umple was sound in wind and limb.

She found Rupert hanging the wet garments up to drain, and was talking
to him about Rumple, when the door of the boys' cabin was pushed open
and they heard Rumple calling to them in a tone of such dismay that a
sudden cold shiver went all over Nealie, making her turn white to the
lips.

"Something is wrong; come along, Nealie," said Rupert curtly, and he
turned to limp toward the door of the cabin, which stood ajar.

But Nealie passed him with a fleet tread, and, pushing open the door,
stood on the threshold transfixed with surprise. It was not clear to her
what she expected to see, her one thought being that Rumple must
certainly have been much more hurt than they had imagined.

What she did see was Rumple sitting on the lower berth partly dressed,
and holding a letter in his hand, a letter which had a stamp upon it
which had not been through a post office, but that even at the first
glance struck her as having a familiar look, a something she had seen
before.

"Rumple, what is it? What is the matter, laddie?" she asked in the very
tenderest tone of which she was capable; for there was that in his face
which warned her the trouble was one of magnitude.

"I don't expect that you will any of you ever be able to forgive me, and
I haven't a word to say in excuse, and however I came to be such a goat
I can't think," he replied in a shaken tone as he held the envelope out
for her to take.

But even now she did not understand, and only stared at it in a stupid
fashion, then read the address aloud in a bewildered tone:

"Dr. Plumstead,
"Hammerville,
"Clayton,
"New South Wales,
"Australia."

"What letter is it?" asked Rupert in a shocked voice. He was standing
close to Nealie now, and looking to the full as amazed as she did
herself.

"It is the letter that Mr. Runciman wrote to tell Father that we were to
be sent out to him," replied Rumple in a hollow tone. "Don't you
remember that we asked to be allowed to post it ourselves, just because
we were so afraid that he would forget to write it unless we waited
until it was done? And now it is just the same as if it had never been
written at all."

Twice, three times, Nealie tried to speak, but no sound came, and she
plumped down upon the berth beside Rumple with a shocked bewilderment
upon her face which was dreadful to see.

"Don't look like that, Nealie; buck up, old lady, we'll find a way out
of