rbrook left the young man entirely alone. The housekeeper seemed
more subdued than usual as if she were brooding over some matter.

The day passed quickly. Penny knew very well that Michael had not
visited Herman Crocker for she had kept watch of him the entire time.
She had a theory that he did not wish to go there at all, and to test
it she called the young man.

"Michael," she said, "Mrs. Masterbrook tells me that we need fresh
eggs. I'm driving down to Crocker's place after supper to get some.
Don't you wish to ride along with me?"

The young man hesitated, his eyes dropping before Penny's steady gaze.

"Why, I thought I'd wait until tomorrow before I see Mr. Crocker.
Thanks just the same."

When supper was over, Penny drove down to the Crocker place. No lights
were visible in the window. Either the owner had gone away or was
trying to save electricity.

Penny parked the car in the lane. She looked carefully about for the
yellow hound. To her relief he was nowhere around the place. Quickly
she walked across the yard and pounded on the door.

Penny waited a few minutes and then turned back to the car. She halted
as she heard a rap on one of the windows. Glancing up, she saw Perry
looking out at her.

"Oh, hello, Perry," Penny called. "Open the door."

"I can't," shouted the boy through the glass. "It's locked."

"Isn't your grandfather here?"

The lad shook his head. "He's been gone all day. I'm locked up in
here."

"Can't you open a window?" Penny called.

Again Perry shook his head. "I haven't had anything except bread to
eat all day," he told her. "I'm getting real hungry."

"Well, I should think so," said Penny grimly.

She observed that the lower floor windows were all high from the
ground, beyond the reach of anyone in the yard.

"Aren't any of the upstairs windows unfastened?" she called to the boy.

"Yes, but I can't get out there."

"Does your grandfather have a ladder?"

"I think there's one somewhere in the barn."

"I'll find it," Penny said encouragingly. "Just you wait until I come
back, Perry."

She hurried off to the barn, well aware that in taking matters into her
own hands, she was certain to incur the wrath of Herman Crocker.

"I don't care if I do get into trouble," she thought indignantly. "He
has no right to shut Perry up in the house without anything to eat.
It's cruel."

Penny opened the barn doors and stepped inside. She stopped short to
stare a