trip at first," she continued, "but
the most of my relatives and friends are in California, and I knew I'd
be horribly lonely in New York. So I begged and teased him to let me
go along, and at last he gave in."

"Of course he would," Drew said with conviction. "How could he help
it?"

He knew that if she should ask him, Allen Drew, for the moon he would
promise it to her without the slightest hesitation. He wished he dared
tell her so.

"Have you ever been to sea?" she asked.

"No," replied Allen. "But I've always wanted to go."

And he told her of the longing that had sprung up in him when Captain
Peters had spoken so indifferently about the wonder-lands of mystery
and romance to which his bark was sailing.

While he talked, she was studying him closely, as is the way of girls,
without appearing to do so. She noted the stalwart well-knit figure,
the handsome features--the strong straight nose, the broad forehead,
the brown eyes that sparkled with animation.

Drew was at his best when he talked, especially when his audience was
attentive, and there was no doubt that his audience of one was that.
She listened almost in silence only putting in a word now and then.

The thought came to him that he might be boring her, and he stopped
abruptly.

"If I keep on, you'll be talked to death," he said apologetically.

"Not at all," she protested. "I've been intensely interested. I'm
glad you feel so strongly about far-off places, because you're sure to
find plenty of romance where we are going."

"And treasure, the doubloons, too--don't forget the doubloons," he
laughed, lowering his voice and looking around to see that no one was
listening.

"And that too," she agreed. "I suppose you've spent your share
already?" she bantered.

"Well, I'm not quite so optimistic as all that," he laughed. "But I
really think we have a chance. Don't you?"

"Indeed I do!" she exclaimed. "I don't think it's a wild goose chase
at all!"

"I'm glad you feel that way about it."

"Even if things go wrong, we can't be altogether cheated," she went on.
"We'll have had lots of fun looking for our treasure. Then, too, we'll
have had the voyage, and the schooner is a splendid sailing craft."

"She's a beauty," assented Drew. "I don't wonder you're proud of her."

"It was really quite flattering that you men should tell me what you
were going for," she said mockingly. "You're always saying that a
woman can't keep a secret."