“How did it happen that she was alone at the church on the day she disappeared?” Holmes asked.
“I went with her that morning, of course,” Mrs. Penny offered, almost defensively. “Just as we always do. We were sorting old clothes and packing them in barrels to send to the missionaries in foreign lands.”
“Yes, Mr. Malloy explained that.”
“But shortly after we arrived,” Mrs. Penny continued, “Harriet said to me, ‘Mama, I see that you aren’t feeling well today. Why don’t you return home and rest?’ Harriet was always very solicitous of my health.”
“So you left her there alone?” I could not help saying.
“Of course not!” Mrs. Penny exclaimed. “Mrs. Jenkins and Mrs. Smith were expected momentarily. She would have been alone for only a few minutes at most.”
“And when did these two ladies actually appear?” Holmes asked.
“Never,” Penny said before his wife could answer. “They did not come at all. There was some… some confusion about the day they were supposed to meet at the church.”
“They thought they were supposed to come the next day,” Malloy offered, as if to remind us this was his case and he was in command of all the facts.
“I will never forgive them for not being there,” Mrs. Penny declared. “If they had been, our daughter would still be with us. Oh, Mr. Holmes, do you think you can bring poor Harriet back to us?”
“I will certainly try to locate her,” Holmes said, being careful to promise nothing. “When you went to the church that morning, did you walk or take a carriage?”
“Oh, we always walk. It’s just a step over to the church.”
“Did Harriet bring anything with her?”
“A bundle of clothing. She had called on some of our neighbors to collect donations for the barrels. She was always thinking of others,” she added.
“Did you see her sort the clothes she brought with her?” Holmes asked.
Mrs. Penny frowned. “I don’t believe I did. We had hardly arrived at the church when Harriet suggested I return home, you see.”
“You said that Harriet had no desire for marriage and a family, but had any young man expressed an interest in courting her?” Holmes asked.
Mrs. Penny shook her head sadly. “Dear me, no, Mr. Holmes. Poor Harriet is very shy, and she lacks those… those characteristics that make a young lady attractive to young gentlemen.”
“And I am a clergyman, as you know,” Mr. Penny added. “So Harriet had no financial expectations that might have overcome her lack of beauty and charm in the minds of potential suitors.”
“Is it possible that in her entire life, no gentleman had ever so much as befriended her?” Holmes asked in astonishment.
Her parents exchanged a puzzled glance as they tried to recall and could not come up with a single candidate. I had begun to pity Miss Harriet Penny with all my heart.
When they failed to answer, Holmes said, “What sort of mood was Miss Penny in that morning?”
“Mood?” Penny asked, as if he were not familiar with the word.
“How strange you should ask,” Mrs. Penny said, obviously familiar with it. “She was quite cheerful that morning. I can’t recall the last time I saw her in such good spirits. Oh, wait, yes, I can. It was the time she beat Mr. Etheridge at chess.”
“Who is Mr. Etheridge?” Holmes asked with interest.
“He was a student from Princeton Seminary who served his internship at my church last year,” Penny said dismissively.
“He played chess with Harriet a few times while he was here. I believe he let her win,” Mrs. Penny confided. “Harriet was never very good at chess.”
“What became of Mr. Etheridge?”
“After he served his six months with us, he returned to the seminary.” Penny said. “We haven’t heard from him in almost a year.”
“And you are sure that Miss Penny had not made the acquaintance of any other gentlemen recently? Someone at your church, perhaps, who had befriended her of late?”
“Absolutely not,” Mrs. Penny said severely. “Harriet lived a quiet life. She did not go out in society like so many girls do today, and she had no interest in meeting gentlemen. As I told you, she had no wish to be married.”
“Yes, she had dedicated her life to your well-being,” Holmes re-called, and I must confess, I had to cough to keep from laughing out loud at his subtle sarcasm. Even Malloy had to rub his mouth to cover a smile.
The Pennys completely missed his barb.
“What could have become of her, Mr. Holmes?” Mrs. Penny asked with genuine concern. “Do you think-? I mean, the newspapers have said such horrible things.” She shuddered.
“I would not like to raise your hopes just yet, but I would be happy to look into the case, if I may.”
“Oh, yes,” Mrs. Penny said eagerly. “Please do! Even if you learn the worst. Well, I can’t bear to think of life without her by my side.”
Holmes rose, and Malloy and I followed his lead. We took our leave of the Pennys, and the maid showed us to the door. “Are you a maid of all work here?” Holmes asked as she handed us our hats.
She stiffened, ready to take offense at whatever this Englishman might say to her. “Yes, sir, I am.”
“And did you serve Miss Penny?”
“I did, and a sweeter lady there never was.”
“Would you do me a favor and look through Miss Penny’s clothes?”
“Whatever for?” she asked, not sure if she should do his bidding or not.
“Just to see if you find anything unusual.”
“Do you mean if there’s anything missing?” the girl scoffed. “Nobody’s touched her things since she left that morning. I saw to that!”
“I believe you are mistaken,” Holmes said. “If you will check her things, you will discover something unexpected. We will most likely call again tomorrow, and you can report to me then what you have discovered.”
The girl frowned, obviously determined to show the Englishman he was wrong, and slammed the door a little too loudly behind us.
“I told you they wouldn’t be able to help,” Malloy reminded us.
“On the contrary, they were very helpful.”
“Are you saying you know where the girl is?”
“I believe I do,” Holmes said, shocking him. “I must return to my hotel and make some enquiries and send a telegram. As soon as I have received a reply, I will ask you to accompany us back to the manse to see the Pennys again.”
A skeptical Malloy left us to find our own way back to our hotel. Holmes used the hotel telephone to make one call. Then he sent a telegram, as he had told Malloy he would. Since the day was still young, Holmes insisted that we visit the Natural History Museum. Although I asked him about the case, he declined to discuss it until he had received the answer to his telegram. The reply came shortly after luncheon the next day, and Holmes sent a message to Malloy. We arrived at the Pennys’ home late that afternoon, with Holmes still refusing to enlighten Malloy or me until he had spoken with the Pennys.
The same maid admitted us, but today she treated Holmes with much more respect. She whispered a few words to him, her eyes wide with surprise over whatever news she was delivering. He nodded, as if he had expected to hear exactly what she told him, then allowed her to show us in to see the Pennys.
They were waiting for us in the crowded parlor again, their expressions expectant.
“Have you found her, Mr. Holmes?” Mrs. Penny demanded anxiously. “Is she all right? Will you bring her back to us?”
“Now, Mother, you mustn’t get your hopes up,” Penny cautioned her with a worried frown. “Even should Mr. Holmes succeed in returning her to us, she may no longer be the same girl she was, you know.”
“I believe I can guarantee she will not be,” Holmes said, startling a gasp from Mrs. Penny. “Although I am happy to tell you that your daughter is safe and in good health.”
“But where is she?” Mrs. Penny cried. “And why hasn’t she come home?”
“Because she left of her own free will and has no desire to return.”
