SCENTING A MYSTERY

“I wouldn’t advise you young ladies to take the boat out.”

Miss Elting instantly recalled the message from her brother.  The telegram was in her pocket at that moment, “If you have any trouble, Dee Dickinson will see that you are protected,” read the message.  It was Dee Dickinson who had spoken to her that moment.

Dee had made a distinctly unfavorable impression on Miss Elting, the guardian and companion of the Meadow-Brook Girls.  Her brother’s fishing boat had been left in the care of this man by her brother Bert, who had now turned it over to his sister and the Meadow-Brook Girls for their summer vacation.

“Why not?” questioned the young woman in answer to his words of warning.  “Isn’t the boat in good condition?”

“Oh, yes.  That is, it isn’t by any means in a sinking condition.”

“Then why do you advise us not to use it?”

“The lake gets rather rough at times, you know,” he replied evasively.

“My brother wrote you that we were coming up here, did he not?”

“Oh, yes.  But you see it’s been a year since he used the old scow.  She is a year older, now, and—­”

“I am quite sure that my brother would not have permitted us to take the houseboat were it not perfectly safe for us to do so.  Please tell me what is the matter with it?”

“There’s nothing the matter with it, I tell you, except that it’s an old fishing scow with a roof over it.  It isn’t a fit place for a party of young ladies,” Dee replied, with a shrug of his shoulders.  “Of course, if you are set on taking the boat, I’ll have to get it ready for you; but, if anything happens to it, remember that I warned you.”

“We shall not forget,” answered the guardian dryly.  “If it stays on top of the lake we surely cannot expect anything more.  Where is the boat?”

“A couple of miles down the lake.”

“Kindly direct us so that we may find it, and—­”

“No, no,” interposed Dickinson hastily.  “I’ll have it brought up here to the dock, so you can get at it more easily.  There’ll be some things you will wish to do to it.  Having it here at Wantagh will be much more convenient for you.  I’ll try to have it here for you by to-night, or early in the morning.  But you’ll be sick of your bargain, I promise you that.”

“Do you mean us to infer that the boat is not safe?” interjected Harriet Burrell.

“I haven’t said so,” answered the man rather sharply, turning to her.  “I’ve told you that it isn’t the kind of craft for young women to live on all summer.”

“We shall decide that matter ourselves,” returned Miss Elting coldly.

“Very good.  Suit yourselves.”

“I think you had better take us to the boat now before anything further is done in the matter.”

“No.  You had better have it brought here,” persisted Dickinson.  “Do you know where Johnson’s dock is?”