tention. She wore a raincoat, of a soft light material,
and her head was bare. The wind played with her dark-brown hair, and
occasionally she lifted her hand and brushed back a wayward tress that
had drifted over her forehead. At times he caught a glimpse of her
face as she swung around at the end of the beat, and it was always a
happy, animated face he beheld.

For about fifteen minutes this walk was continued, and Reynolds had
been unable to distinguish any of the conversation between the two.
But as they ended their promenade, and started to go below, they almost
brushed him in passing, and he heard the captain say, "Jack will be
home soon, and he will----" That was all Reynolds was able to
overhear, and yet it was sufficient to cause him to stop so abruptly
that he nearly collided with a man a few steps behind. Was all that
talk about Jack? he asked himself, and was that why the girl seemed so
happy in listening to her companion? Was Jack the captain's son, and
did he have the first claim upon the girl? Perhaps he was overseas,
and was expected home shortly. No doubt the girl had been visiting his
people.

Such an idea had not occurred to Reynolds before, but as he thought it
all over that night as he sat silent in the smoking-room, it did indeed
seem most reasonable. Why should he think any more about the girl? he
mused. He had been a fool for allowing his heart to run away with his
head. How could he for one instant imagine that such a girl would be
left until now without many admiring suitors, with one successful over
all the others? And no doubt that one was Jack, whose name had fallen
from the captain's lips.

Although Reynolds felt that the girl was not for him, yet he could not
banish her from his mind. She had aroused him from the paralysis of
indifference, for which he was most grateful. He would make a
desperate effort not to be again enmeshed in such a feeling. He would
throw himself ardently into the search for gold, and then turn his
attention to Henry Redmond, and strive to solve the mystery surrounding
the man.

After breakfast the next morning he went out on deck, and found the
girl already there comfortably seated in a large steamer chair. She
had evidently been reading, but the book was now lying open upon her
lap, and her hands were clasped behind her head. Reynolds caught the
gleam of a jewel on one of her fingers, and he wondered if it was an
engagement ring she was wearing