wift upward glance at her friends, who, with one accord, were
looking down on her, their faces full of loving concern.

With a little cry of rapture Madge threw herself into Miss Jenny Ann's
arms. "O, my dear!" she cried, "I've found him! I've found my father!"

And it was with her faithful mates' arms around her that Madge told the
strange story of how her quest had ended in the little sitting room of
"The Anchorage."

CHAPTER XXIV

THE LITTLE CAPTAIN STARTS ON A JOURNEY

Six weeks had passed since Madge Morton's discovery of her father, and
many things had happened since then. It was now toward the latter part of
September, and on a beautiful fall morning one of the busy steamship
docks in the lower end of New York City was crowded with a gay company of
people. There were four young girls and three young men, a beautiful
older woman, with soft, white hair and a look of wonderful distinction; a
woman of about twenty-six or seven, with a man by her side, who in some
way suggested the calling of the artist; a white-haired old man and an
elderly lady, who, in spite of the fact that she answered to the name of
Mrs. John Randolph, would have been mistaken anywhere for a New England
spinster. Two men were the only other important members of the group. One
of them was a distinguished-looking man of about fifty-three with a
rather sad expression, and the last a bluff old sea captain, whose laugh
rang out clear and hearty above the sound of the many voices.

In front of the wharf lay a beautiful steam yacht, painted pure white and
flying a United States flag. The boat was of good size and capable of
making many knots an hour, but she looked like a little toy ship
alongside the immense ocean-going steamers that were entering and leaving
the New York harbor, or waiting their sailing day at their docks.

One of the girls, dressed in a white serge frock and wearing a white felt
hat, was walking up and down at the back of the crowd, talking to a young
man.

"David, more than almost anything, I believe I appreciate your coming to
New York to see me off. It would have been dreadful to go away for a
whole year, or maybe longer, without having had a glimpse of you. Who
knows what may happen before I am back again?" The girl's eyes looked
wistfully about among her friends, although her lips smiled happily.

For a few seconds the young man made no answer. He had never been able to
talk very readily, now he seemed to wish