Missing at Marshlands Part 6

But no country clubs. One movie that's better left alone, and a tiny village," Terry explained at length.

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

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

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

"Well, I do think he's queer, and I may be right after all. It's not natural for a man as young as he is to want to be alone unless he's hiding something from somebody," Sim insisted.

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

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

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

They never even realized that a car was coming rapidly down the road behind the house, raising billows of sandy dust, until it stopped with screeching 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 some more spies or kidnapers."

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

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

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

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

"No other houseboats?" the caller asked, showing white even teeth, pretty in 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 to the edge of the bay. The road is rather bad because of the rain last night."

"Through the village? Is there no other way? I did not understand one had to 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 on the letter she had taken from her purse, and looked around her as though trying 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. I don'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 glad to 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 winked understandingly at Arden and Sim. Arden did not press her point further, but nodded her head and said no more. Both were thinking: "Now for another adventure!"

Terry quickly went for the oars and, with the dark flashy woman following, made for the rowboat. The pa.s.senger got in gracefully despite her extremely high-heeled shoes and sat in the stern while Terry pushed off.

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

"That?" her pa.s.senger asked incredulously. "That-that _thing_? Dimitri is an odd one. Fancy him living there!" she sneered openly.

Terry maintained an embarra.s.sed silence and rowed more vigorously. They soon reached the side of the houseboat, and at the sound of the oars Tania appeared on the narrow little deck, barking furiously.

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

Dimitri, in answer to the call, opened the door and came outside. He looked almost shocked as he saw Terry and her queer pa.s.senger, and for a minute seemed awe-struck. Then he smiled at Terry, for it was impossible to be heard above Tania's wild barking. He shrugged his shoulders and grasping Tania by the collar had literally to pull the huge dog away from the edge of the boat.

Terry came closer and grasped the side of the houseboat that the woman had spoken of as _Merry Jane_. She waited until Dimitri returned without Tania. He leaned down and, holding the woman by the hand, a.s.sisted her to climb 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 as he held open the door for his apparently uninvited guest.

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

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

CHAPTER VI The Unwelcome Guest

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

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

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

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

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