Part 13 (1/2)
Nevertheless, Penny was unwilling to dismiss the affair as one of her many ”mistakes.”
She was still thinking about the affair as she wandered into the library a few minutes before cla.s.s time. Rhoda Wiegand sat at one of the tables and appeared troubled.
”h.e.l.lo, Rhoda,” Penny greeted as she searched for a book on the shelf.
”You must have an examination coming up from the way you are frowning!”
”Am I?” the older girl asked, smiling. ”I was thinking hard. The truth is, I am rather puzzled.”
”I like puzzles, Rhoda. If you have a knotty problem, why not test it on me?”
”I doubt if you can help me with this one, Penny. Do you remember those two Texas men I told you about?”
”Yes, of course.”
”I don't trust them,” Rhoda said briefly. ”Mr. Coaten has offered to adopt Ted and me.”
”Adopt you!” Penny exclaimed. ”Is that why they came here?”
”Seemingly, it is. Mr. Coaten wants to become our legal guardian. I can't understand why he should show such interest in us.”
”I thought the Breens were looking after you and Ted.”
”They took us in because we had no one else. We never were adopted, and the truth is, we're a financial burden.”
”Is Mr. Coaten an old friend?”
”I never met him until he came to Riverview. He and his friend, Carl Addison, claim they were closely a.s.sociated with my father. Neither Ted nor I ever heard Papa speak of them when he was alive.”
”It does seem strange they should show such sudden interest in you,”
Penny commented thoughtfully. ”You have no property they might wish to control?”
”Ted and I haven't a penny to our names. Papa never owned land, and what cash he had was absorbed by his last sickness.”
”Then perhaps Mr. Coaten really is a friend.”
”I wish I could think so, but I can't. Penny, I just feel that he has a selfish purpose behind his apparent kindness. It worries me because I can't figure it out.”
”Then of course you'll not agree to the adoption?”
”I don't want to, Penny. Ted favors it, and so does Mrs. Breen. You see, Mr. Coaten has been very generous with his money.” Rhoda indicated a new dress which she wore. ”He gave me this. He made Mrs. Breen accept money, and he's giving Ted things too.”
”If he's really a friend of the family--”
”I'll never believe that he is,” Rhoda interrupted. ”Never!”
The ringing of the school bell brought the conversation to an end, but all during the morning Penny thought of what the trailer-camp girl had told her. Knowing nothing concerning the characters of the two strangers, she could not judge their motives.
Another matter caused Penny considerable annoyance. The morning paper had carried a brief item about the record stone found at the Marborough mansion. From her father she had learned that instead of delivering the rock to the museum, Jay Franklin had hauled it to his own home, offering it for sale to the highest bidder. Penny felt that Mrs. Marborough should be told what had occurred, yet neither she nor Louise were eager to visit Rose Acres again.