Captain Jules coming toward him, alone!

"Halloo, son!" called out Captain Jules cheerfully. "Glad to know that
you are down here with the girls. Funny thing, but I've had these girls
on my mind all day. It seemed to me that they needed me, and I couldn't
go to bed without finding out that everything was well with them. What's
wrong?" Captain Jules had caught a fleeting glimpse of Tom's harassed
face. "Is it--is it Madge?" he asked anxiously. "Is anything the matter
with my girl?"

Tom shook his head reassuringly. It took very few words to make the
captain understand that the trouble was over Tania and not Madge.

When, a moment later, the captain went aboard the "Merry Maid" he was
able to smile bravely at the discouraged women.

"Here, here!" he cried gruffly, while Madge clung to one of his horny
hands for support and Eleanor to the other, "what is all this nonsense I
hear? Tania is not really lost, of course. I'll bet you we find the
little witch in no time. She has just gone off somewhere in these New
Jersey woods to join the fairies she talks so much about. They are sure
to take good care of her. We can't do much more looking for her to-night,
but I'll find her first thing in the morning."

Both Captain Jules and Mrs. Curtis insisted that the girls and Miss Jenny
Ann go early to bed. Just as Captain Jules was saying good night it
occurred to Miss Jenny Ann that she would rather turn over to the old
sailor the box of coins and jewelry. While Tania was lost there would be
so many persons in and out of the houseboat that Miss Jenny Ann feared
something might happen to the valuables.

She went to the drawer in the sideboard in the saloon cabin without
thinking of the key under her pillow, and took hold of the knob. To her
surprise the drawer opened readily. There was no iron safe inside it.
Miss Jenny Ann ran to her bed and felt under her pillow. The key was
still there as though it had never been disturbed.

Captain Jules and Tom decided that the simple lock to the houseboat
sideboard had been easily broken open. When, or how, or by whom, nobody
knew, but it was certain that the jewels and money were gone. Fortune,
the fickle jade, who had brought the houseboat girls such good luck only
a short time before, had now cruelly stolen it away from them.

CHAPTER XIX

THE WICKED GENII

Tania had been aroused in the night by seeing a dark figure standing with
his back to her only a few feet from her bed.