The Deep Lake Mystery

“I hoped to do it myself, but I think – I fear I am being watched. When I went to the village with Merry, a man in a canoe seemed to follow and he watched me, yet tried to look as if he were not watching me. Oh, I know.”

“Did you object to Moore’s questioning?”

“Oh, no.” She looked weary and a little sad. “I suppose I must go through with a lot of that.”

“Do you mind his looking at your wardrobe?”

“No,” she smiled at this. “What does he expect to find? I haven’t any other rubber-soled shoes. I’ve ordered a new tan pair, but they haven’t come home yet.”

She scrutinized her little white canvas shoe, and as she held it up, I noticed the pattern of round dots on the rubber sole.

“Give me what you want thrown away,” I whispered. “I think I hear Moore’s step. And, Alma, I must see you, unhurried and alone. Can’t you meet me some evening late – some night soon – out on the lake?”

What possessed me to say that, I don’t know, but it seemed to strike her like a blow.

“Oh, no,” she said, and fairly shuddered. “Don’t suggest such a thing! I never go on the lake after sundown.”

This, when I had seen her canoeing after midnight!

Well, all that must some time be explained, and I rushed on:

“Then, let’s not keep it secret, but announce our engagement at once, and I can look after you.”

“Mercy, no! What an idea. But here, here is the thing I want destroyed. Not only thrown away, it must be instantly and secretly destroyed.”

“As you destroyed the shoes,” I said, involuntarily.

“Yes,” she returned, gravely, almost solemnly, “as I destroyed the shoes.”

From a handbag she had brought with her and had laid on the settee she drew a small book, a worn, paper-covered volume, which she hurriedly thrust into my hand, her eyes turned to the house, where we could now hear the nurse and Keeley coming downstairs.

I stuffed the book into my overcoat, glad that I had with me the light topcoat I usually carried against the chill winds of Deep Lake.

Then, quickly folding the coat inside out, I threw it over a chair back just as Keeley reappeared.

“Thank you very much, Miss Remsen,” he said, cheerily. “Your willingness to put the whole house at my disposal makes me more sure you have nothing to conceal than any words you could say.”

“But I didn’t put the whole house at your disposal!” she exclaimed with mock dismay.

“But your good nurse did. She took me on a whirlwind voyage of discovery, and I discovered absolutely nothing – ”

“Not even the shoes?” Alma looked positively roguish now, and very alluring.

“Not even the shoes,” Kee repeated. “Nor the Totem Pole. What became of that?”

All Alma’s gayety fell away from her. She showed again that fear that so often darkened her eyes and clouded her brow.

But she shrugged her shoulders lightly, and said, “Oh, it’s around somewhere – it must be.”

“Never mind,” Kee said, kindly, “it doesn’t really matter.”

“You saw the waistcoats?”

“Yes, they were lying on the bed in the guest room. If you’re like my wife, you use the guest-room bed for a general temporary repository.”

“Every woman does,” Alma smiled, but it was a pitiful little smile. More than ever I longed to capture her bodily and carry her off from this situation that was so rapidly growing worse. I knew Kee so well that I felt sure he had discovered far more than he disclosed, and my heart throbbed at thought of his possible future disclosures.

We came away then, after a little more good-natured, chaffing banter between Alma and Keeley.

Merry stood in the background. Her quick eyes darted from one to another of us, but her expression was one of satisfaction and content, and I realized that if Kee had found anything, Merry didn’t suspect it.

He bade Alma good-bye in cordial, pleasant fashion, and I did the same. I could show my feelings in no way save to press her hand and gaze deeply into her eyes, and having accomplished this histrionic gesture, I turned to find Kee looking at me with full comprehension of the situation.

I didn’t mind that, for he already knew I was in love with her, so, aside from a slight sheepish feeling, I was unembarrassed as I strode along by his side down to the dock. Old Merivale was ahead of us, to push us off, so Kee said nothing, but he nudged my elbow and pointed significantly to some footprints in the dust of the path. We were walking between some flower beds in preference to the gravel walk, and the prints were, in many instances, clear and distinct.

They had been made by a small shoe, obviously a woman’s shoe, whose rubber sole showed little diamond-shaped dots.

There could be no doubt about it. The prints were too plain to be mistaken by either of us.

Keeley said no word, but he made sure I saw and understood their importance.

I was sick at heart at the way things were going, but with an undercurrent of gladness that Alma had not repulsed my love. True, she had not definitely accepted it, either, but I was willing to bide my time.

Old Merivale deftly assisted us into our craft and gave us a shove off. I rowed, at Keeley’s request.

“Isn’t it your turn, lazybones?” I asked him.

“No, you row,” he returned, in a preoccupied tone, and willingly enough I plied the oars.

After we had rounded a bend of the shore, and were out of sight of the Remsen house, he said, very seriously:

“So you proposed to compound a felony, Gray?”

All at once, I remembered the book Alma had given me to destroy. I had forgotten it for the few moments we were taking leave, but I didn’t blame myself for that, as I considered it hidden in my overcoat pocket, and my overcoat, folded inside out completely protected it. Had Keeley found it?

“What do you mean?”

“That’s the proper response. Well, I mean, when a lady gives you a book to destroy, why don’t you destroy it?”

He sat in the stern, facing me and steering. As I looked at him, ready to give vent to my wrath, he said, with a friendly smile:

“Hold on, Gray. Don’t fly off the handle. Do you know what the book is?”

“No, I don’t, but I can tell you – ”

“If you can’t tell me the name of the book, nothing you can tell me is of any consequence. Can’t you guess the title?”

His grave tone and serious face gave me a hint. I stared at him, unbelieving.