CHAPTER XI Still They Come
The girls did not really enjoy the tea as it had been served on the_Merry Jane_. Not that the tea wasn't good; it must have been, forRussian tea is famous. But it tasted that way, they thought--"famous."Home-made tea was much more congenial. Consequently, at home again, thetea given them at "Buckingham Palace" when supper was served was evenmore appreciated than usual.
"Maybe that water from the samovar----" began Terry.
"No, those old brass urns are lined with--well, I think it's tin orlead," Arden informed them. "Grandfather had one; bought it from a manwho used to work for Tolstoi. It had the stamp from what this man calledthe president's factory, which meant, I believe, it was made in a sort ofroyal shop," Arden concluded.
"Why, what a lot you know," teased Sim. "Why didn't you tell the artist?He might trace some relationship----"
"Oh, say!" interrupted Terry. "You and your old samovar! What about thejeweled box? Don't you feel guilty to have seen a thing--so--well, soprecious?"
This brought on a discussion so animated and so filled with questions andexclamations that the beauty of the snuffbox must have been greatlyenhanced by so much young enthusiasm.
Afterwards they were sitting, as had become their custom, on the screenedporch. The first one out always claimed the comfortable swing. Next infavor came two large, low wicker chairs covered with bright stripedlinen. Tonight Terry was in the swing and Arden and Sim curled up inchairs.
They must have been talking very loudly or else have been asleep, theyfacetiously decided later. How else could they explain the fact that acar had driven right up to the back door and they had not heard it?
In fact they all jumped with surprise when Arden called their attentionto a young man, coming up the sandy path.
"Sit up, girls, here comes another visitor," she exclaimed. "What now, Iwonder?"
The young man hesitated as he reached the screen door.
"Good-evening," said Arden pleasantly.
"Good-evening," responded the caller. "I hope I have not disturbed you,but I wonder if you could tell me how to reach a houseboat? I understandit is somewhere near here."
"Oh, you mean _Merry Jane_," Sim piped up brightly. "Lots of people askus that. That is, you're the second one who has inquired," she replied,feeling a little foolish at being so friendly.
He smiled amicably and said he hoped they had not been bothered in thatway.
"We didn't mind," Terry chimed in. "We don't have much to do here,anyway." The girls really were being silly.
"It's down the bay, but you can't reach it by car. The road is too softthis time of year," Arden said helpfully, the first one really to answerhis question.
"Is one obliged to walk, then?" the man asked. His wording was foreignand a slight accent made it seem more so.
"No; walking would be dangerous, too," Arden explained. "The only way isby boat." She waited to see what effect this announcement would have, butSim spoiled it.
"We have a rowboat you could use. We could take you," she announced,still pursuing the role of the very young.
"But couldn't I take myself? That is, with your permission and if youwouldn't be using the boat?" He looked questioningly at them.
"I guess we won't be going out again tonight," Terry remarked. "You'll becareful not to lose the oars, won't you? I'll show you where we keep theboat."
Terry, followed by Arden and Sim, led the way to the dock, stopping topick up the oars as they went.
"Let me take them, please," the caller protested. Terry handed him theoars.
They wanted very much to ask if he knew Dimitri and try to get some moreinformation, but they could not naturally work the talk around to it. Theyoung man volunteered no information at all. He seemed quite sure ofhimself, and Arden fancied she saw in him a slight resemblance toDimitri.
When they reached the old rowboat, Terry pointed down the bay.
"The _Merry Jane_ is just around the bend; if you stay close to shore,you can't miss it," she instructed the stranger.
They all looked admiringly over the still green water where the fish werebeginning to jump in the stillness of the evening. The beauty of the baywas inescapable.
"Tania, the big dog, will bark, and you can row in the direction of thenoise, if you should be doubtful about the location," Arden suggested.
The man raised an eyebrow. "You know Dimitri, then?" he asked.
"Yes, indeed," Sim answered. "We're good friends." She felt justified insaying that.
"I am a friend, too," their caller replied as he got into the boat. "I'lltake very good care of your skiff and tie it up very carefully when Ireturn." He pushed off and began rowing easily down the bay. "Good-bye,"he called to the girls. "And thank you, a thousand times!"
"Good-bye," Terry answered, while the others mumbled something.
They waited until he was out of sight, and then began the flood of "Whatdo you think's" and "Maybe's." But of course they all agreed on onething. That he was very charming and well mannered and that perhaps allforeigners were that way. But they decided it was indeed queer the wayDimitri's friends all came to them for advice on reaching the oldhouseboat. The newest caller gave rise to plenty of speculation, but thegirls retired earlier than usual, and it was, perhaps, for this reasonthat Arden awoke sometime near morning, although it was still dark.Deciding she could not get back to sleep, she lay tossing restlessly.
The events of the day marched before her now active mind. The goldsnuffbox, Olga, Tania, Dimitri, the man who had come that evening. It wasall very puzzling. She turned over and looked at Sim, sleepingpeacefully. Nothing bothered her. Arden sighed and then started. What wasthat noise? Another mysterious visitor? She strained every nerve tolisten. Then she smiled as she realized it was the motor of an autopurring along. Going to the window, she saw the stranger's car moveslowly as it was started and disappear as it gathered speed. She lookedat her wrist watch. The dial showed four-thirty, and he was just comingback from the houseboat!
"'Curiouser and curiouser,'" Arden said to herself as she climbed back tobed. "Alice in Wonderland had nothing on me. I wonder, too."
Missing at Marshlands Page 11
