ay, and tucking the book under her arm, walked
slowly toward the street car line. While she stood at the corner
waiting, she turned a few of the pages.

"After I get home I'll go through the annual systematically," she
decided.

A street car stopped at the corner and she boarded it. Seating herself
near the rear, she again interested herself in the book. Although she
found many photographs of football stars, she did not immediately
locate the one for which she searched.

Then she turned a page and a face stood out. Beneath it, a caption
gave the name of Jimmie Davis and a list of his scholastical
achievements. Penny stared at the picture in disbelief.

"No wonder Betty acted as she did!" she told herself excitedly. "Now I
understand perfectly why she didn't want me to see the photograph!"

CHAPTER XVI

A Valuable Photograph

Convinced that she had made an important discovery, Penny hastily left
the street car. Catching one which was going in the opposite
direction, she went directly to her father's main downtown office.

"Has Dad left town yet?" she inquired of Miss Arrow.

"Yes, I think he has," the secretary informed. "At least he left here
nearly an hour ago and said he likely wouldn't return today."

Thinking that possibly Mr. Nichols might have stopped for a few minutes
at his temporary office opposite the Brunner garage, Penny went there.
She found the room closed though not locked.

"I don't know what to do now," Penny thought, slightly bewildered. "It
seems to me I have a valuable clue which should be acted upon at once."

She considered taking Miss Arrow or one of her father's detectives into
her confidence, yet hesitated to do so lest she make herself appear
ridiculous. After all, she had no real evidence upon which to base her
theory. Even though the photograph of Jimmie Davis had given her a
start, she could not be certain that she knew anything damaging
concerning the boy's past. It would be wise to move cautiously.

"I'll say nothing about the photograph until I've had an opportunity to
do a little investigating of my own," she decided. "I may as well
start by asking Jerome Davis a few questions."

Penny was familiar with the policeman's regular beat, but before trying
to locate him, she went home for her car. It was Mrs. Gallup's
afternoon off, so there was no need to explain to the housekeeper where
she was going.

"I might leave a note where she'll find it when she