“See here, Madge,” Jack protested quickly. “You can’t tote those heavy suitcases. I’ll bring them over later tonight.”
She would have accepted gratefully had not the chemist broke in irritably:
“The bags must go with us. I’ll need them before evening.”
“Really, I don’t mind,” Madge assured Jack. “Shove us off, will you, please?”
He complied, bestowing a look upon Clyde’s back which was far from complimentary. At first the skiff moved steadily through the water but before Madge had covered half the distance her arms began to tire. Clyde Wendell did not seem to notice. He stared moodily across the lake. Frequently, his dark, piercing eyes roved in the direction of Stewart Island.
The strangely tense expression of his face was not lost upon Madge. What thoughts could be running through his mind, she wondered? Why had he returned to Loon Lake?
“It’s for no good purpose,” she decided. “My guess is that he intends to make trouble for Anne Fairaday!”
CHAPTER V
Clyde Wendell’s Mission
Madge was washing breakfast dishes the next morning when Clyde Wendell entered the kitchen. He appeared in a better mood than upon his arrival and greeted her pleasantly.
“Good morning. I’d like to go for a little row on the lake. Can you let me have a boat?”