r the water in a week; ten days
at the latest."

"You're a wonder," I said, and I meant it.

* * * * *

Mercer patted the red-leaded side of the submarine affectionately.
"Later," he said, "I'll take you inside, but they're busy as the devil
in there, and the sound of the hammers fairly makes your head ring.
You'll see it all later, anyway--if you feel you'd like to share the
adventure with me?"

"Listen," I grinned as we turned back towards the house, "it'll take
more than those two lads with the pop-guns to keep me out of the
_Santa Maria_ when she sails--or dives, or whatever it is she's
supposed to do!"

Mercer laughed softly, and we walked the rest of the way in silence. I
imagine we were both pretty busy with our thoughts; I know that I was.
And several times, as we walked along, I looked back over my shoulder
towards the ungainly red monster straddling on her spindling wooden
legs--and towards the smiling Atlantic, glistening serenely in the
sun.

* * * * *

Mercer was so busy with a thousand and one details that I found myself
very much in the way if I followed him around, so I decided to loaf.

For weeks after we had put our strange girl visitor back into the sea
from whence Mercer had taken her, I had watched from a comfortable
seat well above the high-water mark that commanded that section of
shore. For I had felt sure by that last strange gesture of hers that
she meant to return.

I located my old seat, and I found that it had been used a great deal
since I had left it. There were whole winnows of cigarette butts, some
of them quite fresh, all around. Mercer, cold-blooded scientist as he
was, had hoped against hope that she would return too.

It was a very comfortable seat, in the shade of a little cluster of
palms, and for the next several days I spent most of my time there,
reading and smoking--and watching. No matter how interesting the book,
I found myself, every few seconds, lifting my eyes to search the beach
and the sea.

I am not sure, but I think it was the eighth day after my arrival that
I looked up and saw, for the first time, something besides the smiling
beach and the ceaseless procession of incoming rollers. For an instant
I doubted what I saw; then, with a cry that stuck in my throat, I
dropped my book unheeded to the sand and raced towards the shore.

* * * * *

She was there! White