place her in
a school and make a systematic effort to trace her parentage. The
pearls left by Captain Bergen go to you, Fred."

But here occurred the first stumbling-block. Fred Sanders refused
pointedly, but firmly, to accept a single one of them. He declared he
had no claim upon any one of that little party, and he would not
suffer himself to be dissuaded from his position.

He was yet young, vigorous and ambitious, and with the help of heaven
he would carve out his own fortune. Seeing it was useless to argue the
question, Storms fell back upon the original intention of Captain
Bergen, which was to devote the greater portion of his wealth to
charity.

In due time, the _Albatross_ glided through the Golden Gate, and our
friends found themselves in San Francisco, whose streets all had trod
years before.

The first thing Storms did after establishing Inez in pleasant
quarters was to hunt up the mother of Captain Bergen, and he
prosecuted his search with a heavy heart, bearing the bad news which
he did. He was relieved to find that she had been dead fully two
years, and the nearest relative of the captain remaining was his
cousin, who was in such affluent circumstances that Storms decided not
to give him any portion of the wealth left by the deceased captain.

While Abe Storms was engaged upon his duty, young Fred Sanders was
busy.

Although he had revealed a great deal of his past life, there remained
one great secret, which he had reserved as a final surprise,
especially to Inez Hawthorne, who, as yet, had not formed the
slightest idea of what was coming. And what this secret was, and the
particulars of not one but two astounding discoveries, we will now
proceed to relate.

The grim old sailor, Captain Strathmore, of the steamer _Polynesia_,
has made many voyages between San Francisco and the Imperial Japanese
city of Tokio since we last saw him, more than three years ago. There
is little change, however, in his appearance, and the same kindly
heart, tempered in the furnace of affliction and sorrow, throbs
beneath his rough exterior. There are few officers holding such a
responsible position as he who are greater favorites with the
multitudes that go down to the sea in ships, and he promises to
perform many valuable years of service to his employers, who
appreciate the sterling worth of the brave, noble man.

The steamer has been at the dock several days, and soon is to leave
for her long voyage across the