notes and describing their
adventures, while Mr. and Mrs. Harmon, scarcely able yet to believe the
good news that their darling child had returned from the dead, went from
one to another telling the wonderful story of her life on a desert
island.

For the hundredth time Grace told and retold the story of the wreck--how
she fell into the water from the overturned life-boat, and after
swimming some distance, was fast becoming exhausted when suddenly one
of the crew seized her and dragged her ashore. She told of her horrible
adventure with the cobra and narrated in detail all the other incidents
of her sojourn on the desert island up to the time that she was rescued
by the _Saucy Polly_.

Mrs. Stuart explained how she and Professor Hanson, together with Mr.
Fitzhugh got away in one of the life-boats. Mrs. Phelps and Count von
Hatzfeldt were also saved, but poor Captain Summers was drowned, a
martyr to duty. He refused to leave the bridge and went down with his
ship, keeping the whistle blowing as the vessel sank out of sight
beneath the waves. After rowing all night they were picked up the
following day by a P. and O. steamer bound from Calcutta to Southampton.
They naturally supposed Grace was among the drowned, and, on arriving in
England, gave her name among the others to the correspondents, who
cabled the sensational news to New York.

Mrs. Stuart threw her arms around Grace's neck and kissed her
effusively.

"Oh, my poor, dear girl," she cried. "If you only knew what mental
agonies I've suffered! I thought that I should never see you again. I
blamed myself for having suggested the voyage. I held myself
responsible. I did not dare look your poor father in the face. Your
mental suffering must have been terrible, to say nothing of the dangers
you were subjected to. How terrified you must have been to be all alone
with that dreadful stoker! You should thank heaven he did you no
violence. A man of that character is capable of anything--especially
when alone with a defenceless woman."

Grace smiled faintly. A thoughtful expression came into her face. She
made no answer, and Mrs. Stuart repeated her question:

"Weren't you afraid of him?"

Aroused from her reverie, Grace answered:

"No, not at all, we got along capitally. You know, dear," she went on,
"the devil is never as black as he is painted. When people don't get
along together, it is very often because they don't understand each
other."

Mrs. Stuart look