s embarrassed how to accost the young man in it, as it was
possible for him to see only the oarsman's back. Mr. Brown. came as
close up alongside the stranger's boat as he could. Still he could not
see the man's face. He leaned out of his own boat and called: "I want
to drift along here and smoke. Would you be kind enough to lend me a
match?"

The other oarsman apparently did not hear him. He rowed on faster.
Again Mr. Brown caught up with him. He called, in an even more
friendly fashion, "Haven't you that match?"

The stranger fumbled a minute in his pocket. "Sorry to disoblige you,"
he answered. "I haven't a match about me."

Theodore Brown laughed. The two small boats were almost touching each
other. "Sorry to have troubled you," continued Mr. Brown, leaning as
far over the side of his boat as he could. "After all, I find I have
some matches in my own pocket. You had better take a cigar to show you
forgive me for annoying you."

The artist struck a light and held it for a moment full in the other
oarsman's face. It was only a second; the light flickered and went
out. The man in the boat winced as the light shone on his face. "No,
thank you; I don't smoke," he answered politely. With that he shot his
skiff on ahead.

Mr. Brown followed behind him. He saw the other man was about to land
at a deserted beach a short distance to the left of the Belleview Hotel
pier. Mr. Brown did not make for the same shore immediately. He
waited until the man was on land and striding out of sight; then the
artist jumped from his own boat and went after the other man. Not many
yards away was the side lawn of the hotel. It was a warm summer night,
and a number of guests were strolling about under the trees. Mr. Brown
put his hand on the arm of the fellow whom he had been following.

The boy leaped forward in an effort to wrench himself away. At this
moment he recognized the artist and knew he had been overtaken. Mr.
Brown kept a firm hold on his arm.

"What do you want with me?" demanded the lad, trying to appear at his
ease. "Aren't you the fellow who came alongside of me in the boat?"

"I am," was the curt reply, "and I don't wish to ask a great favor of
you. I simply wish you to come over to the hotel with me to see some
friends of mine. We would like to ask you a few questions. Of course,
if you can answer them satisfactorily, I shall let you go with my best
apologies. I would advise you not to ma