she had in her
mental grasp some of the loose ends of the puzzle.

Ruth was some distance off, talking to her father. Mr. DeVere, in spite
of the warmth of the day, had a light silk scarf about his throat, which
had pained him during the night. The other members of the company were
scattered about the schooner which was being towed out to sea. Miss
Pennington and Miss Dixon were waving to some young men who had come to
see them off. Mr. Wellington Bunn's face wore a glum look. Perhaps he
saw no chance of doing anything with his favorite role of Hamlet in this
marine story that was soon to be enacted.

Alice heard Jack muttering to himself. She could not catch all the
words, but she heard him say:

"Yes, it must be the same one! He hasn't changed much--not as much as I
have. He won't know me. But what am I to do?"

The old salt's musings, however, were cut short, for Captain Brisco
called to him.

"I say there, Mr. Jepson," ordered the commander, "will you go forward,
and see how the bitts are standing up under the strain of that hawser? I
don't want them to pull out, and they're none too strong. Lively now!"

"Aye, aye, sir!" dutifully answered the second mate, and he shuffled off
along the deck, while Captain Brisco and the new arrival went below,
being, apparently, on very friendly terms.

"And that is another queer part of it," mused Alice. "That new man is
supposed to be a common sailor--he must be, as all the offices, from
captain down, are filled. And yet Captain Brisco treats him as an
equal. I can't understand it."

None of the others of the moving picture company appeared to find
anything odd in the reception of the man who had almost been left. In
fact, save for Alice and Jack Jepson, no one paid any attention to him.
As the captain and the new man whom he had addressed as "Hen Lacomb"
went below, the attention of Alice was taken by Ruth.

"Don't you think, dear," her sister said, "that we had better get our
possessions in order. I understand that some pictures are to be taken
aboard the schooner here, and we will want to get our costumes out where
we can easily reach them."

"I suppose so," murmured Alice. "But I wonder who he is?" she added,
half unconsciously.

"What in the world are you talking about?" asked Ruth in some surprise.
"Do you mean that young man who was waving to Miss Dixon?" for a certain
youth seemed very loath to bid farewell to the former variety actress.

"Yes. Who is he?"