amiss? The noise seemed to be coming from the direc-

tion of the barn.

“Ahwooooooooooooooooooo!”

“Woof! Woof!”

“Ahwooooooooooooooooooo!”

“There is something beyond hunger in these cries,”

Penelope thought. She recalled all the times she had

tagged along after Dr. Westminster, the Swanburne

veterinarian. Once she saw him cure a dog of exces-

sive howling by pulling a single badly rotted tooth.

The relief that flooded the poor creature’s face when

the offending bicuspid was removed had impressed

Penelope greatly at the time, and she resolved then

and there to never let an animal suffer when comfort

could be given.

“Ahwooooooooooooooooooo! Ahwoooooooooooooo!”

Surely some medical difficulty was at work here

as well? For this was no ordinary howling, but an

anguished cry from the very soul of one—or more—

otherwise mute beings!

“Ahwoooooooooooooo!”

“Ahwoooooooooooooo!”

“Ahwoooooooooooooo!”

“Since the children are not yet ready to make my

acquaintance,” she thought, seizing her cloak, “I have

no duties to speak of and, therefore, none I can be

accused of shirking.”

Her decision was made. She left her room and

headed downstairs. She would visit the barn at once,

to see what aid she might render to the miserable

creature—or creatures—within.

“Miss Lumley! Miss Lumley! Please—wait—you

musn’t—”

Mrs. Clarke chased Penelope across the grounds,

but Penelope had the advantage of youth, not to men-

tion two minutes’ head start. The older lady was clearly

unused to exercise; by the time she caught up with

Penelope, her face looked like the scarlet top of a mer-

cury thermometer just prior to bursting.

“Miss Lumley, it is not proper for you to wander the

grounds unescorted—”

“With all respect, Mrs. Clarke, are you deaf?” All

Miss Mortimer’s advice to Penelope about restraining

her natural boldness was forgotten; in Penelope’s view,

this was a true emergency. “There is a wounded ani-

mal in the barn, or perhaps more than one! I am going

to see what the trouble is.”

“You should wait,” Mrs. Clarke gasped, “for Lord

Fredrick to return home—”