r raft."

Isabelle grinned at him, but he frowned and walked away without another
word.

Isabelle spent the rest of the day near the hotel that she might be at
hand if he came out, but there were no signs of him. Percy Pollock had
introduced two boys, who urged the girls on all sorts of expeditions,
but Isabelle was adamant. She could not bother with boys if there was
any chance of another encounter.

Major O'Dell came out on the terrace, saw her, and strolled over.

"May I speak to you, Miss Bryce?"

She joined him and they walked over to a seat by a wall.

"I wish to apologize for being so short-tempered this morning," he
began.

"Yes, you were," she replied.

"Captain O'Leary has been in bed since that junket you took him on this
morning."

"I didn't take him," said she, "he came."

"He is in no condition to endure such a strain. I ask you not to let him
do such a thing again."

"I'm not his mother," she burst out. "He is old enough to take care of
himself and I do not intend to act as his trained nurse."

She looked--and sounded--so young that Major O'Dell laughed.

"All right. I'll tell him. You were on our boat, weren't you?"

"Yes."

"Do you travel much, Miss Bryce?"

"Oh, not much. Why?"

"Have you ever been in the Far East?"

She glanced at him quickly. He was twisting the ends of his little
moustache and gazing off to sea. Heavens! was this the man? She had
almost forgotten the Chinese coat in the emotions which had swept her
since landing.

"The Far East?" she managed to repeat with a semblance of indifference.

"Yes, the Philippines, Japan, or China."

"No, I've never been there."

"Um. You should go. Full of treasures, jewels, embroideries, brocades--all
the things that women like"--he continued, looking directly at her.

"So?" queried Isabelle, obviously bored.

"I'm afraid I am keeping you from your friends. So I'm to look elsewhere
for a nurse for Captain O'Leary?"

"Why don't you try Mrs. Darlington?" she inquired. Then with a nod, she
went back to her playmates.

An hour or so later a group of people, Mrs. Darlington among them, took
a near-by table for tea. Major O'Dell and Captain O'Leary, the latter
looking very white, came out and joined them. They did not look in her
direction until she heard Mrs. Darlington remark:

"Larry, just see what a collection of little boys your ugly duckling has
made."

At this they all looked. Isabelle glanced at her little boys, an