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  [Frontispiece: _Four strong arms caught her before her feet touchedthe floor of the balcony._]

  THE SECRET OF CASA GRANDE

  HELEN RANDOLPH

  THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY Akron, Ohio New York

  _Mexican Mystery Series_ by Helen Randolph

  The Secret of Casa Grande The Mystery of Carlitos Crossed Trails in Mexico

  Copyright, MCMXXXVI The Saalfield Publishing Company _Printed in the United States of America_

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE I The Mysterious Window 7 II The Search Begins 22 III A New Discovery 36 IV Jo Ann's Secret Quest 50 V The Siesta Hour 66 VI Jo Ann's Predicament 82 VII The Promenade 99 VIII The Senor's Library 116 IX The Sealed Door 134 X Through the Mysterious Window 148 XI The Hastily Planned Merienda 162 XII Florence's Surprise 173 XIII Into the Unknown 185 XIV Ghostly Figures 200 XV The Black Box 220 XVI More Precious Than Jewels 229 XVII The Senor's Story 240

  CHAPTER I THE MYSTERIOUS WINDOW

  Aroused by a slight noise in the room, Jo Ann sleepily tossed back theturbulent black curls from her forehead and slowly opened first one eye,then the other. She lay staring half dazedly as the solid doorlikeshutters swung back, letting the rays of the morning sun filter into theroom through the iron bars of the window. Where was she? Why the ironbars?

  Slowly her gaze traveled over the room, taking in the high, heavilybeamed ceiling, the bare plastered walls, and finally resting on Peggysleeping peacefully beside her. Everything floated again before hermind's eye: their long trip to Mexico, their midnight arrival at thisgreat old stone house, and their warm welcome by Peggy's friend, FlorenceBlackwell, whom she had never seen before.

  The next moment the Indian woman, who had wakened her by opening theheavy shutters, noiselessly crossed the room and began arranging disheson a small table beside the bed.

  "_Buenos dias, senorita_ [Good morning, miss]," she said softly inSpanish as she noticed that one of the girls was awake.

  "Ah--_buenos dias_," stammered Jo Ann.

  Again the woman spoke to her, but Jo Ann shook her head. After the womanhad repeated her words very slowly, she was able to understand a fewphrases.

  Disturbed by their voices, Peggy suddenly sat up in bed, opening wide herdark-fringed hazel eyes. She, too, was startled for a moment by theunfamiliar surroundings; then, noticing the servant and the expression onJo Ann's face, she burst out laughing. "What's the matter, Jo?" she askedteasingly a moment later. "Can't you understand what she's saying?"

  "I think she's trying to tell me something about Florence, but I'm notsure. I wonder where she is."

  Almost simultaneously there burst into the room a small trim girl withsmooth fair hair and gentian-blue eyes. "Good morning, sleepy-heads," shelaughed, dropping down on the foot of the bed and fanning herself with alarge sun hat. "Girls, this is Juana. Did she deliver my message?"

  "She tried to," Jo Ann replied, "but I'm afraid she wasn't verysuccessful."

  Turning to the servant, Florence spoke rapidly in Spanish.

  Juana grinned broadly, bowed to the girls, and jabbered something theycould not understand.

  "She's trying to tell you how happy she is that you have come to staywith her Florencita," explained Florence.

  "Tell her that we're delighted to be here," put in Peggy promptly.

  "How I envy you--being able to speak Spanish that way, Florence," Jo Annsighed. "I'd give anything to do half as well."

  Florence smiled. "Oh, you'll get on to it in no time." As she had livedmore than half of her sixteen years in Mexico, Spanish was perfectlynatural to her. It seemed so simple that sometimes she found it easier toexpress herself in Spanish than in English.

  "Though I've studied it two years, I have my doubts about ever being ableto speak it fluently," said Jo Ann slowly. Noticing Florence's flushedface she added, "Where've you been? What time is it?"

  "Almost ten o'clock. I've just been to market."

  "To market? Why didn't you call us?"

  "Well, I knew you girls would be tired and sleepy after your trip, so Ididn't disturb you. I go to market early every morning. I like to do thebuying myself."

  "Promise you'll call me next time. I didn't come down here to lie in bedand sleep all the time. There's too much to do and see."

  "All right, then; I'll call you tomorrow. But come on, let's havebreakfast. I'm ravenous after my walk, and I know you two must bestarving."

  "If having breakfast served in bed is your idea of our helping you tokeep house, then I'm all for it," declared Peggy gaily as she flopped herpink-pajamed legs over the side of the bed. "It suits my taste exactly."

  Florence nodded smilingly toward Juana. "It wasn't my idea. It was hers.She'd be terribly hurt if we didn't let her wait on us. After you two getrested from your trip, though, I'll set you to work planning meals andcooking--and everything."

  "Well, I'm going to enjoy being waited on as long as I can," laughedPeggy.

  Sitting on the side of the bed, clad in their gay pajamas and eatingtheir breakfast from an exquisitely inlaid tea table, Peggy and Jo Annfelt very sophisticated indeed.

  "This is the most delicious orange juice and the best toast I've evertasted," declared Jo Ann, a moment later.

  "It's the best breakfast I've ever eaten in my whole life," added Peggywith her usual exaggeration.

  Florence turned to the servant, who had just returned with a plate of hottoast, and repeated their remarks in Spanish.

  From that moment Juana was their devoted slave, anticipating their everywish.

  As soon as they had finished breakfast, Jo Ann and Peggy dressed for thestreet, Florence insisting, much to their disapproval, that they wearhats. "The sun is too hot here in the middle of the day to go out withoutsomething on your head," she explained.

  While Peggy was arranging her hair in neat auburn waves, Jo Ann, who hadfinished her hasty toilet, stepped to the door leading into the hall andstood taking in every visible detail of the strangely constructedbuilding. The immense rooms, each opening onto the long central hall,seemed dark and gloomy, owing to the thick walls, the concrete floor, theheavy doors, and the iron-barred windows. Though the bright-colored rugs,the gay-flowered chintz, and a few well-chosen pictures added a cheerfulhomelike note, the general effect was one of austere simplicity.

  Having noticed Jo Ann's interest, Florence came up beside her and,slipping her arm around her waist, asked, "How do you like our house?It's very old, you know."

  "I love old houses," Jo Ann replied quickly. "This one
is extremelyinteresting--so different from anything I've ever seen." She hesitated,then added, "I've been thinking of studying architecture when I go tocollege."

  "Would you care to see the rest of the house? There are some ratherunusual features about it."

  Jo Ann's dark brown eyes sparkled. "I'd adore it!"

  "I, too," put in Peggy, who had come out in time to hear Florence'swords.

  Florence pointed to the open door on the right. "This is the sittingroom, but Mother and I stay in the office with Dad more than in here.Come on and I'll show you the office." She led the two girls across thehall, but stopped a moment later, saying, "The office door's closed--Dadprobably has a patient--but I can show you the other rooms. The kitchenis the most interesting room in the house, I think."

  She took them into the dining room and on to the end of the long hall,then turned into an immense room having three large windows all heavilybarred.

  "My goodness, you could 'most put our whole house into this one room!"exclaimed Peggy. "I've never seen such a huge kitchen before in a privateresidence. Why do you suppose they built it so large?"

  "I don't know, I'm sure. It's the strangest house I've ever seen. Justlook at that fireplace, for instance." Florence motioned toward one sideof the room, which was entirely taken up by a huge fireplace set back ina broad arched recess. "It's large enough to belong to some bighotel--and yet we've only two bedrooms in the house."

  "But why did they build the fireplace in three sections? All thefireplaces I've ever seen were built on a level with the floor. This onereminds me of the 'Three Bears.' This section belongs to the great bigbear; and this one----"

  Florence broke into a peal of laughter at Peggy's whimsical idea. "No onebut you would have thought of that," she said.

  Juana glanced up from her preparations for lunch, smiling to herself. Shehad not seen her Florencita happy for months--not since her mother hadbeen taken ill and had been sent to a sanitarium for a several weeks'stay.

  As their laughter died away, Florence went on to explain, "You see, thelowest section--in the middle--was where they built their fire to cookthe food; this section here, of medium height, was where they made their_tortillas_. It's just the right height for the _metate_, the stone onwhich corn is rubbed or ground into a paste. There's room here forseveral women to work at the same time."

  "But what was the great big bear's section used for?" interrupted Peggy.

  "The highest one was used for draining the dishes and earthen cookingutensils. Each section is covered with smooth hard stones, and here inthe corner is a small hole left to let the water drain off. It was a verywell-equipped kitchen in its day."

  Florence was delighted to find that her guests were so interested in theold house which had been her home for many years. She went on to explainthat although modern equipment had been installed wherever possible, theyhad tried to leave the quaint old atmosphere undisturbed.

  While she was answering Peggy's questions about the new equipment, Jo Annwas busily taking in the details of the architecture, especially notingthe absence of woodwork in the queer windows that had iron bars and noglass.

  As her gaze wandered to the window at the end of the room, she caught aglimpse of something which sent a little thrill of excitement over her.She crossed the room quickly and stared through the iron bars at whatseemed to be the ruins of an ancient building. Could this be the ruins ofone of those old cathedrals which she had read about and had wanted tosee for so long?

  "What's this old building back of your house, Florence?" she askedeagerly.

  Peggy rushed over to the window to see the building that had caused thenote of excitement in Jo Ann's voice, while Florence merely smiled andreplied, "That's a part of a very old church, now used only by thepoorest peons."

  Jo Ann's eyes opened in surprise. "I don't see how they can use it--itlooks as if it were falling down."

  "The main part of the church is all right, but they never use the otherpart. I don't know whether it was partially destroyed in a war or whetherit just caved in from old age."

  "How old do you think this church is?"

  "I don't know exactly, but it's several hundred years old. I've heardthat it's one of the oldest buildings in this part of Mexico. All thebetter classes of people attend the large modern cathedral across thePlaza."

  "May we go over to the old church? I'd love to see it."

  "Why, yes, we'll have time to go over there before lunch. There isn'tmuch to see, so it won't take us long."

  Florence turned and said something in Spanish to Juana; then the threegirls started out of the kitchen door. "Before we go," Florence added,"I'll show you this other room just across the hall--there's nothinginteresting or unusual about it, though. It has only one window lookingout on the back street. There's nothing but the back of that old churchto be seen from it."

  After glancing about this room they hurried on down to the street, Jo Annin the lead. She could scarcely wait to visit the old church.

  As they started across the street, Peggy looked longingly toward thePlaza and the crowded streets of the business section of the city. Shemuch preferred sightseeing in that direction, but she knew Jo Ann had sether heart on seeing the old church and that there was no changing her.

  A few minutes later the girls passed under the old stone arch and intothe vestibule with its font of holy water, then walked softly on into thechurch.

  Having come in from the bright sunlight, they were unable at first todistinguish anything except the candles burning on the altar. A reverentsilence lay over the entire building. With her finger to her lipsFlorence motioned Jo Ann and Peggy to a bench. They sat down quietly,careful lest they disturb the peacefulness of the place.

  As their eyes became accustomed to the dim interior, they noticed severalfigures with black shawls about their heads and shoulders, kneeling atthe altar. A woman with a baby in her arms and a tiny, half-naked totbeside her was kneeling before the statue of Mary, Mother of Jesus, herlips moving in silent prayer. Direst poverty was evident among all theworshipers.

  Many minor details that had escaped Peggy's eyes caught and held Jo Ann'sattention. The benches, altar rail, and pedestals, she noticed, were handhewn and decorated with exquisite carving; the statues were differentfrom any that she had ever seen; and even the candles wereunusual--probably, hand dipped, she decided.

  For almost an hour they sat there silent, Jo Ann intent in absorbing theatmosphere of this ancient building.

  "I feel as if I'd actually stepped back through the centuries into theMexico of ages past," she thought dreamily.

  By this time Peggy had begun to get restless. To her the place seemedclose and stuffy, the odor and fumes of the candles suffocating. Withoutsaying a word she rose and went outside. Leaning against the wall in theshadow of the stone arch, she waited for the girls and amused herself bygazing idly at the rear of Florence's home across the street.

  "Florence, I don't like to make remarks about your house," she said, halfsmiling as Florence and Jo Ann drew near, "but from the rear it looksmore like a fort or a prison than a home."

  "It reminds me of an old castle with its high stone walls and heavy ironbars at the windows," added Jo Ann, gazing over at the house.

  Florence smiled good-naturedly. "It doesn't look very homelike, I'lladmit. I don't believe I've ever noticed it before from this viewpoint. Inever come to this old church--at least, I haven't been here for severalyears. As I said before, only people of the lowest classes attend thischurch."

  "I didn't see a window in your hall," Jo Ann suddenly remarked toFlorence. "I thought I noticed a shaded light burning on that littletable at the end of the hall."

  "There isn't a window in the hall--it's dark as pitch there, and we haveto keep a light burning day and night."

  "Then how do you account for that little narrow, crosswise opening upthere in the wall? There it is on a level with the top of the kitchen andback bedroom windows."

  "I don't know." Florence gazed puzzled
ly at the small opening. "I'venever seen a window like that on the inside of the house, and I know I'veseen every inch of the walls inside."

  "Well, there it is--a tiny window, just as plain as the nose on yourface."

  In silent amazement Florence stared at this narrow opening high up in thebleak stone wall.

  "That certainly is strange!" she said finally, her brows drawn togetherin a thoughtful frown.

  "It certainly is," agreed Jo Ann and Peggy, equally mystified.

  Everything was forgotten now except this queer window. Why was it there?Into what did it open?