"And unless it is all a big hoax, somewhere near that place Bertha is held a prisoner. If that Martha Poole is in with some crooked people who break the state gambling law by radio, sending news of the races to city gambling rooms, she would commit other things against the law."
"Oh!" cried Amy. "Both she and that Mrs. Bothwell look like hard characters. But there were no aerials in sight!"
Jessie thought for a moment. Then she flashed at her chum:
"Well, that might be, too. Some people string their aerials indoors. I don"t know if that can be done at a sending station. But it may be.
They are inventing new things about radio all the time. You know that, dear."
"I know it," agreed Amy.
"And if that broadcasting station up there at the Gandy farm is used for the sending of private racing information, in all probability the people who set it up would want to keep it secret."
"I see! So they would."
"It is not registered, you can make up your mind. And as it is only used much when the racing season is on at the Harrimay track, the Government has probably given it little attention."
"Could they find it, do you think, Jessie?" asked her chum.
"I have read that the Government has wonderful means of locating any "squeak-box", as they call it, that is not registered and which litters up the airways with either unimportant or absolutely evil communications. These methods of tracing unregistered sending stations were discovered during the war and were proved thoroughly before the Government allowed any small stations to be established since."
"Do you suppose the police knew that that woman was sending racing news to gambling rooms from up there at her farm?"
"We don"t know that she is. Mr. Perkins was only repeating gossip. And we did not see aerials up there."
"But you say that maybe they could have rigging for the station without any aerials in the open?"
"It might be. I am all confused. There certainly is a mystery about it, and Daddy Norwood ought to know at once. Oh, Chapman! That was thunder. We must hurry home."
"Yes, Miss Jessie," said the chauffeur, looking up at the clouds that had been gathering. "I think I can get you home before it rains."
He increased the speed of the car. They had circled around by another way than the Parkville road, and they came through the edge of New Melford. When the automobile shot into Bonwit Boulevard and headed toward Roselawn the first flash of lightning made the girls jump.
Chapman stepped on the accelerator and the car shot up the oiled way.
The thunder seemed to explode right overhead. Before the first peal rolled away there was another sharp flash. Although the rain still held off, the tempest was near.
"Oh!" gasped Jessie, covering her eyes.
"There"s the church," said Amy. "We"ll soon be home now."
Even as she spoke another crackling stroke burst overhead. The green glare of it almost blinded them. The thunder shook the air. Jessie screamed.
"See! See! Look at the parsonage!" she cried in Amy"s ear.
"Why, the boys must have already strung their wires and got a radio set established," said Amy.
"Look at the window--that attic window!" Jessie exclaimed. "Don"t you see what I see, Amy Drew?"
"It"s smoke!" said the other girl, amazed.
"The house is afire! In the attic! That lightning must have struck there. It must have been led in by the wires, just as Momsy feared."
"Then the boys never closed their switch!" cried Amy. "Oh! I wonder if Doctor Stanley or Nell knows that the house is on fire?"
A GREAT TO-DO
SILK
DARRY"S BIG IDEA
CHAPTER XXI
A GREAT TO-DO
"Chapman! Stop!" shouted Jessie. "We must tell them!"
The chauffeur wheeled the car in toward the curb and stopped as quickly as he could. But it was some distance past the church and the parsonage.
The girls jumped out and ran back. They saw Dr. Stanley come out on the porch from his study. He was in his house gown and wore a little black cap to cover his bald spot. It was a little on one side and gave the good clergyman a decidedly rakish appearance.
"Come in here, children! Hurry! It is going to rain," he called in his full and mellow voice.
"Oh, Doctor! Doctor!" Jessie gasped. "The fire! The fire!"
"Why, you are not wet. Here come the first drops. You don"t need a fire."
"Nor you don"t need one, Doctor," and Amy began to laugh. "But you"ve got one just the same."
"In the kitchen stove. Is it a joke or a conundrum?" asked the smiling minister, as the two chums came up under the porch roof just as the first big drops came thudding down.
"Upstairs! The radio!" declared the earnest Jessie. "Don"t you know it"s afire?"
"The radio afire?"
"The lightning struck it. Didn"t you feel and hear it? The boys must have left the switch to the receiver open, and the lightning came right in----"
"Come on!" broke in Amy, who knew the way about the parsonage as well as she did about her own house. "We saw the smoke pouring out of the window," and she darted in and started up the front stairway.
"Why, why!" gasped the good doctor. "I can hardly believe Nell would be so careless."
"Oh, it isn"t Nell," Jessie said, following her chum. "It is the boys."