Laden with books and flowers, they drove home through the soft, tropical twilight, Peggy and Jo Ann completely charmed by the dignity and friendliness of the Rodriguez family.
“I’ve never met finer people,” declared Jo Ann enthusiastically to Florence on their way home. “I admit I was a little afraid of the Señor at first. He was so tall and dignified, but I forgot all about that when I’d talked to him a few minutes. It’s easy to understand why he’s such a good lawyer, isn’t it?”
“Yes, he’s a very remarkable man,” agreed Florence. “I was sure you would enjoy meeting him and his wife. By the way, Jo, did you get any information this afternoon that will help you?”
“Yes, I found out several things,” she replied. “From the old records we found that the city was founded in 1560. The Señor said that the old Mexican towns were always built around the church. That and the Plaza formed the hub around which the city grew. If that is the case, then it is possible that the church was built even earlier than 1560, before the founding of the city.”
“You mean that the church is three—no, four hundred years old!” exclaimed Peggy.
“Yes, and since Florence’s house is between it and the Plaza, it was built at the same time or before. It seems to be the very center of the hub. I’m more convinced than ever that its history is in some way connected with that of the church.”
After Dr. Blackwell had gone on his calls and Florence and Peggy were chatting together, Jo Ann studied the books she had brought home. Page after page she read, slowly and with much difficulty, about the Aztecs and the coming of Cortez; of the growth of the Spanish territory until it reached from ocean to ocean, and from Panama to Vancouver Island on the north; about Hidalgo, Morelos, and General Iturbide; of rebellions and civil wars. The wars might explain the reason for these thick walls, she mused. They always used the church as a place of refuge. Perhaps this house was used for the same purpose.
To her disappointment, however, she could find no reference to either the house or the church in the books. She threw down the books at last, exclaiming, “It’ll take me ages to get much help from these! It’s worse than hunting a needle in a haystack. In Spanish they go all around the bush before coming to the point, and while it’s beautiful to read, it’s difficult to find what you want.”
“Calm yourself, my dear—calm yourself,” said the astonished Peggy. “You’ve been talking for days about these books, and now that you have them, you go all up in the air. What a changeable person you are!”
“I’m not changeable. I’m glad I have the books, and I’m going to study them—very carefully, too, but I can’t stand this suspense any longer. I want to find out something definite about this house right now. I know exactly how to get the information I want, and I’m going to get it—maybe tomorrow. I’m almost tempted to do it this very night.”
“What are you talking about?” cried Florence, alarmed by the determined expression on Jo Ann’s face. “What wild thing are you planning to do?”
The stillness of the night was suddenly shattered as a booming noise vibrated through the silent old house. There it was again. Boom! Boom! It echoed and re-echoed through the great hall and high-ceilinged rooms.
“What was that?” whispered Peggy as she and Jo Ann sprang up in the darkness, wide awake in an instant.
“I don’t know,” Jo Ann whispered back. “It sounded like shooting. Do you suppose someone’s starting a revolution? You never know what to expect next down here.”
“I knew you shouldn’t have read those old histories last night, Jo,” murmured Florence drowsily, with a hint of amusement in her voice. “You seem to have war on the brain.”
“Well, what in the world was that noise, then?” retorted Jo Ann. “I know perfectly well I did hear something that sounded like a gun or a——”
Before she could finish her sentence the booming noise sounded again in rapid succession.
“Now! I suppose I’m imagining things, am I?” she scoffed.
Florence broke into a peal of laughter as she rose and began hastily putting on her robe and slippers. “I’m really surprised, Jo, that you could be fooled by anything about this house—you’ve studied it so thoroughly,” she added over her shoulder as she ran out of the room.
“Now what do you know about that!” exclaimed Peggy with a quizzical expression on her face. “I fail to see the joke, don’t you?”
“Well—I believe—I’m beginning to see it,” replied Jo Ann slowly. “That was only someone knocking on the door downstairs, but I can’t see why Florence had to answer it. I don’t believe Dr. Blackwell would expect her to go down there alone—in the middle of the night—to answer the door.”
“No, I’m sure he wouldn’t,” agreed Peggy, “but why did she rush off like that, then?”
A few moments later Florence burst into the room, still smiling. “Well, I’ve stopped the revolution,” she announced, her eyes twinkling. “I assure you everything is quiet and peaceful, and you won’t be disturbed again. Go back to sleep. You’re perfectly safe now.”
“I know I sounded silly, but I was half asleep, and it startled me,” Jo Ann explained apologetically. “I know now it was someone knocking on the door, but why did you have to answer it?”
“I suppose it did look funny, the way I rushed out there alone,” Florence replied, “but I knew it was only someone coming for Daddy. I always go downstairs with him to bolt the door after he leaves.”
“To bolt the door!” repeated Peggy. “Can’t he use a key? I never heard of the whole family having to get up in the middle of the night to escort someone to the door.”
“Well, I’d much rather bolt the door after him,” Florence laughed, “than go along to carry the key for him.”
“How ridiculous!” Peggy retorted. “People usually carry their own keys, don’t they?”
“Yes, that’s true—but this is an unusual house, you must remember. You’ve never seen this key, have you?”
Peggy and Jo Ann shook their heads.
“Well, it’s solid brass, about that long”—she held up her hands eight inches apart—“and weighs a pound or more. In olden days they took the mozo along just to carry the key—when it was necessary to carry it. We’ve found that the key makes a better parlor ornament than anything else.”
“What’s a bozo—or mozo, or whatever you call it?” asked Peggy.
“That’s what they call a manservant,” explained Florence.
Peggy then turned to Jo Ann and remarked teasingly, “The key—weren’t you hunting for a mysterious key? There you are! Your wish has been granted.”
Disregarding Peggy’s remarks, Jo Ann asked eagerly, “Florence, where’s that key? I want to see it.”
“It’ll keep till morning,” Florence returned, snuggling into bed. “Come on—it’s ’most four o’clock, but we can get a nice little nap before time to get up.”
“Tell me where the key is, and I’ll get it,” persisted Jo Ann. “I couldn’t go to sleep for thinking about it—not that it’ll help me though, as Peggy suggested. That’s not the kind of key I’m looking for.”
“I don’t know exactly where it is,” replied Florence. “I’ll have to hunt for it, but if you’re that anxious to see it, we’ll get it.”
With flashlights blinking, the three pajama-clad figures crept across the hall and into the parlor, a room that was seldom used. After searching among several other old relics in a cabinet, Florence finally unearthed the huge key, tarnished and black from disuse.
“Here you are,” she said, handing it to Jo Ann. “You can look at it the rest of the night if you want to, but I’m going to bed. Come on, put it under your pillow or anywhere you wish.”
She led the way back to their room, and she and Peggy quickly crawled into bed. But Jo Ann sat under the light, turning the key over and over in her hand, musing. “What a key! Who ever heard of a key so large you needed a servant to carry it—but how typical of the time when this house was built. Everything—the walls, the windows, the doors—practically impenetrable. What a place of refuge in times of war and strife!”
“Turn out that light,” growled Peggy, startling Jo Ann out of her reverie. “Can’t you dream as well in the dark? We want to go to sleep, if you don’t.”
“Oh, I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Jo Ann answered, and, turning out the light, crawled into bed.
It seemed to Jo Ann that she had scarcely closed her eyes before there was a knock on the door, and she heard Florence talking to someone. “What is it this time?” she thought drowsily. “Such a night—just one thing after another.”
She turned over and dozed off again, but again a voice broke into her slumbers: “Jo, come on.”
“Why couldn’t they leave her alone—or was she dreaming?”
“It’s time to get up, Jo,” the voice urged. “Hurry! Juana’s not coming today, and we’ve got to do the cooking.”
Forcing one eye open, she saw the room filled with sunlight, and Florence and Peggy already almost dressed.
“O-oh, I’m so sleepy!” she mumbled between yawns. “I’ll get up in a minute.”
“That’s what you get for keeping us awake half the night,” scolded Peggy. “Now hurry up. We’ve got to get breakfast.”
“What d’you say?” she asked lazily.
“Come on, Florence, let’s pull her out,” put in Peggy. “We’ll get even with her for last night.”
Without another word Peggy made a grab for Jo Ann’s feet. But Jo Ann was wide awake in an instant. Like a flash she reached out, and catching Peggy around the neck, pulled her down on the bed beside her. Laughing and shrieking, the tussle continued while Florence dropped in a chair, convulsed with laughter. Over and over the two rolled, first this way, then that, till they finally landed on the floor, panting for breath.
“Well—you’re awake—now!” gasped Peggy.
“Did I dream it or did I hear you say something about Juana not coming today?” Jo Ann asked when she could get her breath.
“I’m sorry to inform you that you were not dreaming,” replied Florence. “No, she’s not coming, and if we eat today we’ll have to cook. Her husband’s sister’s child died, and she went over there till after the funeral. Juana’s so good I hate to say anything when she misses a day now and then. The Mexicans have such large families, someone is always dying. That’s why black is almost a uniform with the peon women. They’re always in mourning for someone.”
“Gracious! I’d hate to wear black all the time,” shuddered Peggy.
“Well, this won’t get breakfast or clean up the house,” said Jo Ann, dressing rapidly. “Come on, let’s get busy. This is just the opportunity I’ve been waiting for.”
“Why the sudden ambition?” inquired Peggy quizzically. “It’s strange I have no recollection of your having demonstrated your talent for housework before.”
“Oh, I don’t mind cooking,” returned Jo Ann. “But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’ve been trying to get in that kitchen without Juana there so I could poke around in all the corners to my heart’s content.”
“Oh, I see!” laughed Peggy. “While we work, you search out the mysteries of——”
“Girls! Girls! Whatever shall I do with you?” put in Florence, laughing. “Which would you rather do?” she added as the trio trooped gaily to the kitchen. “Go to market or have breakfast first? Since Daddy’s already had his breakfast, it makes no difference which we do.”
“It’s all the same to me,” replied Peggy. “I’m not the least bit hungry, and I’d rather enjoy the walk.”
“Someone has to stay here to look after the house and answer the door,” Florence went on. “Since you girls can’t very well do the marketing, I’ll go with you, and we’ll leave Felipe here. This will be one morning you won’t have to be bothered with him, Jo.”
“Wait a minute,” cut in Jo Ann. “I have a better plan than that. Let’s have breakfast right now; then, while you and Felipe go to market, Peg and I’ll stay here and wash the dishes.”
“I can’t let you do that!” exclaimed Florence in dismay. “And, anyway, what’d you do if someone came to see Dad?”
“Oh, I’d say en un momento [in a minute] and sit them down in the office till you got back,” Jo Ann answered lightly. “You see, what I really want is to get rid of the watchdog for a little while, and that seems to be the only way of doing it.”
“Well—under—one condition,” said Florence hesitantly. “If you’ll promise not to do anything daring or dangerous in any way, then I’ll let you stay here.”
“I’ll do my best to keep her straight,” promised Peggy.
“You do have a time with me, don’t you?” laughed Jo Ann. “I’ll promise to be good this time.”
As soon as breakfast was over, Florence started off to market, with the faithful Felipe trailing along behind. At last Peggy and Jo Ann had the house to themselves. They stacked and carried the dishes to the kitchen, and then Jo Ann quickly placed her stack on the table and walked to the door. From there she started across the room in front of the huge fireplace.
“One—two—three,” she counted, pacing the distance to the wall across the room, “four—five.” Then, turning, she measured the distance back again.
“I guess that’s right,” she mumbled to herself.
“What in the world are you doing now?” asked Peggy disgustedly from across the room. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Don’t bother me. Seventeen—eighteen——”
“Josephine Annette Cutrer, are you going to help with these dishes?” insisted Peggy.
There was no response from Jo Ann. By that time she had gone out the door and was pacing the length of the hall.
“Peg! Oh, Peg! Come here quick!” she called excitedly in another moment. “I knew I was on the right track. Look!” Again she paced the length of the hall from the door, back. “You see,” she explained, “there’s about eight feet difference in the distance on this side of the wall and that in the kitchen.”
“What do you mean?” asked Peggy in surprise. “It’s bound to be the same.”
“But it isn’t. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Now, if the wall measures less on this side, wouldn’t you figure there was some reason for it?”
“Why—yes, I suppose so.”
“Well, then! What would you call a space eight feet deep—and with a window in it?”
Peggy stared, wide-eyed. “Why, Jo! You mean—there’s a room back there?”
“Exactly! It couldn’t be anything else,” Jo Ann replied, taking the shade off the light. “Here, hold this light at this angle so it’ll shine on the middle of this wall.”
“Is that right?” asked Peggy, trying to do as she was told.
“No, shine it over a little to your left.” The next moment Jo Ann exclaimed in disgust, “Oh, gee! It’s so dark in this corner, even that doesn’t do much good. Wish I had a light ’way back here.”
“Wait a minute. I’ll get my flashlight,” called Peggy, running quickly to her room.
“Now, is that better?” she asked a moment later.
“Yes, but—here, hand me the flashlight.” Jo Ann reached over for the flashlight. “Now you hold the other one. Two lights ought to be better than one,” she added, gazing intently at the wall from first one angle then another. “Peg, am I seeing things, or is there a shadow across the wall?” she asked a few minutes later, holding the light close.
Peggy shook her head. “I can’t see a thing.”
“Put that light down and come here! Now, look—right here!” Jo Ann pointed, running her hand across the wall. “And over here! I can feel a sort of dent in the wall. Don’t you see it?”
“Oh—I—believe—I do,” Peggy answered slowly, then, “Yes, I do see it now. I’m sure I do!”
“There used to be a narrow door right here!” cried Jo Ann excitedly. “I knew it! I knew it! I told you the key to the mystery lay behind that window.” Grabbing Peggy, she danced her hilariously around the hall.
Their dance came suddenly to an end when Peggy exclaimed, “Jo, stop! Hush! There’s someone coming up the stairs.”
“Oh, do you suppose it’s Florence? We haven’t washed a dish.”
“And whose fault is it, I wonder?” Peggy retorted teasingly.
In a few more moments a decrepit, half-blind old man, led by a small, wizened-faced boy, appeared at the head of the stairs.
Jo Ann gave a long sigh. “They must be patients for Dr. Blackwell. I’ll have my troubles now trying to talk to them.”
“Can’t you ask them what they want?”
“I’ll try. Let’s see. Ah—que queres [what do you want]?” she finally managed in Spanish.
The old man mumbled a reply, but Jo Ann could not understand a single word.
“Do you want el doctor?” she asked again. Once more the old man mumbled an unintelligible reply.
Jo Ann turned to Peggy. “I can’t make out a thing he says. What’d we better do? Take them into the office and let them wait? Florence always tries to persuade the patients to wait for her father.”
“I don’t know what to say,” replied Peggy doubtfully. “I’ve never seen such pitiful-looking specimens of humanity in my life. They look like charity cases to me, but maybe you’d better try to hold them.”
“Well, I’ll try—if I can make them understand.”
With renewed efforts Jo Ann struggled to make herself understood, using a mixture of Spanish and English and gesturing vigorously with her hands.
Not the slightest change came over the expressionless faces of the man and boy.
In despair Jo Ann turned again to Peggy. “They’re hopeless,” she declared. “I give up. Let’s just leave them standing here.”
As soon as she had stopped talking, the boy took the old man by the hand and led him down the stairs and into the street.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t hold them,” sighed Jo Ann, dropping down on the steps to rest after her strenuous efforts.
“Come on,” urged Peggy. “Let’s finish the dishes before Florence gets back.”
“All right. We’ll have to hurry.”
Returning to the kitchen, they attacked the dishes energetically, though talking over the discovery of the hidden room all the time.
“While you put things away,” offered Jo Ann, “I’ll sweep, and everything’ll be straight in a jiffy.”
When they had almost finished, Florence appeared in the doorway.
“How smart you’ve been!” she praised, glancing around the kitchen approvingly. “You didn’t have time to get into mischief, did you?”
“We’ve had time to make a wonderful discovery!” exclaimed Jo Ann quickly. “Guess what we’ve found!”
“What—the family skeleton?”
Ignoring Florence’s sarcastic remark, Jo Ann went on rapidly, “We’ve found the door to a mysterious room at the end of the hall!”
“A door! A room!” Florence gasped. “What’re you talking about?”
With her words tumbling over each other in her excitement, Jo Ann began explaining the details of their discovery.
“It seems almost unbelievable that there’s a hidden room in this house,” Florence exclaimed, wide-eyed as she wheeled about to examine the shadow of the doorway by the flashlight.
“There’s a door there, all right—I can see it,” she agreed finally. “But what—why do you imagine anyone sealed it up?”
Peggy shook her head dubiously and replied, “I haven’t the slightest idea.”
“I’m not sure about that either,” put in Jo Ann, “but I do know that the mysterious window opens into this hidden room.”
“I believe you’re right,” Peggy agreed quickly. “I believe it does.”
“I do, too,” added Florence. “But what do you suppose is inside this hidden room? That is a mystery!”
“I’ll be able to explain that before long,” declared Jo Ann. “I’m going to look through that window this very day.”
“Oh, Jo, do be careful,” warned Florence. “I’m afraid you’ll be——”
Before Florence could finish her sentence, Peggy broke in with, “If you go, Jo, I’m going up on the roof with you.”
“All right—that suits me. If things work out right, I’m going during the siesta hour. I slipped past the watchdog once—surely I can slip into the office without getting caught——” She stopped suddenly. “Mentioning the office reminds me that two patients came while you were gone, Florence. I did my best to hold them, but I didn’t succeed—I couldn’t make them understand a word. They looked stupid to me.” She went on to give a vivid description of their appearance.
Before she had finished, Florence began to smile.
“What’s the joke?” Jo Ann demanded.
“I’m glad you didn’t hold them—they weren’t patients at all,” Florence replied, still smiling. “That was just a poor old beggar who comes by every few days.”
Peggy burst into laughter. “That makes Jo’s efforts to hold them all the funnier. I wish you could have seen her—she talked with her hands as much as she did with her mouth.”
“She’s a true Mexican, then,” laughed Florence. “That’s the way they do. But this won’t get us anything to eat. We’re going to have your fried chicken today. How does that suit you, Peg?”
Peggy nodded approval. “Fine! Who says I don’t rate high in this household?”
“Don’t get so conceited,” teased Florence. “I just thought that’d be the easiest thing to fix.”
Joking and laughing over their work, the morning passed quickly.
As soon as lunch was over and the girls had gone to their room for the siesta hour, Jo Ann pulled a pair of knickers from her trunk and began putting them on. “It’ll be much easier to climb in these, and I won’t be nearly as conspicuous,” she remarked to the girls.
“Since I’m not going to do as much climbing as you are, I won’t bother about changing,” put in Peggy.
“Peep out the door, Florence,” Jo Ann ordered a moment later, “and see where Felipe is. If he’s awake, get him out of the way. We can’t wait any longer—we’ll have to hurry, or we can’t get through before the city wakes from its siesta.”
“W-ell,” she agreed hesitantly, walking over to the door. The next moment she called over her shoulder, “He’s awake. I’ll have to put him to work at something.” She disappeared into the hall.
“I’m so excited I can scarcely wait,” Jo Ann went on as she finished dressing. “Let’s see—I’ll need my flashlight. By the time I get in that narrow opening, there won’t be much space left for the light to filter through.”
“Have you the rope?” asked Peggy. “Do you suppose it’ll take you as long to fasten it as it did before? Gee, I hate to think of that sun!”
“You forget the parasol’s still up there. I’ve got everything I need. Are you ready?”
Just then Florence returned and announced that she had sent Felipe to sweep the kitchen.
Thus assured that Felipe was out of the way, the girls slipped quickly to the balcony.
Unfastening the string from the hinge where they had left it, the rope dropped within reach. With the flashlight fastened to the back of her belt, Jo Ann climbed, hand over hand, up to the roof.
As soon as she had helped Peggy over the ledge and slipped the rope off the iron bar, the two girls hurried on across the roof. They did not want to stay in the sun longer than necessary or climb back to the balcony before a crowd of spectators.
“Isn’t this view gorgeous!” exclaimed Peggy, running first to one side of the building and then to the other, to gaze down on the city lying quietly below.
“Yes,” nodded Jo Ann, busily making the necessary preparations for her hazardous adventure. “Bring me the parasol a minute, will you?”
“All right, but what in the world are you going to do with a parasol?”
“Wait a minute and you’ll see. I’ve got to fasten this rope to the wall by poking it through this little hole—left here for a drain I suppose. You’ll notice the roof slopes down this way a little.”
“Yes, I see, but how’ll that fasten it?”
“Well, I’ll tie this stick”—Jo Ann held up a piece of wood—“to the end of the rope, then push it through the hole.” Suiting her words to action, she began poking it with the parasol. “Climb up on the wall and tell me when it comes through, will you?”
“All right,” said Peggy, scrambling up on the wall. “It’s through!” she called a moment later.
“Now—you see the stick hangs across the opening, making sort of an anchor for the rope,” Jo Ann explained. “Isn’t it lucky for me that hole was in the right place? I’d surely hate to drive another iron bar in this wall. It’s terrible!”
“Wh-ew!” Peggy gasped as she looked down over the wall. “It’s so high on this side of the house, you’d break every bone in your body if you fell on these cobblestones!”
“Cut out the dramatics, Peg,” scolded Jo Ann. “I’ll be careful. Tell me if the loop on the end of the rope comes just a little below the window,” she added, testing the knots in the rope.
“Yes, it’s all right.”
“Fine! Everything’s ready, then—ready for the great adventure—the solving of the mystery.” The next moment Jo Ann was over the edge of the wall.
Peggy watched, breathless, till Jo Ann disappeared; then, throwing herself across the wall and oblivious of the intense heat of the stones, she watched anxiously as Jo Ann descended the sheer side of the building.
With the utmost caution Jo Ann slowly made her way down the rope. Carefully she lowered herself from knot to knot. A false move might be dangerous. “It’s lots more dangerous than I realized,” she told herself.
On a level with the window she stopped. Then, while standing in the loop on the end of the rope and clinging tightly to it with one hand, she tried to get a fingerhold in the opening. Unfortunately, on a wall that was over two feet thick and perfectly smooth, it was not possible; moreover, it was exceedingly difficult for her, while clinging to a rope high in the air, to crawl into an opening only two feet high and four feet across. Holding tightly to the rope with both hands, she finally swung her feet into the window, but could get no further. In this half-sitting position her head and shoulders came above the top of the opening.
“To think I’m in the window and yet can’t look inside!” she exclaimed aloud.
“What’s the matter?” called Peggy anxiously.
“Oh, I’m just too big to get into this hole!” she answered disgustedly.
“Well, come back up here, then. Give up this foolishness while you’re all in one piece.”
“What! Give up when I’m this near? I should say not!” Jo Ann’s voice was emphatic.
She began wriggling and twisting more determinedly than ever, and at last, after repeated efforts, she managed to stretch herself across the broad ledge, with her feet dangling in the air. After resting a moment, she worked herself around till she faced the mysterious room.
Immediately she felt cold air against her face and caught whiffs of a dank, musty odor.
Her heartbeats quickened as she realized how near she was to solving the mystery. What secret lay concealed within these walls?
Unfastening the flashlight from her belt, she threw its rays around in the darkness. Blank walls, stained with age, loomed before her. As nearly as she could judge, this tiny, high-ceilinged room was only about six by ten feet, and the window in which she lay, about fifteen feet from the floor.
The room appeared perfectly bare. Not an object of any sort was to be seen. For what had it been used? Since it had at one time been connected with the rest of the house, there was bound to have been some reason for its construction.
“Peggy and Florence’ll have the laugh on me if there’s nothing in this room and I’ve had all this work for nothing,” she thought. “There ought to be something to show what it was used for.”
Again casting the rays of her light over every inch of the room, she stopped suddenly on noticing the curious appearance of the floor. One half of it was the dull gray color of the cement, and the other half, black.
Taking the string from her belt, she fastened it securely to the flashlight and carefully lowered it down the wall into the room. As the rays shone directly on the floor, she gasped in surprise. The black strip was an open shaft!
“Why is it there?” she asked herself. “Where does it lead?”
Peggy called down just then, “Jo! Oh, Jo! Come on. It’s time to go, and I’m roasting.”
Jo Ann kicked her feet in response. Why would Peggy interrupt her at such a time?
By twisting and turning the string she was able to throw the light back and forth along the shaft. Carefully she examined it. There was some object at one end of it, she was sure, but in the dim light she could not distinguish what it was.
Again Peggy’s impatient voice floated down to her.
“Oh dear, there’s Peg calling again,” she groaned. “I suppose I’ll have to go now, but I’m coming back—with more light and more rope.”
Just as she started to wind up the string, it suddenly slipped through her fingers. Down fell the flashlight to the floor, then rolled over and disappeared down the black hole.
As its rays shone on the sides of the shaft, Jo Ann caught sight of something which made her gasp in surprise. In her excitement she almost fell off the ledge in her attempt to get a better look at this object.
“Why! This is a bigger mystery than I ever dreamed!” she ejaculated aloud.
Thrilled with delight over what she had discovered, Jo Ann could scarcely wait to share the secret with Peggy and Florence. Things were working out to her entire satisfaction at last.
With the utmost caution she eased herself around on the stone ledge. Nothing must happen now to prevent the further investigation of this mysterious room.
As soon as Jo Ann’s head appeared outside the opening, Peggy called eagerly from the roof, “Jo, did you find anything?”
“Why, of course!” she called back. “Isn’t that what I came for?”
“What is it?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know!”
“Jo, don’t be so mean. Was there a room?”
“I’ll tell you later.” Lying flat on her stomach, Jo Ann reached for the rope.