The Secret Pact

Excerpt

CHAPTER
1
ABOARD THE GOODTIME

A blanket of fog, thick and damp, swirled about the decks of the excursion steamer, Goodtime, cautiously plying its course down the river. At intervals, above the steady throb of the ship’s engines, a fog horn sounded its mournful warning to small craft.

“I hope we don’t collide with another boat before we make the dock,” remarked Louise Sidell who stood at the railing with her chum, Penelope Parker.

“That would be a perfect ending for an imperfect day,” returned Penny, fitting her coat collar more snugly about her throat.

“An imperfect day! I call it a miserable one. Rain and fog! Rain and fog! It’s made my hair as straight as the shortest distance between two points.”

“Mine’s as kinky as wool.” Impatiently Penny brushed a ringlet of golden hair from her eyes. “Well, shall we go inside again?”

“No, I’d rather freeze than be a wallflower,” the dark-eyed girl responded gloomily. “We haven’t been asked to dance once this evening.”

“That’s because we came without our own crowd, Lou. Except for that couple yonder, we’re practically the only persons aboard unattached to a group.”

Penny jerked her head in the direction of a young man and girl who slowly paced the deck. Earlier in the evening their peculiar actions had attracted her attention. They kept strictly to themselves, avoiding the salon, the dining room, and all contact with other excursionists.

“I wonder who they are?” mused Louise, turning to stare. “The girl wears a veil as if she were afraid someone might recognize her.”

“Yes, I noticed that, and whenever anyone goes near her, she lowers her head. I wish we could see her face.”

“Let’s wander over that way,” proposed Louise.

Arm in arm, they sauntered toward the couple. The young man saw them coming. He touched his companion’s arm and, turning their backs, they walked away.

“They did that to avoid meeting us!” Louise declared in an excited undertone. “Now why, I wonder?”

The couple had reached the end of the deck. As the young woman turned to glance over her shoulder, a sudden gust of wind caught her hat. Before she could save it, the head-gear was swept dangerously close to the railing.

Not giving the young man an opportunity to act, Penny darted forward. Rescuing the hat, she carried it to the couple.

“Thank you,” the girl mumbled, keeping her head lowered. “Thank you very much.”

Quickly she jammed the felt hat on her head and replaced the veil, but not before Penny had seen her face clearly. The young woman was unusually pretty with large brown eyes and a long, smoothly brushed black bob.

“This is certainly a miserable night,” Penny remarked, hoping to start a conversation.

“Sure is,” replied the young man with discouraging brevity.

He tipped his hat and steered his companion away from the girl.

Ruefully Penny returned to Louise who had been an interested spectator.

“Did you get a good look at the pair?” she asked eagerly....