ently out of danger of pursuit, he paused under a lamp to
examine his prize. To his intense disgust he found that the little
watch, instead of being a gold one, as he had expected, was only a
silver one, of comparatively little value.

"Well, your first haul in this line ain't worth much," he grumbled.
"Hows'ever, I've got coppers enough for a night's lodgin' an' grub."

Saying which he pocketed the watch, and went on his way.

Meanwhile Ruth, having given vent to a sob of relief when the man left
her, ran towards home as fast as she could, never pausing till she
reached the Miss Seawards' door, which chanced to be a little nearer
than her own. Against this she plunged with wonderful violence for one
so gentle and tender, and then hammered it with her knuckles in a way
that would have done credit to a lightweight prize-fighter.

The door was opened hastily by Liffie Lee, who, being a much lighter
weight than her assailant, went down before her rush.

"Lawk! Miss Ruth," she exclaimed, on recovering her feet, "w'at's
a-'appened?"

But she asked the question of the empty air, for Ruth was already half
sobbing, half laughing on the sofa, with a highly agitated sister on
either side trying to calm her.

"Oh! what a little donkey I am," she exclaimed, flinging off her bonnet
and attempting to laugh.

"What _has_ happened?" gasped Jessie.

"_Do_ tell us, dear," cried Kate.

"I--I've been robbed, by a--dreadful man--so awfully gruff, a sailor I
think, and--oh!" Ruth became suddenly much calmer. "It did not occur
to me till this moment--it is _the_ watch--papa's little silver watch
that Captain Bream brought him as a sort of curiosity from abroad long
ago. Oh! I _am_ so sorry! It was such a favourite with dear papa, and
he told me to take such care of it when he gave it to me, for there was
a romantic little history connected with it."

"What was it, dear?" asked Jessie, glad to find that the sudden
diversion of her thoughts to the lost watch had done more to calm Ruth
than all their demonstrative comfort.

Ruth at once proceeded to relate the story of the watch, but we will not
inflict it on the reader, as it has no particular bearing on our tale.
It had something to do, however, with detaining Ruth far later than she
had intended to remain, so that she jumped up hastily at last, saying
she must really go home.

"Are you sure the robber was a sailor?" asked Kate; "sailors are such
dear nice men that I ca