Adventure stories; Automobile travel -- Fiction; Inheritance and succession -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
To Diane, stretched comfortably upon the cushions of the boat, which
had drifted idly about since early twilight, the night's sounds were
indescribably peaceful. The lap and purl of water, the rustle of
birch, the call of an owl in the forest, the noise of frog and tree
toad and innumerable crickets, they were all, paradoxically enough, the
wildwood sounds of silence.
With a sigh the girl presently paddled in to shore. As she moored her
boat, the moon swept majestically from the clouds and shone full upon a
second boatman paddling briskly by the lily beds. The boat came on
with a musical swirl of water; the bareheaded boatman waved his hand
lazily to the girl standing motionless upon the moonlit wharf, and as
lazily floated in.
"Hello!" he called cheerfully.
The moon, doomed to erotic service, was again upon the head of Mr.
Poynter.
"It's the milkman's boat!" explained Philip smiling. "He's a mighty
decent chap."
Diane's face was as pale as a lily.
"How did you know?" she asked, but her eyes, for Philip, were welcome
enough.
"I saw Carl," said he, dexterously rounding to a point at her feet.
"He told me."
He lazily rocked the boat, met her troubled glance with frank serenity
and said with his eyes what for the moment his laughing lips withheld.
"Come, row about a bit," he said gently. "There's a lot to tell--"
"The other candlestick?"
"That," said Philip as he helped her in, "and more."
The boat shot forth into the moonlit water.
"And your father, Philip?"
"Better," said Philip and feathered his oars conspicuously in a moment
of constraint. Then flushing slightly, he met her glance with his
usual frank directness. "Dad and I had quarreled, Diane," he said
quietly, "and he was fretting. And now, though the fundamental cause
of grievance still remains, we're better friends. Ames, the doctor,
said that helped a lot." He was silent. "A dash of Spanish," he began
thoughtfully, "a dash of Indian, and the blood of the old southern
cavaliers--it's a ripping combination for loveliness, Diane!"
Not quite so pale, Diane glanced demurely at the moon.
"Yes, I know," nodded Philip with slightly impudent assurance; "but the
moon is kind to lovers."
"Tell me," begged Diane with a bright flush, "about the second
candlestick."
Somewhat reluctantly, with the moon urging him to madness, Philip
obeyed. To Diane his words supplied the final link in the chain of
mystery.
"And Satterlee's yacht," finished Philip, leaning on his oars, "was
laid up in Hoboken for repairs. Carl phoned his attorneys."
"You spoke of seeing Carl?"
"Yes. He was with his father then. Telegraphed me Monday. I have yet
to see such glow and warmth in the faces of men. They're going back to
Mic-co's lodge together for a while. Odd!" he added thoughtfully.
"I've known Satterlee for years, a quiet chap of wonderful kindliness
and generosity. But I've heard Dad tell mad tales of his reckless
whims when he was younger."
"And the first paper?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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