m a little doubtfully, but what she saw in his
frank brown eyes must have reassured her, for she spoke without
hesitation.

"You are very kind," she answered, "but I fear it is too late. I had
some letters in my hand, and when I slipped they went into the water.
I'm afraid you can't get them."

Mentally resolving to dive for them if such a procedure became
necessary, Drew stepped upon the stringpiece of the pier beside her and
looked down.

She gave a joyous exclamation as she saw the package lying in the
bottom of a small boat that floated at the stern of a steamer moored to
the pier.

"Oh, there they are!" she cried delightedly. "How lucky!" Then her
face changed. "But after all it is going to be hard to get them," she
added. "The pier is high and there don't seem to be any cleats here to
climb down by."

"Easiest thing in the world," returned Drew confidently. "I'll go
aboard the steamer, haul the boat up to the stern, and drop into it."

"But the stern is so very high," she said, measuring it with her eye.

"That doesn't matter," he replied. "If you'll just wait here, I'll go
aboard and be back with the letters before you know it." He glanced
around swiftly. "I don't think that fellow will trouble you again."

"I am not at all afraid of that man. He only startled me for the
moment. But I hate to put you to so much trouble," she added, looking
at him shyly.

"It will be a pleasure," protested Drew, returning her look with
another from which he tried to exclude any undue warmth.

It is to be feared that he was not altogether successful, judging from
the faint flush that rose in her cheek as she dropped her gaze before
his.

His mind awhirl, the young man hurried up to the gangway of the steamer
where he found one of the officers. He briefly explained that he
wanted to secure a package that a young lady had dropped into the boat
lying astern, and the officer, with an appreciative grin, readily
granted permission to him to go aboard.

Drew hurried to the stern, which, as the steamer had discharged her
cargo, rose fully twenty feet from the water. He hauled in the boat
until it lay directly beneath. Then he gathered up the slack of the
painter and wound it about a cleat until it was taut. This done, he
dropped over the rail and let himself down by the rope until his feet
touched the thwart of the tender.

He worked his way aft carefully, and picking up the package placed it
in his breast