one was
going to molest her. He stood silently watching the row-boat as it
drew near. It contained three men, two at the oars, and one seated
astern.

"Say," the latter called out, "did you see a young woman drifting about
here in a boat last night?"

"Did I see what?" the captain asked, apparently surprised.

"A young woman, Miss Randall, in a boat last night? She has
disappeared, and we're afraid she's drowned."

"No, I didn't see any young woman driftin' around here in a boat last
night," the captain replied. "What makes ye think she's drowned
herself?"

"Because a boat was found adrift in South Bay last night, containing
one oar and a woman's hat. The hat belonged to Miss Randall, and as
she is missing, it is feared that she either drowned herself or met
with an accident."

"Dear me, that's serious. Why would she want to drown herself?"

"Oh, some family trouble, I guess. Her folks wanted her to marry a man
she had no use for. That's him standing there on the wharf now."

"Ye don't tell!" The captain turned his head and looked shoreward.
"Wonder why he isn't helpin' to search fer his sweetheart. He seems to
be mighty cool about the affair."

"Oh, he's afraid of soiling his hands and clothes." The man spoke in a
low voice, for he was now close alongside. "He's Lord
Something-or-Other's son, an' wouldn't think of associating with such
common cusses as us. He belongs to the upper-crust, doncher-know." The
man smiled, and his companions grinned. It was quite evident that they
were all familiar with the story.

"An' so ye say the gal yer lookin' fer is Miss Randall, daughter of
Henry Randall, the big lumber merchant?" the captain asked.

"That's who she is; his only daughter."

"An' he wants her to marry _that_?" and the captain motioned toward the
wharf.

"Sure. Is it any wonder she'd want to commit suicide? She'd be a fool
if she wouldn't. But, there, we must get back to work. We just
dropped alongside, thinking ye might have seen her drifting around,
last night, and heard a scream or a splash."

"What makes ye think it was around here she done the deed?" the captain
asked.

"Because her folks have their summer house a short distance below the
wharf, and the boat which was found drifting in South Bay belongs to
Bill Sanson up on the hill. Aren't they reasons enough?"

"It does look reasonable," the captain acknowledged. "I s'pose her pa
an' ma are about crazy over her disappear