Missing at Marshlands Page 6

  CHAPTER VI The Unwelcome Guest

  Terry bent to the oars, pulling hard and taking long strokes with theblades just missing the water. She could row with quite some skill whenshe particularly wanted to, and now she could scarcely wait to get backto tell Sim and Arden what had happened.

  As she reached the little dock where they tied up their boat, she lookedaround and saw Arden and Sim inspecting the flashy green roadster whichthe woman "Olga" had left parked near their back door. Terry put herfinger to her lips and whistled shrilly. Arden and Sim at once camerunning to meet her.

  "What happened, Terry?--surely something?" Arden asked, climbing into theboat. Sim followed, and all three settled down to talk on the quietwater's edge.

  "Yes, lots!" Terry exclaimed. "He was furious when he saw her, and Taniawas wild."

  "Who was furious--what about?" Sim wanted to know.

  "Dimitri, stupid," Terry went on. "When he saw whom I had in the boat Inever saw a man look so mad."

  "What did he do?" Arden asked with great interest and hopeful expectancy.

  "Oh, he was polite enough in a cold way," Terry told them with a show ofrelish. "He tied up Tania and said he didn't know whether or not to thankme. I heard him call her 'Olga.' When I left they were jabbering away asthough they were mad at each other. Talking Russian, I guess," Terry saidrapidly. The sudden appearance of the spectacular woman had given themmore excitement than mere words might explain.

  "Why do you suppose she didn't want to go through the village?" Siminquired cannily.

  "It looks to me as if she didn't want to be seen," Arden ventured.

  "She seemed to know the artist pretty well," Terry resumed. "She spoke asif it was queer that he should live in the houseboat."

  "Let's go back to the house, the mosquitoes are beginning to bite," Simsaid, slapping her stockingless leg. "We can talk better there, anyway.Our voices might carry over the water."

  They all agreed this was a good plan and scrambled out of the boat. Terrytied it up and took the oars, and they went back to the porch.

  It was almost dusk now, and the bay was hardly rippled by a land breezethat carried the annoying little mosquitoes with it. The porch offeredthe most comfortable place, screened in and commodiously furnished. Oncethere, the girls got ready for a "good talk," and presently Terry'smother joined them.

  "I wouldn't make too much out of this," she warned. "You girls willbecome gossips if you don't be careful," she laughed.

  "But, Mother," Terry insisted, "he was so mad, and Tania was quite wildwith rage. There must be something wrong about it."

  "Tania is a nervous dog, she barks at everyone," Mrs. Landry remarked.

  "She knows us now. I don't think she'd bark at us ever again," Terrydecided rather triumphantly.

  As though to prove this assertion, at that very moment Tania camebounding up the path. Her beautiful silky fur was coated with mud fromthe marsh, and water was dripping from her as the dog pranced along. Shereached the screen door and gave a little "woof," asking to come in.

  Arden got up and opened the door. At once Tania, in high spirits, plantedher muddy feet on Arden's shoulders and licked her face. Arden staggeredbackward from the weight of the dog and stumbled over a chair. Taniacould not keep on her own feet, and the two went down with a mighty bump.In the scramble Tania again playfully licked Arden's face in the mostreassuring if not the most dignified way.

  Terry and Sim were laughing so hard they could do nothing to help, andArden rolled over and buried her face in her hands. It was so sudden andso funny.

  "Tania!" called Mrs. Landry sharply. "Stop it! Come here at once!"

  At the sound of her name, Tania looked up and walked with her usualdignity to Terry's mother, obediently resting her head in the woman'slap. Mrs. Landry rubbed the silky ears and gently scolded the dog, whileArden scrambled to her feet and attempted to brush off the mud.

  "See, Mother," Terry said as she stopped laughing. "I told you she knewus."

  At that Terry reached out a hand to pet the animal and then exclaimed insurprise: "Look! Tania has a note under her collar!"

  Quickly Terry pulled it out and began to read.

  "It's from Dimitri," she announced as her chums waited to hear. "He wantsto know if we can go back and get his guest, as his boat has sprung aleak and he can't use it. Oh, Mother, may we go?"

  "You'll have to, I guess, since you took her over there," said Mrs.Landry somewhat reluctantly. "But not all of you. With Tania and yourqueer lady passenger the boat would be too crowded. Just two of youshould go, I think."

  "Oh, Mother, can't we all go?" Terry begged, reasoning that she, as thebest rower, must necessarily go, and hating to leave one of her chums athome.

  "No, I think it would be too crowded. I'd worry. Why don't you toss acoin and decide which one is to go with you?" Mrs. Landry suggested. Shealways worked with the girls, never against them.

  Terry dashed into the house and, coming out, cried: "Heads Ardengoes--tails Sim does." She flipped the coin into the air and caught it onthe back of one hand, cleverly, covering it for a moment with her otherhand. Then she announced: "You win, Arden. It's too bad, Sim dear. Butyou can take care of Mother, and we'll come back just as soon as we canand tell you every little thing; won't we, Arden?"

  "Oh, surely!"

  As was natural, perhaps, Terry and Arden were too excited to noticewhether or not Sim minded very much being thus left behind. The twohurried down to the rowboat with Tania trotting after them. The dogcurled up on the broad stern seat, and Arden sat near her to restrain herif necessary. But there was no need. Tania seemed very much accustomed toboats and hardly stirred.

  Terry rowed quickly in the direction of the _Merry Jane_. From herposition Arden could see Dimitri and his somewhat mysterious guest out onthe narrow, railed walk that extended all around the house part of theboat. The Russian was obviously waiting for those whom he had summoned bythe note on his dog's collar. The woman Olga was talking to him rapidly,as Terry and Arden could hear. They noticed, as they drew nearer, thather face seemed paler than before, and her eyes were flaming. Dimitrilooked quizzically at the approaching boat, and when they pulledalongside he quickly grasped Tania by the collar. The dog wastransformed, suddenly, from the dignified white animal who had sat soquietly in the boat, to a raging, snarling beast. Dimitri hustled her onthe houseboat and made her secure somewhere inside. He reappeared almostat once and said to Terry and Arden:

  "It is most kind of you to do this. I do not like to be such a nuisance,but I promise you it shall not happen again." The girls thought he seemedtoo cross even to talk to them.

  He motioned to Olga, who jumped lightly into the boat.

  "Good-bye, Dimitri," she said clearly. "You have won this time, but it isnot the end, by any means."

  "_Au'voir_, then, Olga, till we meet again. I hope it will not be--toosoon," he said, totally ignoring all politeness and smiling, the girlsthought, bitterly.

  "Thank you, comrade," he said to Terry. "Will you take her back now? Sheis driving to New York tonight."

  Though he spoke to Terry, his remark almost seemed like an order to thedark woman, an order delivered in such a tone that it would seemfoolhardy to overlook it. So Terry nodded her sandy head, and Arden said,"Good-bye," almost inaudibly. Then they started back once more to Terry'slanding.

  When they were out of earshot the woman apparently regained some of hercomposure; at least, she did not seem so angry.

  "You know Dimitri, then?" she asked in an attempt to be pleasant.

  "We gave him some candles one night, and he lent us an oar once," Ardenanswered. "We don't see him very often."

  "No, and you won't," the woman added. "He is a queer one. Did he evershow you any of his things? Any jewels, maybe?"

  "Only some pictures. Why?" Arden asked frankly.

  "I just wondered. Of course, he is very fond of his pictures and that dogof his," she went on. "The largest picture.
Did you see it?"

  Arden shook her head.

  "Oh, well," Olga shrugged her shoulders and adjusted her silver foxscarf. "He won't bother you again, I'm sure," and she smiled to herself.

  They reached "Buckingham Palace," and Olga stepped out. With aperfunctory "thank you" she hurried to her car. There was Melissa Claytongazing at it in raptures. Running her fingers over the shining fendersand pushing the upholstery to test its softness, Melissa was enchanted.

  As Terry and Arden watched, they could see Olga speak to Melissa. Thegirl answered, her face wreathed in smiles. Then, as Olga spoke again,Melissa hurried around to the side away from the steering wheel and gotin the car, shutting the door after her.

  Olga, settling herself, started the motor, reversed the car on the narrowsandy road, and turned back the way she had come, with Melissa besideher.

  For a moment the girls were speechless.

  Melissa going off in the strange woman's car!