From Friday morning until the following Tuesday noon, moving amid such scenes as previously had soexhilarated and enthralled him, Clyde was now compelled to suffer the most frightful fears and dreads. For,although met by Sondra, as well as Bertine, at the door of the Cranston lodge, and shown by them to the room hewas to occupy, he could not help but contrast every present delight here with the danger of his immediate andcomplete destruction.
As he had entered, Sondra had poutingly whispered, so that Bertine might not hear: "Baddie! Staying down therea whole week when you might have been up here. And Sondra planning everything for you! You ought to have agood spanking. I was going to call up to-day to see where you were." Yet at the same time her eyes conveyingthe infatuation that now dominated her.
And he, in spite of his troubled thoughts achieving a gay smile,--for once in her presence even the terror ofRoberta's death, his own present danger appeared to dwindle. If only all went well, now,--nothing were traced tohim! A clear path! A marvelous future! Her beauty! Her love! Her wealth. And yet, after being ushered to hisroom, his bag having been carried in before him, at once becoming nervous as to the suit. It was damp andwrinkled. He must hide it on one of the upper shelves of a closet, maybe. And the moment he was alone and thedoor locked, taking it out, wet and wrinkled, the mud of the shores of Big Bittern still about the legs--yetdeciding perhaps not--perhaps he had better keep it locked in his bag until night when he could better decidewhat to do. Yet tying up in a single bundle, in order to have them laundered, other odds and ends he had wornthat day. And, as he did so, terribly, sickeningly conscious of the mystery and drama as well as the pathos of hislife--all he had contacted since his arrival in the east, how little he had in his youth. How little he had now,really. The spaciousness and grandeur of this room as contrasted with the one he occupied in Lycurgus. Thestrangeness of his being here at all after yesterday. The blue waters of this bright lake without as contrasted withthe darker ones of Big Bittern. And on the green-sward that reached from this bright, strong, rambling house,with its wide veranda and striped awnings to the shore of the lake itself, Stuart Finchley and Violet Taylor,together with Frank Harriet and Wynette Phant, in the smartest of sport clothes, playing tennis, while Bertine andHarley Baggott tolled in the shade of a striped marquee swing.
And, he himself, after bathing and dressing, assuming a jocular air although his nerves remained tense and hismood apprehensive. And then descending to where Sondra and Burchard Taylor and Jill Trumbull were laughingover some amusing experiences in connection with motor-boating the day before. Jill Trumbull called to him ashe came out: "Hello, Clyde! Been playing hookey or what? I haven't seen you in I don't know when." And he,after smiling wistfully at Sondra, craving as never before her sympathy as well as her affection, drawing himselfup on the railing of the veranda and replying, as smoothly as he could: "Been working over at Albany sinceTuesday. Hot down there. It's certainly fine to be up here to-day. Who's all up?" And Jill Trumbull, smiling: "Oh,nearly every one, I guess. I saw Vanda over at the Randalls' yesterday. And Scott wrote Bertine he was comingto the Point next Tuesday. It looks to me as though no one was going over to Greenwood much this year." Andthen a long and intense discussion as to why Greenwood was no longer what it had been. And then Sondraexclaiming: "That reminds me! I have to phone Bella to-day. She promised to come up to that horse show overat Bristol week after next, sure." And then more talk of horses and dogs. And Clyde, listening intently in hisanxiety to seem an integral part of it all, yet brooding on all that so desperately concerned him. Those three men.
Roberta. Maybe they had found her body by now--who could tell, yet saying to himself--why so fearsome? Wasit likely that in that depth of water--fifty feet maybe, for all he knew--that they would find her? Or that they could ever identify him with Clifford Golden or Carl Graham? How could they? Hadn't he really and trulycovered his tracks except for those three men? THOSE THREE MEN! He shivered, as with cold, in spite ofhimself.
And then Sondra, sensing a note of depression about him. (She had determined from his obvious lack ofequipment on his first visit that perhaps the want of money was at the bottom of his present mood, and soproposed later this day to extract seventy-five dollars from her purse and force that upon him in order that at nopoint where petty expenditures should be required, should he feel the least bit embarrassed during his stay thistime.) And after a few moments, thinking of the short golf course, with its variety of concealing hazards forunseen kisses and embraces, she now jumped up with: "Who's for a mixed foursome? Come on, Jill, Clyde,Burch! I'll bet Clyde and I can turn in a lower card than you two can!""I'll take that!" exclaimed Burchard Taylor, rising and straightening his yellow and blue striped sweater, "even ifI didn't get in until four this morning. How about you, Jilly? If you want to make that for the lunches, Sonny, I'lltake it."And at once Clyde wincing and chilling, for he was thinking of the miserable twenty-five dollars left him fromall his recent ghastly adventures. And a lunch for four here would cost not less than eight or ten dollars! Perhapsmore. At the same time, Sondra, noting his expression, exclaimed: "That's a go!" and drawing near to Clydetapped him gently with her toe, exclaiming: "But I have to change. I'll be right down. In the meantime, Clyde, I'lltell you what you do--go and find Andrew and tell him to get the clubs, will you? We can go over in your boat,can't we, Burchy?" And Clyde, hurrying to find Andrew, and thinking of the probable cost of the lunch if he andSondra were defeated, but being caught up with by Sondra and seized by the arm. "Wait a minute, honey, I'll beright back." Then dashing up the steps to her room, and in a moment down again, a handful of bills she hadreserved shut tightly in her little fist: "Here, darling, quick!" she whispered, taking hold of one of Clyde's coatpockets and putting the money into it. "Ssh! Not a word, now! Hurry! It's to pay for the lunch in case we lose,and some other things. I'll tell you afterwards. Oh, but I do love you, baby boy!" And then, her warm, browneyes fixed on him for a moment in profound admiration, dashing up the stairs again, from where she called
Don't stand there, silly! Get the golf clubs! The golf clubs!" And she was gone.
And Clyde, feeling his pocket and realizing that she had given him much--plenty, no doubt, for all of his needswhile here, as well as to escape if need be. And exclaiming to himself: "Darling!" "Baby girl!" His beautiful,warm, generous Sondra! She loved him so--truly loved him. But if ever she should find out! Oh, God! And yetall for her, if she only knew. All for her! And then finding Andrew and returning with him carrying the bags.
And here was Sondra again, dancing down in a smart green knitted sports costume. And Jill in a new cap andblouse which made her look like a jockey, laughing at Burchard who was at the wheel of the boat. And Sondracalling back to Bertine and Harley Baggott in the swing as she was passing: "Hey, fellows! You won't come,eh?""Where?""Casino Golf Club.""Oh, too far. See you after lunch on the beach, though."And then Burchard shooting the boat out in the lake with a whir that set it bounding like a porpoise--and Clydegazing half in a dream, half delight and hope and the other half a cloud of shadow and terror, with arrest anddeath, maybe, stalking close behind. For in spite of all his preliminary planning, he was beginning to feel that hehad made a mistake in openly coming out of the wood this morning. And yet had it not been best, since the onlyalternative was that of remaining there by day and coming out at night and following the shore road on foot toSharon? That would have required two or three days. And Sondra, anxious as well as curious about the delay,might have telephoned to Lycurgus, thereby raising some question in regard to him which might have proveddangerous later might it not
But here now, this bright day, with seemingly no cares of any kind, for these others at least, however dark andbleak his own background might be. And Sondra, all gayety because of his presence, now jumping up, her brightscarf held aloft in one hand like a pennant, and exclaiming foolishly and gayly: "Cleopatra sailing to meet--tomeet--who was it she was sailing to meet, anyhow?""Charlie Chaplin," volunteered Taylor, at the same time proceeding to ricochet the boat as roughly and erraticallyas possible in order to make her lose her balance.
Oh, you silly!" returned Sondra, spreading her feet sufficiently apart to maintain her equilibrium, and adding forthe benefit of Burchard: "No, you don't either, Burchy," then continuing: "Cleopatra sailing, a-a-oh, I know,aquaplaning," and throwing her head back and her arms wide, while the boat continued to jump and lurch like afrightened horse.
See if you can upset me now, Burchy," she called.
And Burchard, throwing the boat from side to side as swiftly as he dared, with Jill Trumbull, anxious for her ownsafety, calling: "Oh, say, what do you want to do? Drown us all?" at which Clyde winced and blanched as thoughstruck.
At once he felt sick, weak. He had never imagined that it was going to be like this; that he was going to suffer so.
He had imagined that it was all going to be different. And yet here he was, blanching at every accidental andunintended word! Why, if he were put to any real test--an officer descending on him unexpectedly and askinghim where he had been yesterday and what he knew of Roberta's death--why, he would mumble, shiver, not beable to talk, maybe--and so give his whole case away wouldn't he! He must brace up, try to look natural, happy-mustn'the--for this first day at least.
Fortunately in the speed and excitement of the play, the others seemed not to notice the startling effect of theremark upon him, and he managed by degrees to recover his outward composure. Then the launch approachedthe Casino and Sondra, wishing to execute some last showy stunt, jumped up and catching the rail pulled herselfup, while the boat rolled past only to reverse later. And Clyde, because of a happy smile in his direction, wasseized by an uncontrollable desire for her--her love, sympathy, generosity, courage. And so now, to match hersmiles, he jumped up and after assisting Jill to the steps, quickly climbed up after her, pretending a gayety andenthusiasm that was as hollow inwardly as outwardly it was accurate.
Gee! Some athlete you are!"And then on the links a little later with her, and under her guidance and direction, playing as successful a gameas it was possible with his little experience and as troubled as he was. And she, because of the great delight ofhaving him all to herself in shadowy hazards where they might kiss and embrace, beginning to tell him of aproposed camping trip which she, Frank Harriet, Wynette Phant, Burchard Taylor, her brother Stuart, GrantCranston and Bertine, as well as Harley Baggott, Perley Haynes, Jill Trumbull and Violet Taylor, had beenorganizing for a week, and which was to begin on the morrow afternoon, with a motor trip thirty miles up thelake and then forty miles east to a lake known as Bear, along which, with tents and equipment, they were tocanoe to certain beaches and scenes known only to Harley and Frank. Different days, different points. The boyswould kill squirrels and catch fish for food. Also there would be moonlight trips to an inn that could be reachedby boat, so they said. A servant or two or three from different homes was to accompany them, as well as achaperon or two. But, oh, the walks in the woods! The opportunities for love--canoe trips on the lake--hours ofuninterrupted love-making for at least a week
In spite of all that had occurred thus far to give him pause, he could not help thinking that whatever happened,was it not best to go? How wonderful to have her love him so! And what else here could he do? It would takehim out of this, would it not--farther and farther from the scene of the--of the--accident and in case any one werelooking for any one who looked like him, for instance-- well, he would not be around where he could be seen andcommented upon. THOSE THREE MEN.
Yet, as it now instantly occurred to him, under no circumstances must he leave here without first finding out asdefinitely as possible whether any one was as yet suspected. And once at the Casino, and for the moment leftalone, he learned on inquiring at the news stand that there would be no Albany, Utica, or any local afternoonpaper there until seven or seven-thirty. He must wait until then to know.
And so although after the lunch there was swimming and dancing, then a return to the Cranstons with HarleyBaggott and Bertine--Sondra going to Pine Point, with an agreement to meet him afterwards at the Harriets' fordinner--still his mind was on the business of getting these papers at the first possible opportunity. Yet unless, ashe now saw, he was so fortunate as to be able to stop on his way from the Cranstons' to the Harriets' and soobtain one or all, he must manage to come over to this Casino in the morning before leaving for Bear Lake. Hemust have them. He must know what, if anything, was either being said or done so far in regard to that drownedcouple.
But on his way to Harriets' he was not able to get the papers. They had not come. And none at the Harriets
either, when he first arrived. Yet sitting on the veranda about a half hour later, talking with the others althoughbrooding as to all this, Sondra herself appeared and said: "Oh, say, people! I've got something to tell you. Twopeople were drowned this morning or yesterday up at Big Bittern, so Blanche Locke was telling me just nowover the phone. She's up at Three Mile Bay today and she says they've found the body of the girl but not the manyet. They were drowned in the south part of the lake somewhere, she said."At once Clyde sat up, rigid and white, his lips a bloodless line, his eyes fixed not on anything here but rather thedistant scene at Big Bittern--the tall pines, the dark water closing over Roberta. Then they had found her body.
And now would they believe that his body was down there, too, as he had planned? But, listen! He must hear inspite of his dizziness.
Gee, that's tough!" observed Burchard Taylor, stopping his strumming on a mandolin. "Anybody we know?""She says she didn't hear yet.""I never did like that lake," put in Frank Harriet. "It's too lonely. Dad and I and Mr. Randall were up there fishinglast summer, but we didn't stay long. It's too gloomy.""We were up there three weeks ago--don't you remember, Sondra?" added Harley Baggott. "You didn't care forit.""Yes, I remember," replied Sondra. "A dreadfully lonely place. I can't imagine any one wanting to go up there foranything.""Well, I only hope it isn't any one we know from around here," added Burchard, thoughtfully. "It would put acrimp in the fun around here for a while, anyhow."And Clyde unconsciously wet his dry lips with his tongue and swallowed to moisten his already dry throat.
I don't suppose any of to-day's papers would have anything about it yet. Has any one looked?" inquired WynettePhant, who had not heard Sondra's opening remark.
There ain't no papers," commented Burchard Taylor. "Besides, it's not likely yet, didn't Sondra say she justheard it from Blanche Locke over the phone? She's up near there.""Oh, yes, that's right."And yet might not that small local afternoon paper of Sharon--The Banner, wasn't it--have something as to this
If only he could see it yet to-night
But another thought! For Heaven's sake! It came to him now for the first time. His footprints! Were there any inthe mud of that shore? He had not even stopped to look, climbing out so hastily as he did. And might there nothave been? And then would they not know and proceed to follow him--the man those three men saw? CliffordGolden! That ride down this morning. His going out to the Cranstons' in their car. That wet suit over in the roomat the Cranstons'! Had any one in his absence been in his room as yet to look, examine, inquire--open his bag,maybe? An officer? God! It was there in his bag. But why in his bag or anywhere else near him now? Why hadhe not hidden it before this--thrown it in the lake here, maybe, with a stone in it? That would keep it down. God
What was he thinking in the face of such a desperate situation as this? Supposing he did need the suit
He was now up, standing--mentally and physically frozen really--his eyes touched with a stony glaze for the moment. He must get out of here. He must go back there, at once, and dispose of that suit--drop it in the lake-hideit somewhere in those woods beyond the house! And yet--he could not do that so swiftly, either--leave soinstantly after this light conversation about the drowning of those two people. How would that look
And as instantly there came the thought--no--be calm--show no trace of excitement of any kind, if you canmanage it--appear cool--make some unimportant remark, if you can.
And so now, mustering what nervous strength he had, and drawing near to Sondra, he said: "Too bad, eh?" Yet ina voice that for all its thinly-achieved normality was on the borderline of shaking and trembling. His knees andhis hands, also.
Yes, it certainly is," replied Sondra, turning to him alone now. "I always hate to hear of anything like that, don'tyou? Mother worries so about Stuart and me fooling around these lakes as it is.""Yes, I know." His voice was thick and heavy. He could scarcely form the words. They were smothered, choked.
His lips tightened to a thinner white line than before. His face grew paler still.
Why, what's the matter, Clydie?" Sondra asked, of a sudden, looking at him more closely. "You look so pale
Your eyes. Anything wrong? Aren't you feeling well tonight, or is it this light out here?"She turned to look at some of the others in order to make sure, then back at him. And he, feeling the extremeimportance of looking anything but the way she was describing him now drew himself up as best he could, andreplied: "Oh, no. It must be the light, I guess. Sure, it's the light. I had--a--a hard day yesterday, that's all. Ishouldn't have come over to-night, I suppose." And then achieving the weirdest and most impossible of smiles.
And Sondra, gazing most sympathetically, adding: "Was he so tired? My Clydie-mydie boy, after his workyesterday. Why didn't my baby boy tell me that this morning instead of doing all that we did today? Want me toget Frank to run you down to the Cranstons' now? Or maybe you'd like to go up in his room and lie down? Hewon't mind, I know. Shall I ask him?"She turned as if to speak to Frank, but Clyde, all but panic-stricken by this latest suggestion, and yet angling foran excuse to leave, exclaimed earnestly and yet shakily: "Please, please don't, darling. I--I--don't want you to. I'llbe all right. I'll go up after a bit if I want to, or maybe home a little early, if you're going after a while, but notnow. I'm not feeling as good as I should, but I'll be all right."Sondra, because of his strained and as she now fancied almost peevish tone, desisted with: "All right, honey. Allright. But if you don't feel well, I wish you would let me get Frank to take you down or go upstairs. He won'tmind. And then after a while--about ten-thirty--I'll excuse myself and you can go down with me to your place.
I'll take you there before I go home and whoever else wants to go. Won't my baby boy do something like that?"And Clyde saying: "Well, I think I'll go up and get a drink, anyhow." And disappearing in one of the spaciousbaths of the Harriet home, locking the door and sitting down and thinking, thinking--of Roberta's bodyrecovered, of the possibilities of a bruise of some kind, of the possibility of the print of his own feet in the mudand sandy loam of the shore; of that suit over at the Cranstons', the men in the wood, Roberta's bag, hat and coat,his own liningless hat left on the water--and wondering what next to do. How to act! How to talk! Whether to go downstairs to Sondra now and persuade her to go, or whether to stay and suffer and agonize? And what wouldthe morrow's papers reveal? What? What? And was it wise, in case there was any news which would make itlook as though eventually he was to be sought after, or in any way connected with this, to go on that proposedcamping trip tomorrow! Or, wiser, to run away from here? He had some money now. He could go to New York,Boston, New Orleans where Ratterer was--but oh, no--not where any one knew him.
Oh, God! The folly of all his planning in connection with all this to date! The flaws! Had he ever really plannedit right from the start? Had he ever really imagined, for instance, that Roberta's body would be found in that deepwater? And yet, here it was--risen so soon--this first day--to testify against him! And although he had signed ashe had on those registers up there, was it not possible now, on account of those three men and that girl on thatboat, for him to be traced? He must think, think, think! And get out of here as soon as possible, before anythingreally fatal in connection with that suit should happen.
Growing momentarily weaker and more terrorized, he now decided to return to Sondra below, and say that hewas really feeling quite sick and that if she did not object he would prefer to go home with her, if she couldarrange it. And consequently, at ten-thirty, when the evening still had hours to go, Sondra announced to Burchardthat she was not feeling well and would he run her and Clyde and Jill down to her place, but that she would seethem all on the morrow in time for the proposed departure for Bear Lake.
And Clyde, though brooding as to whether this early leaving on his part was not another of those wretched errorswhich had seemed to mark every step of this desperate and murderous scheme so far, finally entering the swiftlaunch and being raced to the Cranston lodge in no time. And once there, excusing himself to Burchard andSondra as nonchalantly and apologetically as might be, and then hurrying to his own room only to find the suit ashe had left it-- no least evidence that any one had been there to disturb the serenity of his chamber. Just the same,nervously and suspiciously, he now took it out and tied it up, and then waiting and listening for a silent momentin which to slip from the house unobserved--finally ambled out as though going for a short walk. And then, bythe shore of the lake--about a quarter of a mile distant from the house--seeking out a heavy stone and tying thesuit to that. And then throwing it out into the water, as far as his strength would permit. And then returning, assilently and gloomily and nervously as he had gone, and brooding and brooding as to what the morrow mightreveal and what, if any appeared to question him, he would say.