the entire day in camp. With the gasoline stove in working order, hot meals were prepared though not without endless effort. There were dishes to wash, beds to make, and by the time the tasks were done, neither Penny nor her father had any energy left for hiking.

The second day was much easier. However, with more free time, Mr. Parker became increasingly restless. He missed his morning paper and was dissatisfied with the skimpy news reports that came in over the radio. Penny was not surprised when he mentioned that he would walk down to Sunset Beach.

"Mind if I go with you?" Penny asked quickly.

"Of course not," her father answered. "Why should I?"

At Sunset Beach a call at the local telegraph office disclosed a message for Penny which had been held for lack of an address. The wire was from Louise and read:

"ARRIVING AT SUNSET BEACH THURSDAY ON THE 12:30 PLANE. HOLD EVERYTHING."

"Thursday!" Penny cried, offering the telegram to her father. "That's tomorrow! My, will I be glad to see Lou! This place has been like a morgue without her."

"I imagine the town will brighten up quite a bit within the next few days," Mr. Parker said, a twinkle in his eye. "In fact, Louise may not be the only new arrival."

"Is someone else coming to see us?"

Mr. Parker would not answer her many questions. "Wait and see," he teased.

Since arriving at Sunset Beach Penny had been eager to visit the lighthouse located on Crag Point. Noticing that the tide was low, she suggested to her father that they go there together.

"Too long a walk," he complained. "You run along by yourself. I'll sun myself on the beach."

Leaving her father, Penny started off alone. The sun was warm and there were a number of bathers splashing about in the surf. A long row of picturesque cottages lined the water front. They thinned out as she went farther up the beach, and presently there were no habitations, only desolate, wind-blown sand.

Midway to the lighthouse, Penny met a man of early middle age who carried fishing rod and creel. He stared at her, hesitated, then paused to speak.

"I notice you're going toward Crag Point," he remarked pleasantly. "Are you a stranger to this locality?"

Penny admitted that she was.

"Then perhaps you haven't been told that the Point is a dangerous place to be at high tide."

"No, I hadn't heard."

"The Point is very nearly covered at that time," the stranger explained. "There's no danger at the present moment, of course."

"How long will I have here?"

"Oh, several hours," the stranger replied. "There's no cause for alarm if you just keep watch of the tide."

Penny thanked the stranger and walked on toward the lighthouse. The structure rose to a height of seventy-five feet above the beach and was reached by means of a narrow little iron stairway.

No one was about the premises as Penny approached. However, as she started up the iron steps, a door far above her head opened. A burly, stout man whose face was browned by wind and sun, peered down at her.

"You can't come up here!" he shouted. "No visitors are allowed!"

"Oh," Penny murmured, retreating a step. "I didn't know. I only wanted to see the tower."

"No visitors," the keeper of the light repeated. "War regulations."

The rule seemed a reasonable one, but after such a long hike, Penny was disappointed. Walking back to the main section of the beach, she looked about for her father. He had disappeared.

"I'll bet a cookie he's at the Crystal Inn!" she thought indignantly.

But Penny could not find her father there nor at any other place along the water front. After an hour's search she decided that he must have returned to camp. Returning there, she approached the tent, noticing that the flap was closed, though not buttoned as she had left it.

"Dad must be here," she thought.

Drawing nearer she could see movement within the tent as someone brushed against the canvas walls.

"Oh, Dad!" she called.

There was no answer. But the next instant a man in rough garments and straw hat rushed out of the tent. Penny never before had set eyes upon him. She was so astonished that she gained only a fleeting impression of the bearded stranger. Seeing her, he thrust some object beneath his coat and fled into the woods.

CHAPTER
8
_KEEPER OF THE LIGHT_

Recovering from astonishment, Penny darted to the tent and jerked open the flap. The beds had been torn apart. Her purse, hidden beneath the pillow, was gone. Suitcases lay open on the canvas floor.

"That man was a thief!" she thought angrily.

Too late, she tried to determine which direction he had taken. She could hear no sound of crackling leaves or running feet.

"He's lying low," she told herself. "No use chasing him. I never could find him among the trees."

Thoroughly incensed, she went back to the disordered tent. A preliminary check revealed that besides the pocketbook, a pair of her father's shoes and a sweater had been taken.

"Lucky I didn't have much money in my purse," Penny congratulated herself. "It was a good leather pocketbook though, and I hate to lose it."

Going outside, she discovered other losses. The supply of groceries had been ransacked. Bread was gone, several oranges and a tin of cold meat.

"That fellow was hungry," Penny reflected. "Probably some shiftless person who isn't willing to work for a living."

Entering the tent again, she busied herself making the beds and repacking the suitcases. As she finished the task, she heard footsteps outside. Fearful that the thief had returned, she jerked open the canvas flap. It was her father who had arrived.

"Oh, Dad, I'm glad you're back!" she exclaimed, rushing out to meet him. "We've been robbed!"

"What?"

Penny told him how she had frightened away the bearded stranger.

"That's bad," Mr. Parker said, frowning. "I didn't suppose there was another camper within miles of us."

"This man didn't look like a camper, Dad. He wore dirty, mussed clothing and a beard of at least a week's growth."

"How old a fellow?"

"Why, he looked young to me. And he ran like a young person."

"We'll report it to the ranger," Mr. Parker said, entering the tent to check over his belongings. "Probably never will get any of our things back though."

"The ranger may know who the fellow is, Dad."

"That's possible," Mr. Parker admitted. "Penny, I'm glad Louise is coming tomorrow. I certainly don't like the idea of your remaining here in camp alone."

"Then why don't you stay with me?" Penny countered instantly.

"Well, I'm planning on being rather busy."

"With Mrs. Deline."

"Penny, you're impossible!"

"Weren't you with her today? I looked everywhere for you."

"Mrs. Deline and I did go for a little walk. No harm in that, is there?"

"It all depends upon your viewpoint," Penny said loftily. "Personally, I consider her about as harmless as a Grade A rattler!"

"Penny, enough of such talk!"

"Okay," she returned grimly, "but never say I didn't warn you."

"I was about to tell you," Mr. Parker resumed, "that I expect to be busy the next few days helping local authorities trace that outlaw radio station we heard on the air."

"Oh!"

"In fact, Army experts are being sent here to aid in the work. My days will be pretty well tied up."

"I'm sorry, Dad," Penny said contritely. "Naturally I thought--"

"I'm afraid your trouble is that you don't stop to think," Mr. Parker lectured. "Please, will you forget Mrs. Deline?"

"I promise not to bother you about her again, Dad."

"Good!" Mr. Parker awkwardly patted his daughter's hand. "I realize you've had an unpleasant time of it so far, Penny. But things should pick up after Louise arrives."

"And that other surprise you hinted about?"

"Oh, you'll have to wait and see," Mr. Parker smiled. "However, I promise you that what's coming really will prove a pleasant surprise."

Though Penny kept up a running fire of questions, her father would tell her no more. From a few hints he dropped, she gathered that he was expecting a visitor within a day or so. That rather disappointed her, for with the exception of Louise, she could think of no one she particularly wanted to see at Sunset Beach.

Later that day when a forest ranger stopped at camp for a few minutes, Mr. Parker reported the theft of food and clothing to him.

"So the thief was a young man with a beard?" the ranger pondered. "Don't know of anyone in the area answering such a description. We'll certainly be on the watch for him."

Penny and her father expected to hear no more from the matter. Toward sundown, however, the same ranger returned to camp, bringing the missing pocketbook. It was stripped of money but still contained a compact and various toilet articles.

"Where did you find the purse?" Penny inquired eagerly.

"On the Beech Trail not far from here."

"Then it was dropped on purpose?"

"Apparently it was. I followed the trail for a quarter of mile, then lost the fellow when he took to the brook."

"Rather a smart fellow to think of that," commented Mr. Parker thoughtfully. "Perhaps he wasn't an ordinary snatch-thief after all."

The ranger offered no comment. As he turned to go, he did assure Penny again that every effort would be made to capture the culprit.

"If the fellow still is in the park we'll get him," he declared. "Don't you worry about that."

With the coming of dusk a penetrating chill settled over the camp. Even the hot supper of steak and potatoes that Penny prepared failed to sufficiently warm the two tenters. They did the dishes and then, not wishing to go to bed, sought the enclosed car for heat.

"It's starting to rain," Mr. Parker observed as a few drops splashed against the windshield. "Looks as if we're in for another siege of it."

"And Louise is due tomorrow," Penny sighed. "Unless the weather improves I'd not blame her one bit if she turns right around and starts back to Riverview."

The rain came down steadily with a promise of continuing throughout the night. Mr. Parker read a day-old newspaper by the light in the car, grumbling because the news was so old. Presently he switched on the radio, trying without success to tune in the outlaw station which had been heard previously at the same hour.

"No luck," he commented. "Reception must be poor tonight, or the station has changed to another time. Probably it's shifted to a different locality too."

"Dad, isn't it true that the operator of that secret station is an enemy agent?" Penny asked curiously.

"It's a possibility."

"Why not tell me all about it?"

"Nothing to tell yet, Penny. Confidentially I'll admit I came here hoping to help State authorities find the station. So far I've accomplished nothing."

"What clues have you gained?"

"Now Penny, don't quiz me," Mr. Parker laughed. "I'll tell you everything as soon as I'm free to do so."

"In the meantime, maybe I'll find out for myself!" Penny hinted. Abruptly swinging open the car door, she bolted through the rain to the tent.

Breakfast the next morning was a more cheerful meal than had been expected. During the night the rain had ceased and a hot morning sun soon dried out the drenched canvas. Mr. Parker prepared coffee, eggs and bacon, an unbelievable example of perfect cooking.

"Dad, I didn't think you had it in you!" Penny praised as she sat down on a camp stool beside him. "Maybe you'll develop into a real camper after all."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Grinning, Mr. Parker dropped two plump fried eggs on his daughter's plate and took the remaining four for himself. "This life could be worse though."

"Dad, what time shall we start for the airport?"

Mr. Parker poured himself a cup of coffee and then answered: "Afraid I won't be able to go with you, Penny."

"But Dad! Louise will be expecting you."

"It's not me she wants to see," Mr. Parker corrected. "I have an important engagement I can't break."

Penny glanced quickly up. She was tempted to ask her father if he intended to see Mrs. Deline. Recalling that she had made her father a promise, she wisely withheld comment. Instead she asked if she might use the car.

"By all means," he consented. "Just go easy on the gasoline."

Breakfast over, dishes were dispatched and the camp put in order. By eleven o'clock Penny and her father were in Sunset Beach.

"Drop me anywhere," Mr. Parker instructed vaguely.

Leaving her father on a street corner, Penny drove slowly toward the airport a mile and a quarter away. There was little travel on the winding highway which curled along the beach. A government jeep whizzed past and two soldiers shouted and waved. Penny waved back.

There was no need to hurry for Louise's plane was not yet due. Penny took her time and enjoyed the ocean scenery. The tide was coming in and gulls free-wheeled over the waves, dipping down at intervals in search of food.

Gazing along the deserted beach, Penny was startled to see a familiar feminine figure hastening toward the lighthouse on Crag Point. The woman wore a white scarf that half obscured her face, yet the girl easily recognized her.

"Mrs. Deline!" she thought, idling the car. "She's certainly going to the lighthouse! I wonder if that gruff old keeper will drive her away as he did me?"

Curious to learn what would happen, the girl drew up at the side of the road. Mrs. Deline was too far away to observe the automobile. Intent only upon her own affairs, she walked swiftly along the beach until she reached the base of the lighthouse.

"Now to see the fun!" chuckled Penny.

The keeper had appeared on the platform and was gazing down upon the visitor. He called something to the woman that Penny could not hear. But to her amazement, Mrs. Deline started up the iron stairway.

Penny waited expectantly. She was certain that the keeper of the light would order Mrs. Deline away. Instead, he greeted her with a hearty handshake as if they were old friends. They entered the lighthouse tower room together, and the heavy door closed behind them.

CHAPTER
9
_A SURPRISE FROM THE SKY_

"Well, if that isn't strange!" Penny muttered. "I wasn't permitted to set foot inside the lighthouse, but in goes Mrs. Deline without a single question asked!"

Her curiosity aroused, the girl decided to wait and watch. Twenty minutes elapsed. During that time Mrs. Deline did not reappear. Penny grew tired of her vigil.

"Mrs. Deline evidently intends to stay there a long while," she thought as she drove on. "For all I know, she and the lighthouse keeper may be old friends. They did greet each other as if they were acquainted."

At the airport Penny parked on the crowded lot. She dropped into the lunch room for a sandwich and then wandered out on the cement runway. The noon passenger plane presently was announced through the loudspeaker system. A moment later Penny glimpsed the big silver twin-motor transport gliding down over the tree tops. As it taxied up to unload passengers, she held her breath. Knowing that there had been several last-minute cancellation of tickets, she was afraid that Louise might not be aboard.

But as the door of the big transport swung back, her chum was the second passenger to alight. Fresh and trim in a yellow wool suit, she flung herself into Penny's arms.

"Have a nice trip, Lou?"

"Oh, heavenly! Only it didn't last long enough. We were here almost before I knew we'd started. I nearly lost my ticket to an Army Major too!"

"I was afraid you might not get here," Penny laughed, picking up Louise's light over-night case. "What happened to the Major?"

"Oh, at the last minute he changed his mind, so the company decided I could have my ticket back. And here I am! How's camping?"

"Not much fun so far," Penny confessed truthfully. "But I can feel things starting to pick up."

"We'll have a wonderful time together."

"You just bet we will!" Penny declared with emphasis. "Had anything to eat?"

"Oh, yes, lunch was served on the plane."

"Then we may as well start for camp. I have oodles to tell you, Lou."

Midway to the parking lot, Louise paused, calling attention to a Flying Fortress that was coming in against the wind.

"Let's watch it land," she pleaded. "Did you ever see such a beautiful ship?"

The huge Fortress came in fast for a perfect landing. Crew members began to tumble out through the door. One of the young men in captain's uniform evidently was a passenger for he carried a suitcase.

"Lou!" Penny grasped her chum's arm. "That flier looks like Jerry Livingston!"

"Oh, it couldn't be!"

"All the same, I think it is!"

Penny was so excited that she barely could control her voice. Jerry Livingston was one of her very best friends, a former reporter on the _Riverview Star_. In the days before he had joined the Army Air Force, she and Jerry had shared many an exciting adventure. However, since he had gone away there had been only a few letters and those brief communications had contained no real news.

"It _is_ Jerry!" Penny cried an instant later. "Oh, Lou, this must have been the surprise that Dad knew about! How could he keep it from me?"

Breaking away from her chum, Penny darted across the runway. As she called Jerry's name, the young man turned toward her. His handsome, wind-tanned face became a brilliant smile. A dozen long strides carried him to her side.

"Penny!" he cried. He didn't hesitate. He just swept her into his arms and kissed her.

"Sorry, Penny," Jerry apologized, his eyes twinkling. "Guess I shouldn't have done that. But when you've not seen your one and only girl for going on a year--"

"Your which?" Penny stammered, too confused to blush.

"You are my one and only, you know," Jerry grinned. "Always were for that matter. Even in the days when we tracked down news stories together."

Louise came hurrying up. Jerry turned to greet her and the conversation became less personal. But from the way Louise smiled, Penny knew she had seen the kiss and would demand lengthy explanations later on.

"Jerry!" she cried, noticing the decorations on his trim uniform. "They've given you the Distinguished Flying Cross! And the Purple Heart! You didn't write a word about that."

"Nothing to write."

Indignantly, the girls pried the story from Jerry. He had piloted a Flying Fortress in a highly successful raid over the Romanian oil fields. To reach its target, the Fortress had flown through flaming refineries, so low to the ground that fire actually had leaped up through the bomb bay of the plane. Swarms of enemy fighter ships had been fought off. Jerry's plane was one of the few to get back to its base safely.

"I was luckier than some of the other fellows," Jerry said modestly. "That was all. Now they've sent me home to rest up for a while."

"Oh, that's marvelous!" Penny said, guiding him toward the waiting car. "You can spend all of your spare time with us!"

Jerry grinned down at her. "I'd like nothing better. But I'm not exactly on furlough."

"I thought you just said--"

"I'm doing a special mission here at Sunset Beach for the Army."

"Anything you dare tell about?"

Jerry helped the girls into the car, stowed the suitcases away, and then slid in beside Penny.

"I can't tell you very much," he replied quietly. "But I can give you a general idea of why I'm here. There's a certain outlaw radio station that has been causing the government considerable annoyance. I've been sent here to try to trace its location."

"And that's why Dad's here too!" Penny cried. "So you two schemers intended to join forces all along! A pity no one could let me know!"

"I didn't want your father to tell you, because until the last minute I wasn't sure I was coming," Jerry explained. "The radio station assignment is only part of the reason why I'm here."

"What's the other?" Penny asked as she started the car.

"I'm on the lookout for an escaped German flier. The fellow escaped from a Canadian prison camp and was traced to this locality."

"And you're supposed to be taking a rest from flying!"

"This assignment will be a vacation."

"I'd call it anything but one," Penny said indignantly. Her face suddenly became grave. "Jerry!"

"Yes?"

"What does that escaped prisoner look like?"

"Oh, I can't describe him. I have a photograph in my brief case. Why do you ask?"

"Maybe I've seen him."

"Where?" Jerry could not hide a smile.

"Why at our camp in the woods!" Excitedly Penny told of the bearded stranger who had robbed the Parker stores of food and clothing. Her description of the man was so vague that Jerry could make little of it.

"I'm afraid your thief isn't the man we're after," he said kindly. "After I get to a hotel and open my luggage, I'll show you his picture."

"And will you let me help you trail him?"

"Oh, sure," Jerry answered, only half meaning it. "By the way, drive me to the Crystal Inn. I have a reservation there."

Penny's face fell.

"Anything wrong with the place?" Jerry inquired, observing her change of expression.

Penny shook her head. "The place is all right. It's the people who stay there. Jerry--"

"Yes?"

"Are you susceptible to brunettes?"

"Never noticed it."

"You'll likely meet a Mrs. Deline at the hotel," Penny warned. "Don't have a thing to do with her."

"Why should I?" Jerry was amused.

"She's already made a jelly fish of Dad," Penny went on. "Jerry, stop grinning! This is serious."

"Sorry, I didn't know I was smiling."

"I need your help, Jerry. The truth is, I'm terribly worried about Dad."

"If I know your father, there's no need to worry about him."

"But you don't understand this Mrs. Deline," Penny said desperately. "She's a very clever, scheming woman. Jerry, will you promise to help me try to save Dad from her clutches?"

Jerry managed to keep his face straight. "I'll do my best," he promised.

Penny drew a deep sigh. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here," she murmured gratefully. "With you fighting on my side, the war's as good as won!"

CHAPTER
10
_HELP FROM MR. EMORY_

With Jerry at Sunset Beach, the vacation already promised to take on a rosy hue. Penny was so thrilled to be with her friends again that she paid scant heed to her driving. Several times, enroute to the Crystal Inn, Louise had to warn her to steer more carefully.

"Oh, Jerry, now that you're here the fun will start!" Penny declared happily. "You've no idea how dull things have been without you."

"And that goes double," Jerry said with emphasis. "How's your father?"

"Oh, fine!" Penny laughed. "Camping has made him cross though. By the way, did he know you were coming?"

"Yes, I sent him a wire."

"I thought so! Dad's been keeping it from me. Why all the secrecy, I wonder?"

"Well, my trip here isn't exactly a pleasure jaunt. And if I have luck, I'll be gone again in a few days."

"I certainly hope you have no luck then," Penny said with a laugh.

The car drew up at the Crystal Inn and Jerry unloaded his suitcase. He was taller, Penny thought, or at least more filled out. The trim uniform set off his broad shoulders. As he bent to pick up his luggage, a group of women on the hotel veranda turned to stare at him.

"I'll check in and clean up a bit," Jerry said. "Then where can I meet you girls?"

"Oh, we'll be somewhere on the beach," Penny replied carelessly. "Do hurry, Jerry. We have a million things to talk over."

The girls parked the car not far from the hotel. As they walked along, scuffing their shoes in the loose sand, they saw Mrs. Deline coming toward them from the direction of Crag Point.

"She's evidently been at the lighthouse all this time!" Penny commented in an undertone. "Now how did she get in there for a visit when I couldn't?"

Mrs. Deline saw that she would meet the girls. Frowning, she glanced quickly toward the boardwalk as if seeking an avenue of escape. However, she could not avoid meeting them without appearing to do so deliberately.

"How do you do," she greeted Penny coldly.

Penny paused to introduce Louise. Mrs. Deline acknowledged the girl with an indifferent nod. Somewhat confused, Louise nervously twisted a silver ring she wore. It slipped from her finger and fell into the loose sand.

"Oh, how awkward of me!" she exclaimed, and stooped to retrieve it.

The ring buried itself deeper in the sand.

"You'll lose it entirely if you're not careful!" Penny warned. "Here, let me help you."

Getting down on their knees, the girls sifted the sand with their hands. Mrs. Deline seemed amused by their difficulties and did not offer to help.

"Well, I must be getting on to the hotel," she said casually. "I took a long walk this afternoon and I'm tired."

"To the lighthouse?" Penny commented, before she stopped to think.

Mrs. Deline glanced at her sharply. "No, not to the lighthouse," she replied in a tone meant to put the girl in her place. "I shouldn't think of walking that far."

"But I thought I saw you there."

"You saw me?" Mrs. Deline laughed. "Well, my dear, you certainly were mistaken. I walked to the 12th Street bridge. No farther."

Penny started to reply, then thought better of it. There was no point in arguing with Mrs. Deline. However, she was certain she had seen the widow at the lighthouse. Why the woman should deny it she could not imagine.

After Mrs. Deline had gone, Penny and Louise searched in vain for the missing ring. They knew it could not be many inches away, yet it kept eluding them.

"Oh, I can't afford to lose the ring!" Louise wailed.

"How valuable is it?"

"It's not worth much from a money standpoint. I drew it as a prize in a piece of wedding cake and I've always kept it as a good luck piece."

"We'll find it," Penny said confidently. "That is, if the tide doesn't catch us first."

Just as she spoke, a wave came rippling up the beach. It broke only a few feet away, showering the girls with spray and wetting their shoes.

"If the tide flows over this spot, I never will find the ring," Louise cried in vexation. "Such wretched luck!"

"Having trouble?" inquired a deep masculine voice.

Penny and Louise raised their heads. Unnoticed by them, a stranger had approached. The man wore a wet bathing suit plastered with sand. He had on glasses and a moment elapsed before Penny recognized him as the same fisherman who had warned her about the tide at Crag Point.

"I'm George Emory," he introduced himself. "Have you lost something?"

"My ring," Louise explained.

The man helped the girls search for the missing trinket. By now waves were creeping higher and higher on the beach. A particularly big one sent Penny and Louise scurrying for safety.

"It's no use looking any longer for the ring," Louise gave up. "Perhaps I can find it after the tide turns."

"By then it will be washed away," replied Mr. Emory. "Ah! What's this?"

He stooped to pick a shiny object from the sand.

"It's my ring!" Louise cried in delight. "Oh, thank you for finding it!"

The three retreated to higher ground. As Penny and Louise were about to start for the hotel, Mr. Emory suggested that they might like to share a picnic lunch with him. Neither of the girls was hungry, but to offend the man after he had found Louise's ring was unthinkable. Accordingly, they accompanied him to one of the gaily painted wooden umbrellas along the beach. Beneath its shade Mr. Emory spread a paper tablecloth and produced ample supplies of sandwiches, fruit and lemonade.

"Were you expecting to eat all this food yourself?" Penny asked in amazement.

"No, I was hoping to find a companion who would share it," replied Mr. Emory. "The truth is, I'm a pretty lonely old fellow."

Penny and Louise stole a quick look at the stranger. By no stretch of the imagination could they call him old. Judging from appearances, he was not yet forty years old.

"My wife died a few years ago," Mr. Emory explained sadly. "Since then I've been like a ship without a rudder. I have plenty of money, but I don't get much enjoyment out of life. I go wherever it suits my fancy, stay until I weary of it, then move on."

"Oh, I see," Penny murmured with a show of sympathy.

She felt ashamed of herself that the story did not move her more deeply. Mr. Emory evidently was a lonely fellow, deserving of companionship. Yet for some reason, he failed to interest her.

"Have you been at Sunset Beach long?" she inquired politely.

"Oh, about a month. I know every nook and cranny along the shore."

"You do?" Penny asked, and her interest revived. "Are there many caves near Sunset Beach?"

"Plenty of them, though none very close. There are several near the lighthouse, back among the rocks. Crystal Cave probably is the most interesting. Then there are half a dozen scattered on up the shore. Interested in caves?"

"Oh, in a general way," Penny replied carelessly.

"Penny is interested in anything that suggests mystery," Louise volunteered with a grin.

"Mystery?"

"Lou's joking," Penny said quickly. She gave her chum a hard look which was not lost upon Mr. Emory.

"Why, Penny!" Louise refused to be silenced. "Only a few minutes ago you were telling me about a radio broadcast said to come from a cave!"

"That was just my idea," Penny said, confused. She jumped hastily to her feet. "We really should be going, Lou."

"Oh, don't hurry away." Mr. Emory offered Louise another sandwich. "Speaking of mysterious radio stations, I've heard of one that is said to be located in a cave somewhere along these shores. Fact is, I've searched for it."

"You have?" Penny asked, sinking back into the sand. "Any luck?"

"None. But I did manage to kill quite a few afternoons. I take it that your father came to Sunset Beach to help the authorities search for the station. Right?"

"Why, whatever made you think that?" Penny asked, instantly on guard. "Do you know my father?"

"I regret I haven't the honor. I chanced to overhear a conversation at the hotel."

"Oh," Penny murmured. She was certain that the information could have leaked out in only one way. Her father had told Mrs. Deline, who in turn had spread the news about the hotel.

"I trust I'm not inquiring into secrets," Mr. Emory went on cheerfully. "Fact of the matter is, I might be able to help your father."

"I'm sure Dad will want to talk with you."

"I'll look forward to meeting your father. Think you can arrange it?"

"Why, I suppose so," Penny said, though with no great enthusiasm. Again she experienced a queer, uneasy feeling. She did not entirely trust Mr. Emory.

The man smiled and seemed to relax. As the girls arose to leave he tried once more to detain them.

"See that old fellow down the beach?" he inquired, pointing to an aged man who was picking up objects from the sand with a sharp-pointed stick.

"Yes, what about him?" Penny asked, turning to stare. "Just an ordinary beachcomber, isn't he?"

"I'd not call Old Jake Skagway ordinary," Mr. Emory corrected. "If you're really interested in solving the radio station mystery, I'd advise you to keep watch of that rascal."

"But why him?" Penny asked.

"I can't explain," Mr. Emory said with finality. "It's just a tip. Take it or leave it."

Yawning, he stretched himself full length on the sand and turned his back to the girls.

CHAPTER
11
_A MAN OF MYSTERY_

The following day when Penny told her father of Mr. Emory's desire to meet him, Mr. Parker showed little interest.

"I've no time to waste getting acquainted with strangers," he said. "Why is the man so eager to know me?"

"He thinks he may be able to help you locate that hidden radio station."

Mr. Parker's annoyance visibly increased. "Penny," he said severely, "you've evidently been talking out of turn."

"I didn't mean to let him know why you're at Sunset Beach, Dad. It sort of slipped out."

Louise, who was washing the breakfast dishes, spoke quickly.

"It was my fault," she insisted. "Penny tried to stop me, but I gave the information before I thought."

"Well, it doesn't matter," Mr. Parker assured her kindly. "I came here mostly for a vacation. If I should be lucky enough to dig up a few facts about the radio station, well and good. If not, no harm will have been done."

"You sent for Jerry to help you?" Penny inquired curiously.

Mr. Parker shook his head. "No, I knew he was coming, but I didn't send for him. If I had, I'm afraid the Army wouldn't have been obliging enough to have filled my order."

Penny helped Louise put away the camp dishes and pick up loose papers. It was only eight-thirty but already most of the work had been done. With Louise to help, camping no longer was a burden. Even Mr. Parker seemed to have moments of enjoying the outdoor life.

"Anyone riding to Sunset Beach with me?" he inquired cheerfully. "I have a date with Jerry this morning."

Penny and Louise both wanted to go. They washed at the brook, changed into becoming "town" dresses, and soon were ready.

At the Crystal Inn, Jerry was not to be found. A clerk explained that the young man had left the hotel a half hour earlier but was expected to return soon.

"He probably went somewhere for breakfast or a walk," Mr. Parker remarked, sinking into a comfortable chair. "I'll wait for him."

Penny and Louise loitered in the lobby. Presently Mrs. Deline came from the dining room and Mr. Parker politely arose to greet her. The widow took a chair beside him and they began to chat in an animated way.

"Let's get away from here!" Penny muttered to Louise. "I don't like the scenery."

The girls went outside into the warm sunshine. Because the Parker automobile was at the curb they climbed into it and sat watching the sea.

"Why do you dislike Mrs. Deline so intensely?" Louise presently asked her chum.

"Because she's aiming to be my stepmother, that's why!"

"Oh, Penny!" Louise laughed outright. "I'm sure you have a mistaken idea about the entire situation. Your father isn't serious in liking her."

"Then he's certainly developed remarkable talents for acting," Penny retorted with a sniff. "I wish we'd never come to Sunset Beach."

"You'd be willing to forego the mystery?"

"Who cares about a radio station?" Penny asked crossly. "Dad won't tell me anything about the case, and probably Jerry won't either. It seems to be one of those affairs for the experts only."

"If I know you, Penny, you'll manage to get in on the affair," Louise said, her eyes twinkling.

Penny turned on the ignition and started the car. "I'm just not interested," she announced flatly. "Mrs. Deline has taken all the fun out of me. Want to go for a ride?"

"Where?"

"Oh, just up the beach."

"Isn't it dangerous to drive on the sand?"

"Everyone does it at low tide. The sand is hard and firm along this stretch of beach."

Louise offered no further objection, so Penny drove slowly away from the hotel. The car rode on silken tires, making only a soft swishing sound as it rolled smoothly over the sand.

"Oh, this is fun!" Louise cried in delight.

"We might drive to the lighthouse," Penny proposed, steering to avoid two bathers who crossed in front of the car.

Following the curve of the beach, the girls kept on until the sand became so soft that they were afraid to drive farther. The lighthouse was close by. Penny, curious to learn what sort of reception the keeper would accord her on the second visit, proposed to Louise that they call there.

"If he let Mrs. Deline visit the tower why can't we?" she argued. "Come along, let's try to get in!"

Abandoning the car on the beach, they waded through the dunes, climbed a fence, and ultimately reached the base of the tower. No one seemed to be in evidence. Penny started boldly up the iron steps. However, before she had gone very far, the keeper, Jim McCoy, came out on the platform.

"Didn't I tell you no visitors are allowed here?" he called down angrily.

"I saw a lady come here yesterday!" Penny returned.

"You must have dreamed it," retorted the lighthouse keeper. "No visitors allowed. Don't make me tell you again!"

Penny retreated, decidedly crushed.

"You asked for it, kitten," Louise teased as they walked toward the car. "I don't blame the keeper for not wanting visitors."

"Mrs. Deline was there," Penny insisted stubbornly. "Why should he deny it?"

Half way to the car, the girls paused to pick up a few large shells lying in the deep sand. The task became an absorbing one. Before they realized it, the sun was high overhead and their faces were being burned by the direct rays.

"Let's go," Louise urged. "The tide turned a long while ago. We should be returning to the hotel."

"Okay," Penny agreed. She stooped to pick up another shell. As she straightened, she observed an old man in ragged clothing coming down the beach.

"Lou," she said in a low tone, "there's that same man Mr. Emory was telling us about!"

"The beachcomber?" Louise turned to stare.

"Yes, and he's coming this way. Perhaps it might be worth while to watch him."

"He's not seen us yet."

Penny glanced about for a hiding place. The only one that offered was a huge sand dune. Pulling Louise along with her, she crouched down out of sight.

In a moment the old beachcomber came along. He was whistling and seemed to have not a care in the world. His face, viewed at close range, was weather-beaten, his hair uncombed, and his clothing had not been washed in many a day.

"What's so mysterious about him?" Louise whispered. "Why did Mr. Emory say he'd bear watching?"

"Maybe he's not really a beachcomber," Penny returned, low. "He may be an Enemy Agent in disguise."

"You have Enemy Agents on the brain!" Louise chuckled. "Likewise, man-snatching widows."

The beachcomber passed within a few feet of the girls. He crossed the courtyard of the lighthouse and was seen to take a trail which led amid the rocks.

"Lou, perhaps he's going to one of the caves!" Penny cried. "You know Mr. Emory said this locality is honeycombed with them."

"Let him go," Louise answered indifferently. "It's lunch time and I'm hungry."

"Your appetite will have to wait. I'm going to follow that man!"

"Oh, Penny."

"But this may be important."

"And it may be just another of your so-called bright ideas," Louise retorted. "Well, lead on, and let's get it over with."

The beachcomber already had disappeared amid the mass of piled-up rock farther back from shore. Penny had marked the locality well with her eye. She was able to lead Louise to the place where he had vanished.

"See, there's a well-worn trail," she indicated triumphantly. "He must have taken it."

They followed the path, and a moment later caught a fleeting glimpse of the beachcomber. At times the trail was so narrow that the girls barely could squeeze between the rocks. Wind whistled around the cliffs, whipping hair and blowing skirts.

Unexpectedly, Penny, who was in the lead, came to the low entranceway of a cave.

"He must have gone in there!" she declared excitedly. "Listen!"

From deep within the cave the girls could hear a strange sound.

"Rushing water!" Louise said in awe. "The Cave must have a waterfall or an underground river."

"We'll soon know." Penny started into the cave only to have Louise clutch at her hand.

"Don't be silly, Penny. We have no flashlight."

"But we can't let that beachcomber get away. We want to learn what he does."

"I can bear up without knowing."

"Well, I can't," Penny announced with equal firmness.

"But it may be dangerous. Let's go back to the hotel and get Jerry or your father."

Penny hesitated, then shook her head. "You stay here if you like, Lou," she replied. "I'm going inside."

Before her chum could detain her, she stooped low and crawled into the narrow, dark tunnel.

CHAPTER
12
_CAUGHT BY THE TIDE_

Unwilling to be left behind, Louise followed her chum into the dark cavern. Once she and Penny were well beyond the yawning mouth of the cave, they could not see a foot ahead of them. Guided by the sound of rushing water, they groped their way along a damp wall.

"This is awful!" Louise whispered nervously. "Let's turn back."

Penny might have yielded to her chum's coaxing but at that moment the tunnel broadened out and became lighter. Directly ahead a series of steps led down to a lower room of the cave.

"This place must be safe enough or steps wouldn't have been built here," she whispered. "Don't be nervous, Lou. We may discover something important."

Louise muttered that they were more likely to break their necks. However, she cautiously followed Penny down the rock-hewn steps. Half way down, they both paused. From below came a weird sound.

"What was that?" Louise whispered.

"It sounded for all the world like the note of a pipe organ!" Penny observed. "There it is again--a different tone this time."

Noiselessly the girls moved on down the steps. Ahead of them they now could see a moving light which undoubtedly was a flash lantern carried by the beachcomber. Drawing closer, they saw the man himself. In the great cavern his shadow appeared grotesque and huge.

"What is he doing?" Louise whispered in awe.

The man was unaware that he had been followed. He stood in the center of the great chamber, gazing with wrapt expression at the stalagmites which rose in strange formations from the cave floor. The girls could hear him muttering to himself. At the risk of being seen they moved closer.

"Music! Music!" the old man mumbled. "Talk about your pipe organs! They ain't in it with _this_!"

He held a long stick in his hand and with it began to explore the row of stalagmites, striking them one by one, at first with a slow tempo and then faster and faster. The weird sounds echoed and reached through the galleries of the cavern.

"Pretty!" the old man prattled. "It's the music o' Heaven. There ain't no music to equal it."

Again the beachcomber struck the stalagmites, listening raptly while the sounds died slowly away.

"Come on, Penny," Louise urged, tugging at her hand. "Let's get out of here. That old goof has lost his buttons."

Decidedly crestfallen, Penny permitted herself to be pulled along the passage and up the steps. As the girls groped their way to the cave's mouth, they still could hear the weird echoing tones.

"That was a good joke on you!" Louise teased. "You thought you were going to find a hidden radio station!"

"Well, we did find a cave," Penny said defensively.

"We didn't exactly discover it," Louise amended. "This must be Crystal Cave. Seemingly that old beachcomber regards it as his own personal property."

"Mr. Emory certainly gave us a wrong steer. A mysterious character, my eye!"

"You'll admit that the old fellow is interesting," Louise laughed. "However, I doubt he'll warrant much attention from the FBI."

"All right, laugh," Penny retorted grimly. "You think my detective efforts are a joke anyway."

"No, I don't, Penny. But I will say I doubt you'll have success tracing a hidden radio station. After all, it's a problem that has the State authorities baffled. Not to mention Uncle Sam's Army."

The girls stepped from the cave out into the brilliant sunshine. Gazing toward the sea, they were amazed to see how high the tide had risen. Giant waves were washing very close to the Parker automobile left on the beach.

"Ye fishes!" Penny exclaimed in horror. "I forgot all about the car!"

"And the tide's coming in fast!"

"The Point will be cut off in a few more minutes!" Penny added, recalling Mr. Emory's warning. "We'll have to travel, and travel fast!"

Scrambling down from the rocks, the girls plunged through the dunes to the beach. A wind was blowing and the sea had an angry look.

"If just one wave strikes the car, the wheels will sink in the sand, and then we'll be in it!" Penny cried.