Part 5 (1/2)

As she crouched there trembling, her hand touched something cold--her skate. Here was hope; if the worst came to worst, here was a formidable weapon and she was possessed of the power to swing it.

Cautiously she drew it from her belt, then crouching low, gripping the small end, she waited.

Came again the pit-pat-pit-pat. He was on the balcony, she felt sure of that now. Her hand gripped the skate until the blade cut through the skin, but still she crouched there waiting.

When Florence failed to return, Marian and Lucile might have been seen pacing the floor while Marian pretended to study and made a failure of it.

”I think we should go out and look for her,” said Lucile.

”Probably just a bit overcome by the wonderful skating in the moonlight,”

answered Marian, in what was intended as an unworried tone, ”but we'll go down to the lagoon and have a look.”

”Wait just a moment,” said Lucile as she disappeared inside her laboratory. When she returned, something beneath her coat bulged, but Marian did not ask her what it might be.

After dropping down the rope ladder they hurried along the beach and across the park to the lagoon. From the ridge above it they could see the greater part of the lagoon's surface. Not a single moving figure darkened its surface. For fully five minutes they stood there, looking, listening.

Then Marian led the way to the edge of the ice.

By the side of a clump of bushes she had spied something.

”What's that?”

”Pair of men's rubbers,” replied Lucile kicking at them.

For a full moment the two stood and stared at one another.

”She--she isn't down here,” said Lucile at last. ”Perhaps we had better go up and look among the boats.”

Silently they walked back to where the hundred boats were looming in the dark, their masts like slender arms reaching for the moon. As they rounded a small schooner, they were startled by a footstep.

”Don't be afraid. It is only I,” called a friendly voice. ”Out for a stroll in the moonlight. Wonderful, isn't it?”

Marian recognized the young man of the schooner, Mark Pence. She had talked with him once before. He had helped her home with her two dozen cans of label-less fruits and vegetables. Having liked him then, she decided to trust him now, so in a few well-chosen words she confided their fears for their companion's safety.

”Shucks!” said the boy. ”That'll be all right. She'll show up all right.

Probably went farther than she intended. But--sure, I'll take a turn with you through our little village of boats. Be glad to.”

They wandered in and out among the various crafts. Scarcely a word was spoken until they came to the great black bulk of the scow inhabited by the Chinamen.

”I'll rout 'em out. Might know something,” said Mark.

He knocked several times but received no response. He was about to enter when Lucile whispered:

”Wait a minute. Were--were you in the war?”

”A trifle. Not to amount to much.”

”Know how to use a gas mask?”