Penny Nichols and the Knob Hill Mystery Read online

  Produced by Al Haines

  [Transcriber's note: Extensive research found no evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]

  Penny Nichols and

  the Knob Hill

  Mystery

  _By_

  JOAN CLARK

  The Goldsmith Publishing Company

  CHICAGO

  COPYRIGHT MCMXXXIX BY

  THE GOLDSMITH PUBLISHING COMPANY

  MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER

  I. A COTTAGE AT KNOB HILL II. HELPING A STRANGER III. A QUEER OLD MAN IV. INSIDE INFORMATION V. A NIGHT VISITOR VI. THE ATTIC DOOR VII. PENNY'S DISCOVERY VIII. THE TOY LANTERN CLUE IX. HERMAN CROCKER'S VISIT X. SEARCHING THE LOFT XI. AID FROM MICHAEL XII. THE MATRON'S STORY XIII. A BOLT OF CLOTH XIV. A CONVERSATION OVERHEARD XV. THE MISSING LETTERS XVI. A LOST HANDKERCHIEF XVII. A NEW CLUE XVIII. INSIDE THE GABLED HOUSE XIX. MICHAEL'S ADMISSION XX. ALIAS JAY KLINE

  Penny Nichols and the

  Knob Hill Mystery

  CHAPTER I

  A Cottage at Knob Hill

  Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps ofthe Altman porch. She did not need to ring the bell, for just at thatmoment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.

  "Why, hello, Penny," greeted the Altman girl. "You're all out ofbreath."

  "I ran most of the way from home," replied Penny.

  "I was hoping you'd drop in today. Come on into the house."

  "No, I can't, Susan," said Penny hurriedly. "I just ran over to saygood-by."

  "Good-by?" echoed Susan blankly. "You're not going away, Penny?"

  "Yes, Dad took a sudden notion he wanted to spend a quiet vacation at aplace called Knob Hill. We're motoring down there this afternoon."

  "Well, I like that!" exclaimed Susan. "You didn't say a thing about itwhen we were playing tennis yesterday."

  "How could I when I didn't know anything about it myself until an hourago? That's the way Dad does things, Susan."

  "I suppose you're going off on another one of those exciting mysterycases," Susan said enviously.

  "I only wish we were," sighed Penny. "This vacation won't be a bitexciting. Dad just wants a complete rest at a quiet place. He sayshe'll not even think about work while we're gone."

  "What sort of place is Knob Hill?"

  "From all I can learn it's just a dead spot on the map," Pennydeclared. "And we've rented a cottage sight unseen."

  "Oh, it may not be half bad," said Susan encouragingly. "You'llprobably be able to do a lot of interesting things--swim, hike or ride."

  "Not at Knob Hill," replied Penny, shaking her head. "It isn't asummer resort place at all. There will be absolutely nothing to doexcept eat, sleep, and grow fat."

  Susan laughed as she glanced at her chum's slender figure. Penny wastoo active and athletic ever to be plump. She had sparkling blue eyes,golden hair, and a natural smile. It was very easy for her to makefriends.

  "I haven't finished my packing yet," said Penny. "I'll have to getback home or I'll keep Dad waiting."

  "I'm terribly sorry to see you go," Susan told her. "Don't forget tosend me a postcard now and then."

  Penny promised that she would write often, and then, aware that timewas slipping away, said a hurried farewell. Reaching her own home, alarge white house on Hilburn Street, she found her father washing thecar in the back yard.

  Christopher Nichols was a tall, slim man with graying hair. For manyyears he had been in charge of the Nichols Detective Agency and waswell known not only in Belton City but throughout the state. Manypersons believed that Penny had inherited her father's sleuthingability, for even at the age of fifteen she had shown remarkable talentin solving mystery cases.

  As Penny paused for a moment to chat with her father before going intothe house, she noticed the tired lines of his face.

  "Dad really needs a long rest," she thought. "I ought to be glad we'reboth running off to a quiet place like Knob Hill."

  "Hello, Penny," Mr. Nichols greeted his daughter. "I'll have thiscleaning job done in another ten minutes. Then I'm ready to startwhenever you are."

  "You seem anxious to get away from Belton City," Penny smiled. "You'renot trying to escape from any creditors?"

  "Nothing like that," laughed Mr. Nichols. "I'm just sick and tired ofthe Nichols Detective Agency. For two weeks I intend to forgeteverything remotely connected with investigation work. Why, if a thiefbroke into the house tonight and stole our diamonds, I'd not interestmyself in the case!"

  "That's what you say now," chuckled Penny. "Anyway, we haven't anydiamonds."

  "Inspector Harris tried to tempt me with a case only today," thedetective went on, his face becoming serious again. "I told him Icouldn't take it."

  "You've earned the right to your vacation," Penny declared.

  Mr. Nichols glanced quickly at his daughter.

  "You're not very anxious to go to Knob Hill, are you, Penny?" he asked.

  "Why--what makes you think that?" Penny stammered. The question hadcaught her off guard.

  "I pride myself that I've learned a few simple things during my twentyyears as a detective. Faces aren't hard to read--especially yours."

  "Dear me," said Penny, "I didn't suppose I was an open book. Just whatdoes my face tell you?"

  "That you're bored at the thought of going to a dull place such as KnobHill. It's selfish of me to drag you along----"

  "No, it isn't, Dad!" Penny broke in. "You've needed this rest foryears and I'd not think of letting you go off by yourself. Why, forall your wonderful detective ability, you can never find your ownslippers!"

  "That's so," Mr. Nichols chuckled. "Well, I hope the two weeks won'tturn out to be too monotonous for you."

  Penny left her father to finish cleaning the car and ran into thehouse. Mrs. Gallup, the kindly housekeeper who had looked after thegirl since the death of her mother, was preparing luncheon in thekitchen.

  "I've laid out all your things on the bed," she told Penny. "And yoursuitcase is down from the attic."

  "Thank you, Mrs. Gallup," said Penny. "I'll soon have everythingpacked."

  By the time she had completed the task, the housekeeper announcedluncheon. Throughout the meal Mr. Nichols laughed and carried on in ahigh mood, declaring that he felt like a youngster let out of school.

  "What shall I do about your mail, sir?" inquired Mrs. Gallup when itwas time for Penny and her father to leave.

  "Forward letters to me at Knob Hill in care of Judd Kilkane," thedetective instructed. "But don't give anyone my address unless it is amatter of great importance."

  "I'll be careful about that," Mrs. Gallup promised. "And I do hope youhave a good rest in the country, Mr. Nichols."

  She watched from the doorway until the car disappeared down the street.

  Penny settled herself for a long ride. She switched on the radio andfrom force of habit turned the dial to the police station broadcast.

  "Not that station," said Mr. Nichols.

  "I forgot, Dad," laughed Penny. "My mistake."

  She tuned to a program of band music and they both listened to it asthey drove along. An hour's ride brought them into high hills. Fromthen on they went more slowly, enjoying the view.

  Approaching dusk found Penny and her father still several miles fromKnob Hill.

  "I thought we'd be settled in our cottage by this time," said Mr.Nichols, frowning. "Perhaps we ought to spend the night at a hotel."

  "We can decide about that when we reach Knob H
ill," Penny replied."But let's stop somewhere for an early supper. Otherwise, we'll haveto buy supplies and carry them with us."

  Mr. Nichols turned in at the next roadside cafe. He and Penny enjoyedan excellent meal and then went on once more toward Knob Hill.

  It was nearly dark by this time. As they rounded a sharp curve, Mr.Nichols reached down to switch on the headlights. At the same momentPenny gave a little cry of alarm.

  "Oh, Dad! There's a car in the ditch!"

  Mr. Nichols slammed on the foot brake, for he had seen the wreck at thesame instant. A high-powered blue sedan lay on its side in therain-gutted ditch to the right of the road. One tire was down, and Mr.Nichols judged that a blow-out had caused the accident.

  "I wonder if anyone was hurt?" Penny gasped.

  Just then a short, squat little man in a long gray overcoat and felthat stepped out from behind the overturned car. He held up his hand asa signal to Mr. Nichols.

  "I see you've had an accident," said the detective as he brought hisown car to a standstill at the side of the road. "Anything we can doto help?"

  Penny could not see the stranger's face clearly, for his soft felt hatwas pulled low over his eyes. His voice, when he spoke, was husky.

  "Sure, you can give me a lift if you will. My tire blew out when I wasdoing seventy. First thing I knew I was in the ditch."

  "You're lucky it wasn't a worse accident," replied the detective.

  "What's lucky about it?" demanded the stranger irritably.

  "Your car doesn't appear much damaged," replied Mr. Nichols, studyingthe man curiously. "And you don't seem to be hurt. You easily mighthave been killed traveling at that speed."

  "What is this--a lecture in motor safety?" asked the man angrily.

  "Not at all," said Mr. Nichols. "Did you say you wanted a ride?"

  "Yes; how far are you going?"

  "Only to Knob Hill."

  "I'll ride along that far anyway," said the stranger.

  "My name is Christopher Nichols," the detective introduced himself,"and this is my daughter, Penny."

  "Pleased to meet you," muttered the man, without looking directly ateither of them. He hesitated, and then added: "I'm Walter Crocker."

  "The name sounds familiar," commented Mr. Nichols.

  "You may be thinking of my uncle, Herman Crocker. He's well known inthese parts."

  "I don't believe I know him," replied the detective.

  "I'm on my way to see him now," said the man. His voice was bitter."Herman Crocker is a disreputable crook, even if he is my uncle. He'sbeen stealing from me for years, but it's at an end now! I'll forcehim to give me my inheritance even if I have to tear him limb fromlimb----"

  "I'd not get so excited if I were you," interrupted Mr. Nichols calmly."You're probably upset because of the accident."

  "It did shake me up a bit," replied Crocker, with an abrupt change oftone.

  "Just climb in and we'll take you to town with us," Mr. Nichols invited.

  Penny started to move over so that the man could sit beside her.

  "Never mind," he said quickly. "I'll ride in the rumble."

  "It's not very comfortable," Mr. Nichols warned.

  "No matter. I'd rather sit back there."

  He climbed into the rumble and Mr. Nichols drove on down the road. Nowand then when Penny would glance back through the glass she could seethe man gazing intently at her. His scrutiny made her feel veryuncomfortable. She wondered if her father shared the feeling. Mr.Nichols was paying close attention to the road, and his masklike facerevealed none of his thoughts.

  Soon the car drove into the little sleepy village of Kendon which hadbeen settled at the foot of Knob Hill.

  "Look for Judd Kilkane's real estate office," the detective told Penny.

  "There it is!" she cried a moment later. "On the north side."

  Mr. Nichols parked the car in front of the building.

  "I'll be back in just a minute," he said to Walter Crocker. "I want toget the key to our cottage from Judd Kilkane."

  The man in the rumble made no reply. He sat hunched over in the seat,head bent low.

  "Wait a minute, Dad," called Penny. "I'll go with you."

  They entered the building, which was little more than a one-story frameshack. The door had been left unlocked, yet Judd Kilkane's officeappeared to be deserted.

  "This is annoying," said Mr. Nichols. "He's probably out to supper,but it means we may have a long wait."

  "We ought to tell Walter Crocker," returned Penny. "Dad, I don't likethat fellow. He gives me the creeps."

  "He is a bit queer," the detective admitted with a short laugh.

  "Dad, do you suppose----"

  "No," interrupted Mr. Nichols, "I don't think he's an escaped crook oranything of the sort. Even if he were, I'd not be interested. This ismy vacation."

  "Oh, all right," laughed Penny. "I was just thinking aloud."

  Mr. Nichols opened the door and they walked toward the car together.Suddenly Penny halted, staring toward the rumble seat.

  "Why, Dad!" she exclaimed. "Walter Crocker has gone!"