Part 15 (2/2)

”Let's hike out to his shack this afternoon,” she impulsively proposed to Louise Sidell.

”All right,” her chum agreed. ”Why not invite Rhoda too? She might enjoy accompanying us.”

Upon being approached, the trailer camp girl immediately accepted the invitation. Since the last meeting of the Palette Club nearly all of the students had been very kind to her, but she seemed rather indifferent to everyone save Louise and Penny.

As the three girls trudged along the dusty road en-route to the river shack, Rhoda spoke of Mr. Coaten and his friend who still remained in Riverview.

”They've taken a room at the Riverview Hotel,” she told Penny and Louise.

”Perhaps I am too suspicious, but I don't trust them. Mr. Coaten never would seem like a father to me.”

”Is he married?” Louise questioned curiously.

”His wife remained in Dallas. The Coatens have two children of their own.

I can't understand why they should be so eager to adopt two more--penniless at that.”

”What will you do?” Louise inquired.

”I don't know. Ted and I are deadlocked. He favors the adoption, but I am against it.”

”I think you are wise to be cautious--and my advice is 'stand firm,'”

Penny declared promptly. ”The Breens were kind enough to take you in when you had no friends, so why not stay on with them?”

”That's the trouble,” Rhoda confessed. ”They haven't much money, you know, and Mr. Coaten has offered to give them a hundred dollars if they make no objection to the adoption.”

”Buying them off?” Penny commented.

”In a way, yes. But why should Mr. Coaten be so interested in adopting Ted and me? We'll certainly be a financial liability.”

The problem was such a perplexing one that neither Penny nor Louise could offer any convincing answer. Considering everything Rhoda had told them it appeared that Mr. Coaten must be motivated entirely by generosity.

Yet, it seemed odd that if he were an old family friend he had not interested himself in their case at the time of Mr. Wiegand's death.

Choosing a trail which led along the river, the girls soon came to Truman Crocker's shack. It was a long, one-story frame building which served the dual purpose of dwelling and shop. The door of the workroom stood ajar, and the stonecutter could be seen grinding a granite block.

”Good afternoon,” Penny said in a loud voice to make herself heard.

The stonecutter jumped from surprise and switched off a running motor.

”You scared me out of a year's growth,” he grinned. ”Well, what can I do for you?”

”Not much of anything,” Penny responded, glancing with interest about the cluttered workshop. ”We were just out for a walk and thought we would stop in for a few minutes.”

Her attention drawn to a large rock which had been covered with wet sacking, she crossed the room to examine it. Iron filings had been sprinkled on the covering, and she knew that they must have a special purpose.

”What is this for?” she inquired curiously.

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