ater. And the great
Careni-Amori she get up and say she would die for Mr. Percivail because
he is such a gentleman, and two of those nurses at the same time cry out
that he ought to be in the hospital because he is so worn-out working
for other people zat he can hardly drag his poor feet around. And so it
goes. Miss Clinton has departed, her chin in the air. But she does not
deceive me. She has gone to her room to have a good weeping."

"Well, I wish they'd get together on something," growled the Captain;
"so's we can all go to bed and get a few hours' sleep."

"Like as not they're keeping the baby awake with all this jabbering,"
said Mr. Codge. "And that isn't good for babies, you know. They've got
to have plenty of sleep. Specially little ones."

"Will you tell me, Captain Trigger, why Mr. Percivail did not come
aboard tonight?" asked Olga suddenly. "They were expecting him."

"And they were disappointed, eh?"

"I dare say. At any rate, a good many of them kept peering out over
the water most of the time, and listening for the sound of oars." She
laughed softly.

The men chuckled. "Talk about strategy," said Mr. Mott, "he's a bird
at it. Keeps 'em guessing, he does. By glory, I wish I'd known how to
handle women as well as he does. I might have been married fifteen
or twenty times if I could have kept 'em anxious and worried,--but
I couldn't. I never did have any sense about women. That's why I'm a
bachelor instead of a grandfather."

"He told Miss Clinton he was coming," said Olga, harking back to the
unanswered question.

"I daresay he changed his mind," said the Captain, rather evasively.

"I do not believe zat. There is some other reason. He is not a woman,
Captain Trigger."

"Well, to tell you the truth--but don't let it go any farther,
Madame,--he came aboard just before supper to find out how Mrs. Cruise
is getting along. Dr. Cullen told him exactly what all these women down
there know,--that she's very low,--so he went ashore. Said something
about not wanting to take part in any racket that might disturb
her,--noisy talk, and all that,--and left a bunch of wild flowers for
her in case she was better by morning."

There was a slight noise behind them. Turning, they saw the figure of a
woman in the shadow of the deck house.

"Who's there?" demanded Mr. Mott.

Ruth Clinton stepped forward into the light.

"Did he--did he do that?" she asked huskily.

"He did," said the Captain.

"And is she s