“It will still be lovely, no matter who possesses it,” said Dimitri. “And now I must rest.”
Truly he was very weary, for his imprisonment in the dank cellar had told on his nerves. But he said he needed no attention; that he and Tania would be all right for the remainder of their stay on the Merry Jane. He did need a little fresh food, however, and Chief Reilly promised to bring some back in his motorboat.
So, with bows from Dimitri, tail-wagging from Tania, and hand-flutterings from the girls, while the chief demonstrated his gold-tooth grin, the visitors came away. They went back to get Terry’s boat, and then the girls, being towed by the chief to the dock of “Buckingham Palace,” hastened to tell Mrs. Landry the news.
“Well, fancy that!” she exclaimed. “I hope it is all true about Melissa.”
It was true, as they learned a few days later, for a letter arrived from Emma Tash confirming everything, and with it there was a little note from Melissa. Of course Emma Tash knew nothing about the prisoner in the cellar, and Melissa was forced into silence by her father. She did not know, as a matter of fact, until the last few days of the imprisonment, that her father had captured Dimitri. If she had known, she probably would have told the girls.
“But everything is all right now,” said Arden as she and her chums sat on the warm sands after a dip in the ocean.
“Yes,” said Terry, “the mystery is over.”
“And it was a good one while it lasted,” declared Sim. “See what Arden gets out of it.”
“What?” asked Arden, letting sand flow through her tanned fingers.
“Lovely picture.”