Behind the Green Door

GREE

d a summons, and the attendant slammed shut the door of the elev

nt, Penny wandere

ining a card for the Green

est here?" quest

N

lk with the manage

there was no retreating. The hotel manager came out of

her name but Penny did not supply it. "S

out the Green Room," said

a shrewd, appraisi

elf more time, "Oh, yes, I see.

obtain a card

if you have the proper reco

asked blankly. "Just what

xchanged a quick glance whic

d hotel guests," Mr. Fergus said suavely. "I shall be most happy to

t hurriedly back

Green Room," Penny observed aloud. "There s

ill leave your name and address I am sure ev

don't believ

, she realized that the girl reporter probably had been stan

ine," she sai

don't believe I know you, Miss," she

took a step as if to follow Francine and demand an ex

. "If she doesn't care to know me, it's per

a little more about the Green Room. Her interest was steadily mounting and she could n

e second floor. She followed a long corridor to its end but did not locate Room 22. Ret

They were well dressed individuals but their manner did not stamp them as persons of good b

you don't agree to buy it for me at once. And the price! Ridiculo

man. "I'm not satisfied yet th

od aside for the others to pass ahead of him.

he way to Room

m. No one questioned her as she moved noiselessly down the corridor. At its very end loomed a green painted door,

paused at the table and showed slips of cardboards. The guar

at Penny decided to try h

ase," requeste

with me," said Penny, flashi

st upon the man. "Then I

f I have lo

iefly. "You'll have no t

way, and then asked wit

there anyway? Are th

dn't tell you,

red to herself as she retraced her way to the main hall. "And definite

ntriguing sound. It suggested mystery. It suggested, too, that Ralph Fergus and his financial backer

nger in many dishonest affairs. The Green Room might be a perfectly legitimate place of entertainment for hotel guests, but t

se!" she told herself. "Anything showing that Maxwell

Pine Top. Otherwise, why had Francine been sent to the mountain resort? Certainly the rival reporter was working up

e purpose," mused Penny. "If only she we

only too well that once more she was depending upon a certain intuition. An investigation of the Green Room might reveal no mys

eft the hotel. As she retrieved her skis from the snowbank she was su

y," the girl

ou mistaken? I don'

" Francine replied, falling

h you

tter than to shout out my

at all, Francine. Are you tra

porter. I rather imagine you're not overly anxious to have i

t be any particular

came here to get the low-down on Harvey Maxwell. But the minut

oes double,

arn you, don't pull another boner like you did a few minutes ago. Whenever we're around Fergus or

y so," dra

to say." Francine hesitat

t and work together on this thing? After all I am more interested in gaining evid

iled in a s

f it. You see, I happen to have

Room," said Penny, hazarding a sho

e stopp

he demanded quickly. "Maybe we

she bent down to

gested that a clever reporter finds his own answers.