Missing at Marshlands Page 5

  CHAPTER V The Stranger

  The water was too cold for a long swim, perhaps because of the violentstorm of the night before, and the girls did not stay in long. Sim, wholoved swimming above all other sports, had to come out reluctantly, asshe, too, felt cold. They dried themselves and raced back to the house todress.

  It was late afternoon when they were finally dressed and sitting oncemore on the porch of "Buckingham Palace."

  "It's lovely here, Terry," Arden remarked looking dreamily at the ocean.

  "I hope you won't get tired of it. As you know by now, there's reallynothing to do. Swimming, rowing, walking, and fishing if you care for it.But no country clubs. One movie that's better left alone, and a tinyvillage," Terry explained at length.

  "Oh, but you're forgetting our Russian friend and the wild girl of theswamps."

  Sim spoke up. "Not to mention the hard-hearted father and the ferociouswolfhound _and_ the swimming. Don't you worry, we won't be bored. What Ilike best is the complete absence of mystery." This was so pointed, theremark made a good joke.

  "How about your theory that Dimitri is a spy and that Melissa is akidnaped heiress?" Arden asked Sim, who was lazily swaying on the porchswing.

  "Well, I do think he's queer, and I may be right after all. It's notnatural for a man as young as he is to want to be alone unless he'shiding something from somebody," Sim insisted.

  "Perhaps he is. But I find Melissa more interesting. Seemed to me thatman she called 'Pa' had hypnotized her. And how mean of him not to lether keep the bracelet," Terry remarked. "Just plain mean!"

  As if that brought up different theories in each mind, their conversationdragged. The swim and the row in the morning left them feeling pleasantlyweary and completely satisfied. Healthy fatigue was the real answer.

  Sim moved back and forth in the rustic swing, while Terry and Arden gazeddreamily out to sea, where the dying sun turned white clouds to pink andpainted the water a deep blue in the miracle of sunset.

  They never even realized that a car was coming rapidly down the roadbehind the house, raising billows of sandy dust, until it stopped withscreeching brakes at the back gate of Terry's house.

  "Who's that?" Sim asked, as Sim would.

  "I haven't the least idea, little one," Terry answered. "Unless it's somemore spies or kidnapers."

  "Let's go see," Arden suggested. "May we?"

  But they were saved the trouble, for a woman was striding up thesand-edged path to the porch. She was dressed in black satin with a hugesilver fox scarf, and glittering earrings showed beneath a small satinturban. She had dark eyes, and her lips were a scarlet gash. The girlswaited apprehensively.

  "I beg your par-r-don," the woman began. "Have you a houseboat aroundhere? He calls it--" she fumbled in a handbag and taking out a paperlooked at it closely--"he calls it _Merry Jane_. Can you tell me how toreach it?"

  "There is a houseboat down the bay, if that's the one you mean," Terryanswered. "It is, I imagine, the only one around here."

  "No other houseboats?" the caller asked, showing white even teeth, prettyin spite of the carmined lips.

  "No, only this one," Terry told her. "But I didn't know it had a name."

  "Then that must be it, my dear. Can you tell me how to reach it?"

  "You'll have to go back through the village, then along a swampy road tothe edge of the bay. The road is rather bad because of the rain lastnight."

  "Through the village? Is there no other way? I did not understand one hadto go through the village," the woman remarked vaguely.

  "Unless you go by boat. I don't know of any other way of getting there,"Terry answered.

  The woman seemed to be considering. She tapped her hand impatiently onthe letter she had taken from her purse, and looked around her as thoughtrying to get her bearings and to make some decision.

  "But how can I get a boat? It is very important that I get over there. Idon't suppose--I would be glad to pay you--if---- Could you take me over?Have you a boat?" the dark woman asked abruptly.

  "Yes," answered Terry. "I could take you over, and of course I'd be gladto do it."

  "Can we go at once?" the woman asked nervously.

  "I guess so," Terry replied. "Tell Mother I'll be right back, will you,Arden? I won't be long."

  "Of course, Terry. But don't you want----" Arden asked in a meaning,unfinished way.

  For answer Terry turned aside from their strange caller and winkedunderstandingly at Arden and Sim. Arden did not press her point further,but nodded her head and said no more. Both were thinking: "Now foranother adventure!"

  Terry quickly went for the oars and, with the dark flashy womanfollowing, made for the rowboat. The passenger got in gracefully despiteher extremely high-heeled shoes and sat in the stern while Terry pushedoff.

  "There it is, down there." Terry pointed to the moored boat where Dimitrilived.

  "That?" her passenger asked incredulously. "That--that _thing_? Dimitriis an odd one. Fancy him living there!" she sneered openly.

  Terry maintained an embarrassed silence and rowed more vigorously. Theysoon reached the side of the houseboat, and at the sound of the oarsTania appeared on the narrow little deck, barking furiously.

  "Dimitri! Dimitri!" the woman called. "Have you still got that beast? Tieher up. I'm coming aboard."

  Dimitri, in answer to the call, opened the door and came outside. Helooked almost shocked as he saw Terry and her queer passenger, and for aminute seemed awe-struck. Then he smiled at Terry, for it was impossibleto be heard above Tania's wild barking. He shrugged his shoulders andgrasping Tania by the collar had literally to pull the huge dog away fromthe edge of the boat.

  Terry came closer and grasped the side of the houseboat that the womanhad spoken of as _Merry Jane_. She waited until Dimitri returned withoutTania. He leaned down and, holding the woman by the hand, assisted her toclimb aboard. Then, turning to Terry, smiling queerly, remarked:

  "I don't know whether to thank you, my friend, or----"

  Terry's eyes opened wide in astonishment.

  "Dimitri," the woman said between shut teeth. "What do you mean?"

  "Nothing, nothing. Come inside, Olga," he replied, and nodded to Terry ashe held open the door for his apparently uninvited guest.

  Terry knew at once she had no place in this strange little drama andprepared to leave. From the houseboat came the sound of a feminine voiceraised in anger. But Terry could not understand the words beyond apleading "Dimitri."

  She rowed quickly away, back to safer if not saner surroundings.