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OO OOOO OOOO The Adventures of a New York Man and a New York Girl Aboard a Treasure Ship (Coorridht, 1900, by Lathrop, Tae & Cheyart Oe.) & CHAPTER I. \VERTON BRILI—tich, young and a New Yorker—boarded the liner Olympiad in @ hurry one winter day. With him was his valet—a Vermont rustic named Ceristides Stebbens and whom Brit nicknamed Jay, It wae a rich youth's whim, this caprice that led Brill aboard the boat. He thea been returning from a jewellers, where he had been buying a ruby Gracelet for hte cousin Jutia's birthday present, when he hed caught sight 62 & gloriousty beautiful girl and am eiderly men ine cab, Brill fell in love wh, the girl at sight. He and Stebbins followed the cab to the dock and saw its occupant board the Olympiad, They had followed. And the liner had put to sea. ‘That was all. As @ result of Mis crazy impulse Brill found himeeif on the way to Eng- fend without a dollar in his pocket, although as soon as he should reach London he knew he could get all the money he wanted, Meantime, to/raise Passage money and ready cash, he sought out a dark-faced Mexican who @alled himself Benedict and who seemed to be the ruling spirit of a group of fellow Mexicans on board He borrowed from Benedict $600, giving the ruby bracelet as security. The bracelet was engraved “From Overton to Julia.” And on the ship Brill dropped his last name, calling himself simply “Mr. Overton.” In due time he met the girl whose face had lured him to the voyage. He her namo was Marion Jenni- id that she was travelling with the: rich Westerner. Brill truck up a lively ac- but he was more than a dd to note that rt an almost proprietary RD Andrew Jennison was ill. Marion had hinted that bis iliness had some- thing to do with worry for the safety ot the huge gold shipment, in which it seemed be had a personal interest. At the close of the service, the pur- #er gave notice that the burial of the httle English girl would Brill, his gaze again on Miss Jennison's face, saw the girl turn and look him steadily in the eyes. His heart leaped to ex: ae he read under the jong lashes a interest over the girl. message—was it a sunmory’—that Marion and Brill, with two fellow asked him to be wiiu her un the deck. wengers—Christopher Marsh and He replied “yes” so ardently that the fessor Pennythorpe — were ap- lashes fluttered down a little, and a Pointed as a committee to arrange for tint of rose colored the cheeks. When Christmas concert in the saloon. he gained his feet, he seemed to be is fact threw Brill and Marion still walking on air, more closely together, It also brought At the door that gave upon the bout a Companionship between him- deck he met her, and saw that she was alone, and the commi ‘a two other mm ra. Marsh, a jolly travelling man, he d at once, Queer little Professor “Isn't your father coming, Miss Jennison?” he asked in as matter-of- fact tone ag she could command. The girl's tace grew sad all at once, “No,” she replied, in a low voice, “he does not feel equal to seeing the rial. This death on board has af- fected him strangely; he sees in it some omen of evil, 1 would not add to his depression for the world.” nnythorpe he classified as a crank. Professor had @ full set of nautical struments in his cabin, and made @ nuisance of himself by figuring out fr diag ‘vensel’s course, and by crit everything on board and mak- | wage forecasts as to weather, & a te eae — @ommander, was a bluff old chap, ' whom Brill’ ed. ‘The Captain was ly worried at his own responsi ities on this trip. For the Olym. plad was carrying to England an im. mense shipment of American gold—a gum estimated by the press at from ten to thirty million dollars. From this fact the newspapers had nick- named the treasure ship “The Golden Greyhound.” Brill early learned that Benedict ‘Was a man of mystery; also that the Olympiad’s wireless operator was in ‘his pay. One day, during a fog, Pennythorpe e@nnounced to Brill and Marsh that, according to his calculations, the ship ‘was travelling far south of her regu- far course, Me also talked grimly @bout the peril from icebergs in such a. fo and commen op the death of a child in the steerage. He was not a cheery companion. So Brill strolled off to look for Marion. ‘He found her busy arranging to have the parents transferred and well-founded. He realized more than ever that the matter of the gold shipment was a terrible strain upon Andrew Jennison, and he roundly pet the stuff that had brought the Pe low of sorrow upon a beautiful After the pathetic little tune ceremony, Brill sought his own | "he room, in the corridor near his state- room he found March, pacing up and down like a fat and jolly sentinel, and invited him into his cabin. “Say, Overton, may I leave the door open?” asked the visitor, mean- me planting himself so that he faced “Of course. By the way, I didn't see you at the burial,” said Brill, somewhat curious as to the com- mercial man’s predilection for exer- “No? returned the other. “Well, I wasn't. I've been at several burials at sea; they're depressing. Besides, I've been—excuse me a moment,” The stout man jumped to his feet with amazing celerity, ran to the door, simost shut {t, and peered out through the crack for an instant. Then he re- turned to his seat. “Just as I thought,” he observed, smiling indulgently at Brill's manifest astonisument. “It was Benedict's the fret ca ‘The fog ati!! held on Sunday morn- Ying, sullen, impenetrable, and bitterly ohilling, as Brill found as he paced deck alone after e. mercial traveller, permitting a small portion of his ruddy face to appear, ) {going in training for the long-dis- ‘tance championship, or what? Heav- ens, how you spare youngsters can walk! ‘Tried to follow you up the but it was like a fat poodle jg @ greyhound. Your friend Btebbins said I'd probably find you out here, so I came to get you to go to church with me. Thought a bit of religion might do you good.” “Church?” repeated Brill, vaguely, not yet fully on the solid deck again. “Sure. Reading of the, Episcopal e@ervice, Captain generally coes it, you know, but this morning the pur- ser is going to officiate, Capt. Hum- phries being a trifle under tho ‘weather. It's/M™m unusual thing for him. Got to hit us all some time or other, I suppose. But Capt. Hum- phries—it beats the Dutch. Do you know, I" man—the wireless operator, I mean— who's been closeted with him,” Brill's animosity toward the Mext- can had been tempered greatly by his new feeling of tenderness for Marion Jennison, id by his growing convic- his quest was not without © could tolerate any one pn- circumstances. “Oh, well,” be replied carelessly, “he's Benedict's employee before he's the ship's wireless operator, you know." Marsh flecked @ bit of imaginary dust from the Up of one of his well- polished shoes. Then he gave Brill a look of keenest scrutiny and nodded his head two or three times. “That's exactly what I've been thinking,” he sai CHAPTER Il. pored ‘T the instant of Marsh's The passing of an oMcer at this moment put an end to Marsh's lo- rather odd observation there came a knock at the cabin door, a smart little tap that suggested jaunti- ness in its maker. Brill called to Stebbins, who was in his own room, “Open the door, will you, Jay?” Aristides hastened out, delighted to do some sort of service; he had felt lately that he was not earning his salary, “A lady to see you, air," he said, after ho had peered into the corridor. Brill saw that Marsh flashed a glance at the youth, and he divined why. “All right, sir," he replied to his protege, accenting the last word in such @ way that he hoped it would remind Stebbins of the undesirability of reverting to the old custom on shore, yet not excite any suspicion on the part of Marsh. He went to the door and found his caller to be Marion Jennison's maid, a French young person, with a pale, piquant face, and an air of complete self- quacity, and the two walked on a moment in silence. “I don't know that I care to hear ® purser mumble out the lesson for the day, and all that.” he said indif- “I “ink if I walked"—— replied Marah, calmly, ae you like It. I overheard Miss Jennison say she should go; be- Heved passengers ought to show re- pect for the service.” Brill almost felt his face flush un- the merry but keen look of h He would brave it out @ well aid, “but my clothes— ‘you see I've only this one suit aboard, and it isn't very ohurchly, you'll ad- mit.” “Nonsense!” cried the other, “If there's one place in the universe where the Lord doesn’t care what you have on, it’s aboard ship. You know that as well as I do; you're not a fandlubber, You know you want to go, and I know you're going.” 8a ‘action, It was impossible to take offense “Mces Jennison's compliments,” at this good feliow’s straightforward- said tho girl, her chin in air, “and ness, and Brill was all the more in- would Monsieur Ov-r-r-ton be so vare clined to overlook it, since he knew he told the truth, He did want to go if Marion Jennison were to be kind as to meet Mees Jennison for 4 moment in ze libraire just before ze luncheon?” there, and he gloried in putting her Brill bowed and sald something above all else; at that precise mo- about being lighted; he would ment his soul seemed of far less im- surely be there, he assured the maid, portance than her heart. but there was more fervor in his It was as he had expe.ied as to the heart than in his words, ‘That funotionary, whatever Afier Marsh had departed to get “a Rie ability behind the brass network, igned by nature or train- ic, and he droned etammered tl ish the service ina rio that would have distressed Brill not the face of Marion Jen- ison, who sat at some distance from drink of air,” as he expressed it, and of which he declared himself ‘very much in need, Brill again enlisted BStebbins’s services as a valet, princi- pally because he believed his own judgment might be untrustworthy under the circumstances, him, offered its pure profile for his ‘Io tell the truth, the condition of etudy. his one suit of clothes gaye him ab- ‘There was half a hundred other normal concern, He, Mr, Overton gs in the room, but none Brill, had now worn this especial out- fit for four days without change, when one had been an unusual Mmit fm the old life, He ruefully them wae of the least moment to gene. her father, who @ great velvet chair, Brill saw that this anxiety was deap | cise in @ narrow and airless corridor. Wf, NEED BEATING TOHM { CAN'T. CLOSE THe DINING TABLE Twe } DUMB-WAITER 'S STuck O, TOHN WE ARE OUT at himself in the glass, and then ran his hands over his sleeves as if to he @aid anx- “I believe this confounded getting threadbare. don't know, sir; hardly yet, replied the young man. He knew this particular guilt was scarcely @ week old; and he knew also that he himself had worn one set of outer garments for years before they be- came work clothes, I think this sleeve, now, is suit is OR “It may be, if you say @o, air,” re- plied Aristides, faithful to his pa- tron and to his own convictions at the same time, “but I can't see it And, anyway, I,don’t think she'll no- tice it.” Brill saw no trace of guile on the Placid, honest face, and there waa evidently no proper retort on subject; but one thing be could ob- ject to, and he did. “See here, Jay, drop that ‘sir.’ D’ye hear? Drop it,” he said sharply. “Yes, sir,” was the meek reply, and Brill gave up in despair, Aristides did his best, with the very limited advantages at hand, to make Brill satisfied that he was well dressed. He was unusually silent about it, though, so that when he did speak at the close of the sartorial ceremony, his observation had the effect of being studied in its air of carelessness, “Who was the lady?” he asked as he put the final touches of brushing upon the well-built form of his mas- ter. “Lady?” querted Brill, puczied €or a moment, “Oh, yes, Mise Jennison's maid,” “Oh,” Monosyllables were Stebbins’s most expressive form of comment, but this was so full of something unusual that Brill laughed inwardly as an absurd idea occurred to him. But that same idea was responsible for another that sent him impatiently to the library, although luncheon time was by no means near, fumbled over the books, fidgeted in his chair, and was otherwise very discontented, until he saw Miss Jenison’s tall fig- ure enter one of the doorways, Then he arose with wonderful alacrity and hurried to meet his divinity, The girl went straight at the matter | in hand. “I want to ask a fuvor, Mr. Overton,” she said, Brill felt that whatever he might say to this would be inexpressive, and he siinply bowed. “My father is not very well,” con- tinued the girl. “I'm afraid his nerves are a bit worn, At all events, he ls much worried,” Here a few commonplace words were both possible and fitting, and the young man said what he really felt; that he was very sorry to see the evident indisposition of Andrew Jen- nison, “It's about the gold, of course,” sald Marion, “As I come to speak of it, but last night he had a@ disagree- able dream,” “Foolish? Ob, no. Dreams are eometimes"—— But this was decid- edly on the wrong tack, Brill realised, Why try to add to the girl's solicl- tude? he asked, “What was the drean “He dreamt that burgiars were on board the ship and had drilled thelr way into the specle-room and were removing the bars of gold and bags of specie. ails Jennison, lar at the fan- tasy, and Brill in sympathy, Any emotion shared with her was @ marvellous privilege. “Of course it's absurd,” the went on. “Even father says It is, it troubles him just the same, That's why I have come to you.” wondered whether hie task was to be to stand guard over the gold in the specie room or to hunt for pos- sible burglars through the ship. But he sald nothing, as Miss Jennison was yet talking. “Father doesn't feel well en ‘b to go down where the room is; and be- sides, he doesn’t want to have it gen- erally known that he is interested.” Then why did he confide in Bene- dict, Brill wondered, “So I told him I'd go down and in- spect it,” she said, and paused for a moment. Afterward he cursed bim- self for an obtuse ass, as he realized that the girl bad been waiting for bis offer as escort. continued @ bit difiidentiy. I've never been on one before,’ Still silence, “So I—I thought you—you might arrange it for me—got permission from the captain—you know him, you see.” Comprehension burst young man’s mind, heavenward. He insisted on being her guide in the whole matter, left her with the assurance that he would secure the required permission, or, a8 he told himself, be put in irons for his persistency.’ In reality he found the task very easy. He met Marsh in the office, told him what he wished to do, and asked the where- abouts of the captain. “Don't bother finding him," said the commercial man. in op the in bis den, Just saw him. He'll fix you.” And 60, in fact, he did, with the utmost courtesy and willingness. That arranged, Brill dragged Marsh impetuously along with him toward the library, On their way they ran into Prof, Pennythorpe with his sex- tant, and the man of science button- holed Marah at once, It's Just as positive as thet the eun ) Mr. Marah,” he thundered. “This ship's course for the past two 4 {f continued, would bring us to ast of Portugal instead of Eng- Then he trotted off in a state of great agitation to impart his news to the next victim. “What on earth’s the matter with the old donkey?” asked Brill, more amused than interested. Marsh explained, “He says his observation proves we're many miles south of our course and below the forty-firat degree of latitude. “Why doesn't he ask the other of- ficers? Do their observations” — “Thet's the funny part of it. There have m no observatt for two days except Pennythorpe’ n't it usual to take them?” "Yes, at least on this ship; but it’s not obligatory, The position of a ship can be told well enough by the speed and course.” “Well, I guess tho Brill yawned, officers know how to run the ship better than Pennythorpe,” he ob- served, After luncheon he found his pretty charge at the appointed rendezvous, wut there was a small fiy in his honey pot in the shape of Marie, the maid, who thought, explained Miss densiaon, she would ke 0 Cy) ine ship, too, There was nothing for but to make the best of the circum. ft % and sent him “The purser’a the rife, Joun : SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE WINDOW AS LONG ASN You ARE DRESSED TAKE THE DoG AND THE CHILOREN ouT stance, gathering whatever comfort there was in the thought that the attendance lent propriety to the tour. ‘The journey of inspection led the by easy stages to the specte- Toom. On the way they saw the elaborate kitchen, where Marion wi into womanly raptures over ite @hin- ing cleanliness; the great cold storage plants, with adornments of sides of ef and quarters of mutton; the trip- hammer inferno of the engine room, where the girl clung closely to the arm of the enchanted lirill as they crossed dizzy iron bridges and de- scended terrifying skeleton stairs. All these submarine wonders, and more, they gazed at, umtil at last a gray steel door and a man with a rifle sitting in front of it told them they had reached the specie-room. Marion stood for a moment staring at the massive steel work as if sho might, by some magic vision, behold the masses of yellow bars inside and the bags plethoric with golden coin. How much crime and dishonor and wretchedness the millions behind that door could call forth, she thought, and yet how much of blessing and happiness and the beauty of life they could bestow. Brill saw her bosom rise in @ long sigh, weely “Wel but he could ‘now the cause. ho said at last, half quiz- ically, “are you satisfied that the stuff is intact, Miss Jennison, or rather are you satisfied that your father will be satisfied?” “Oh, I was not thinking of that,” she replied with @ faint smile. "I pose all is as eecure as can be, up! fen't it? you don’t believe it, “Rather. It ask this genticman here. “Yo, a apoke Up the man with mn watchin Britt with the eye of « hawk. “You ee, there are two doors with two combination locks, The captain has one set of keys, and the first officer another, One can't open the door without the other. It simply ain't possible for anybody to do anything queer, mum. moved off in due t The litte order, Marte, bring! Marion remembered that her father had wanted some information Oris the pig-lead in the forward Brill Judged trom that request the state of his mind, for a few inqu!-ies, with tlp accompaniment, made it per- fectly evident that neither thoy nor any one else could get within forty foot of the metal, which, tHe young man remembered, was gold in dis- sulse, In that fact was another guar- antee of safety, and Marion was taken back to ber quarters joyful in knowl- edge that might improve her father's “Wonder why she didn't ask Bene- dict to be her guide? mused Brill on the i 4 to his stateroom, as his mental trail at last led bim inevitably to that swarthy individual, Then came a thought like a great flash of lightning; he turned to Stebbins and fairly shouted: “I asked you, the other day, if you thought I was a fool, Thi id longer any doubt of it; I am, CHAPTER IIl. RILL was glod when Marsh knocked at his cabin door that afternoon, Until the assembling of the Ohrist- mas concert coininittes next morning there was littlo likelihood of any meet ba with Miss Jeanison. Next JOHN WORKI to such happy event came the com- pany of this keen travelling man whom he had come to place in his Het of friends, despite his occasional lapses into atrocidus levity. He shook hands with his visitor as cordially as if he had not seen him for years, “Well,” announced Marsh, cheer- fully, “I've juet left Pennythorpe.” Brill smiled at this important etate- ment. “I thought you looked particu- larly happy,” he said, “Ls an ass, isn't he? Guess, though, he knows something despite his ef- forts to conceal it. Perhaps he’ll kadw mor en he gets through with Humphries. “What's he going te do? Give the ptain instruction in seamanship “He's been about with a paper—pe- tition, he calls |t—demanding why the ship is out of her course “And he joing to present that to Humparie: asked Brill, delightedly, Marsh nodded, and his host laughed outright ay he called to mind the iron severity he had seen under tho smil- ing mask the captain habitually pre- sented to the passengers, But Marsh did not respond in kind; he was more serious than Brill had ever seen him. ‘I don't know whetber it’s a laugh- ing matter, after all, Overton,” said he, twirling his heavy watch-chain between his fingers. “What do you mean?” asked Brill, curiously, ‘I guess Pennythorpe's right,” said the other, lowering his voice. ‘About the ship's being off her rae?” “Yes. Although the Olympiad’s a new ship to mo, I've made friends with some of her officers on other ships. You don't mean that they” “Of course not,” was the quick re- ply. “Have to use thumb-screws to got anything out of a junior officer, But a man can talk without saying anything. I'm pretty certain Penny- thorpe’s not as big a fool as he looks ~though that wouldn't be possible, would It?” “Then you think"—— began Brill, the oervously, “Nothing, exoept that the Olympiad is hundreds of miles out of her course.” “Can't there be some mistake?” “In navigation? Likely, isn’t {t, in the weather we've had? I've only one theory, There may be a war,” Brill remembered that Stebbins had told him that the steamers of the line were designed to be used as armed crulsera in case of need; Olympiad was only a passenger steamer now. How oould she possibly be Smectes? He eaid as much to M “That's right,” admitted his rotund “But what can it be, At the gathering of the clans for dinner they met Pennythorpe, his face wearing af unusually pompous and seif-satisfied air, Like another An- cient Mariner he fixed the two with his eye, and Marsh he seized by the coat lapel. “I was right,” he began tn his pro- foundost tones, "We are heading toward Portugal, The captain admits it” “In the name of Neptune, what for?" erled Marsh. Pennythorpe loved cumlocution, and oratorical etr- with all due sol- emnity and proper emphasis he rolled out the story of hin visit to Captain Humphries, the impression it ap- peared to make on the sailor, and.the effective presentation of the passen- gers’ tuition, Finally he arrived at the ‘only point of importanos, a (Author of “The primitive fashion, “Captain Humphries explains,” he sald, “that he has taken an extreme southern course to avoid the floatini lee and bergs, with attendant area fog, of which warnings have been wt over the wireless.” “Mighty careful all of a sudden,” growled Marsh. “He has had spectel instructions from the management to proceed thus,” pot ggg professor, sub- Mmely ene interruption, “but the course will be changed at once te the direct route to Southampton.” Saying which hd bustied away, and Brill could hear the of his Yoiee above the shriller staccato of weneral I~ tale, “Queer,” had been Marsh's only comment on the statement. There- upon he lapsed into what was for him an almost uncanny ettence, break: it only between two spoonfuls pistachio cream, to observe oracu- lark “I see the captain his table, Hasn't been since Friday. That was absolutely of no quence to Brill; he was not his Cap- tain’s keeper, absence that interested him in the 7 of the Jennisons. chairs could be filled by no one else in all the world but ite rightful oc- cupant, Benedict was in his seat, pale and saturnine as ever, If a girl were lost in the willerness, with two men who loved She would find herself In the strange predicament of the heroine of Beyond the Frontier By Randall Parrish ‘This wilt be Next Week's Complete Novel In The Evening World “BEYOND THE FRONTIER” is a story of Colonial days, when men in this country of ours fived and fought and loved in Don’t miss the first instalment on Monday, Feb. 28. Ret Mist.” a0) pers. title the re- porters gave ry Golien Greyhound.’ Yet the @hip don't a $k: ien't even a bark. How'd pW ‘apn CT aad his visitation “Extremety good-netared and hos- Ditabie, but there was something queer—" At that moment there was a violent nook at Marsh's door, followed tm- mediately by the agitated form of Prot, Pi rp, bis hat om one side and his cherished whiskers all awry. “I've been robbed, Mr. Marsh. My sextant, sir, my sextant,” he roared, then dropped upon @ couch, overcome by emotion, After he was calmer, the wretehed scientist explained that upon com- pleting his observation at noon be left che instrument in his state- Brill stared him squarely in the face, as if to ehal- lenge the Mexitan to an exchange of thought. He seemed to look, but the Nght from an electric globe glinted upon his in such fantastic fashion that Brill wae wholly unable to reach the eye of the man, He wondered if he should ever penetrate that erystal armor, Marsh, “but I am—vell, I've a itttle writing to do, You've never bees my quarters. Why not hunt up in an hour or so? I'm in 39, atar- board side, forward—same corridapas your room—the room farthest aft. rest on that side.” “Are they saloon passengers?” asked Brill, in surprise. “They are the engineers and other brains of the expedition, I suppose.” So Brill and Stebbins found them- selves without companionship for a while, and even Jay, after much aim- dent apology, admitted that he had intended devoting the evening to a on steamship engines he had discovered in the library. His mas- ter would try a turn or two on deck, return the could and aplte of bimeelt, and bie visitor made He still engrossed im the was book of engines. Another on the table, and be picked it up me- Dinner over, Brill proposed the cus- Cha cally, 3 tomary in the smoking room. ‘Find this in the Mbrary, Jay?’ he “Obit , old man” returned #4 Benedict's telephone gang have all the C@Urse inquiry. “Mr. ‘Tyson me,” he . does he think of it?" "t heard him say but one thing.” “Well, you oyster, what was that?” “He talked up the #speaking-tube this afternoon, and then exclaimed, but not looking at me, ‘In the name of Jupiter, what's got into the old he said. As he left the room, he saw man at the end of the corridor Andrew Jennison making his way unsteadily along, and he went to him at ones. “Perhaps,” said the old man, “you wouldn't mind taking me where I can find the captain.’” Brill smiled assent; he was grate- ful for the opportunity of this ser- slight as it was. ‘I suppose I shouldn't be out,” con- tinued Jennison. bard with me. But this change in route.” The young man teld of Prof. Pennythorpe's visit to the captain and its result. “Yes,” said the other, “but T want the captain's personal assurance that everything is right. You ees, there's an immensely val and I'm in @ way responsi Inquiry brought the tformation that Capt. Humphries wae tm his quarters, and thither the two re- paired, Jennison leaning heavily on Brill’s arm. A knock at the door brought the oMfcer in person; he was in hin shirt sleeves and his hair was ruffied, ‘xcuse me,” be exelatmed, “I've been having ¢ nap, Oh, no, aidn't disturb me. I was just ¢° ready to go on the bridge. Will you have a drop of something?” he added, get- tng into his coat. Both waived liquid refreshment, but Brill took # clgar, “1 think ee 4 nip to keep the damp out," @aid the captain, pouring 4 liberal draught of Scotch ‘with a hand that shook the merest trifle, Brill thought. Then he looked inquir ingly at his callers, “I hope you'll not think me in- trusive, captain,” began Jennison, “but I've heard of the ship's course, and I've a special interest.” “Ah,” sald Capt. Humphries, with @ tinge of questioning in the word, “You see I'm a—well, @ sort of private supercargo for the gold ehip- ment, and—and”. old man. you ought oe oe es we our course, then, Taa! - gent wouldn't be worta a pin- head as a life preserver if we'd stuck the ship's nose into an tceberg.” “But,” persisted Jennison feebly, “time is very valuable to me, for cer- Capt. hries c! bim on the shoulder jovially. “Don’t distress yourself about that,” he exclaimed. “You'll see jand even sooner than rou expected. d ‘if nothing breaks. .» no, there's no fear of that.” After a few more questiona and party assurances, the visitors took leave, again eolining the ocap- tain's invitation to refresh them- selves As they closed the door, Brill heard the music of @ bottle striking @ glass, But Mr, Jennison felt very much better, even phyeteally, it seemed, and the young man gave lit- fo heed to the amount of Captain Hun jen’ jons. jarsh's snug quarters he re- the story of the interview with Jonnigon so interested?” queried the commercial man, Brill beheved there was no secret new about the matter, and @ald frankly, “He's ooncerned in the big gad shipment.” “Ob, yes, Read ehout tt ta the pan ‘That ie,” be qualified, pas CHAPTER IV. HEN Brill awoke next morn- ing and peered from his port-hole, the damp gray blankness that met his vis- fon told of another stratuin W of fog. After breakfast he went to the Ubrary, that by no possibility should he be late. He had not long to wait, for Marion Jennison was also early. Hie heart leaped as he wondered tf her interest had been similar to his own. He soon knew the truth. “I came early,” she said, “because I wanted to thank you for your kind- Teas to my father last night. Oh, yes, he told me how you made it possible for him to see the captain. His mind was much relieved after that.” Brill murmured something depreca- tory. Just then Marsh bustied in, ra@iat- ing good cheer from his portly per- son. | “Good mornii Miss Jennison,” he cried briskly. "Morning, Overton Pretty foggy, but t Chgerful enouehy a ae h, here's another of the commit- wet eee in rushed ir nn apparently in no moo: for Christmas concert ion. ‘3 “Good morning, professor. Found your sextant?” asked the commercial man. “No, sir,” boomed Pennythorpe, “and the thief aleo took my ‘compacs and several other instruments. I must be excused. My loss completely upseta me. “You'll be all at sea on naviga- tion now, professor,” said Marsh, quizzically. “On fecond thought, where some zou be but at sea for navigation? nless you iy & peek at the ship's compass, you'll not even know which way we're heading.” “That ie where your conjecture is completely erroneous, ir,” said Pennythorpe, triumphantly, Sieping & large, old-fashioned watch ym his pocket. “With this watch dial, T can find the pointe of the com- “J Miss Jenntson looked over his shoulder—an easy process—aud ex- amined the wateh as if it were some Tare instrument. “Really?” she exclaimed. “How ts that, professor?” “My dear young lady,” returned the man of science, in his most profes- sional tone, “I simply point the hour hand toward the sun, and the south lies then midway between whatever hour it happens to be and the nu- meral twelve on the dial.” “How intereating!" said the girl. “What do you do when there ts no sun?" asked Marsh. “There was sun enough a moment this morning for me to find that this ship ts still headed due east instead of northeast, as promised, But f must find the captain, to about these thefts.” “ bide: 27 ) we :