Missing at Marshlands Part 10

"Well, you come along home with me."

Melissa looked woefully at the surprised girls and started off to follow her father, who went clumping down the path in his hip boots.

"Mr. Clayton," called Arden after him. "Please don't punish Melissa; she didn't do any harm."

"I'll take care of Melissa," he answered shortly, completely forgetting how anxious he had been only a short time before to appear the worried father.

"If you touch her I'll, I'll--" Arden said, but he continued on his way, not even listening to her.

"What a horrid old man!" Terry remarked anxiously. "First he shows his concern and then--"

"His teeth," finished Sim.

CHAPTER IX The Snuffbox

Several days after their rather unpleasant meeting with Melissa's father, George Clayton, the three girls were "soaking up the sun" on the beach.

Of course, as it developed, there was nothing to report to Chief Reilly.

They were quite sure that Melissa had been their erstwhile burglar. More than ever the girls felt Melissa needed a friend. They talked over the situation, trying to piece together the girl's story and her father's denial of that part which blamed him. But whether he was entirely fair and just, trying to protect his daughter, or whether his allusions to her "being queer" were merely a pretext to excuse himself, not even Arden the wise ventured to decide. But in the end the opinion was unanimous that Melissa needed friends, and they each and all resolved to do all they could to befriend the strange, wild creature.

But finally the delightfully warm air, the friendly sun, and the inviting ocean drove all such serious thoughts from their minds. What could be more perfect than such a day in such a place for such girls!

Sim was almost asleep, while Arden and Terry were blissfully drowsy. They were turning a golden tan, most becoming to all save Terry, who, as she herself declared, was "raising a fine crop of freckles."

Arden rolled over on her back and then sat bolt upright in surprise. Far out of the corner of her eye she could see Dimitri Uzlov in bathing togs coming toward them.

"Wake up, kids," she hissed in a stage whisper. "Here comes our hero, and he's tramping right this way. Don't look now! He'll know I told you."

Of course they did look, even though Arden had warned them not to. But the oncoming "hero" didn't seem to mind. In fact, he smiled pleasantly and deliberately sat down on the sand by Arden.

"h.e.l.lo," said Arden casually, while Terry and Sim smiled vacuously.

"h.e.l.lo," he answered. "It was awfully kind of you to bring my-" he began-"I want to thank you for rowing over to the houseboat and back with my-- That is, I hope it did not trouble you too much," he stammered.

He was clearly embarra.s.sed and not at all sure how to proceed.

Arden realized at once that Dimitri was attempting to explain and for some reason apologize for the visit of the mysterious Olga.

"Not at all," Arden replied rea.s.suringly. "We didn't mind a bit."

"I did not expect her. I was quite surprised. I do not think she will come again."

In his embarra.s.sment his accent was becoming more p.r.o.nounced, and Sim and Terry shot a sly glance of delight at each other.

"Please don't let that little thing worry you," Arden hastened to add.

"It was nothing at all."

"You are very kind," Dimitri smiled. "I would like to ask you all, and your mother," he nodded to Terry, "to take tea with me on the houseboat.

Perhaps it would amuse you to have tea in the Russian manner. Yes?"

"We'd love it," Terry replied quickly, "and I know Mother would, too."

"Would I be giving you too short notice to ask you today? I am letting up a bit in my work, and tomorrow I must begin again with new vigor," the young man stated simply.

"I'm sure it will be all right," Terry answered. "We don't have many dates down here, and if Mother can come, we'll all be over this afternoon."

"That will be charming," Dimitri said. "I will expect you. And now I must go home and bathe Tania so she will look her best at my little party."

He rose and bowed, quite as dignified as if he had been fully dressed instead of merely wearing the informal bathing suit; then he left them smiling after him.

"What a surprise!" gasped Sim.

"What a lark!" insisted Arden.

"What fun!" squealed Terry.

"He's so young and good-looking to have such an ugly old name," went on Arden, as if anxious to reconstruct the "hero" into somebody more American.

"Adds to the glamour," drawled Terry with a.s.sumed sophistication. "I always did adore those foreign names."

"Too, too divine," mocked Sim.

"Hey, there!" exclaimed Terry. "We have got to go right now and tell Mother. He said this afternoon."

"Not yet," Arden rebuked. "Wait until he gets out of sight. He'll think we've never been asked any place before if we act so-grabby."

Impatiently they sat and waited until Dimitri had gone behind the small pavilion; then they scrambled up and hurried to tell Terry's mother.

She was much amused at their exuberance and laughed at the serious way they had of deciding what they would wear. A simple tea on a houseboat and all this to-do!

Eventually the hour rolled around, and they set out in high spirits, Terry puffing as much with excitement as with effort as she rowed the boatful down the bay.

Once on the houseboat they were somewhat ill at ease. But Dimitri was a perfect host and with Old World courtesy succeeded in making them feel, as Arden said later, "like the visiting Czarina and her daughters."

Tania was beautifully white and fluffy, greeting them all with a friendly "woof" and briskly wagging tail.

"Oh, a samovar!" exclaimed Arden as she sighted the polished bra.s.s urn with a dull glowing charcoal fire underneath.

"It is only to boil the water. I could have done it on the oil stove, but I thought you would like it this way," Dimitri said, smiling.

"We are enjoying it," Terry a.s.sured him. "Won't you show Mother some of your pictures?" she cautiously interposed.

"They are really not worth looking at," he replied modestly. And he seemed sincere about it, too.

"Of course they are," Arden interrupted. "They're lovely."