okout at der time, will swear that her lights were
out."

"Not at all," said Rowland. "Her lights were burning--look to the old
gentleman," he exclaimed. "Look out for him. Catch him!"

Mr. Selfridge was stumbling toward a chair. He grasped it, loosened his
hold, and before anyone could reach him, fell to the floor, where he
lay, with ashen lips and rolling eyes, gasping convulsively.

"Heart failure," said Rowland, as he knelt by his side. "Send for a
doctor."

"Send for a doctor," repeated Mr. Meyer through the door to his clerks;
"and send for a carriage, quick. I don't want him to die in der office."

Captain Barry lifted the helpless figure to a couch, and they watched,
while the convulsions grew easier, the breath shorter, and the lips from
ashen gray to blue. Before a doctor or carriage had come, he had passed
away.

"Sudden emotion of some kind," said the doctor when he did arrive.
"Violent emotion, too. Hear bad news?"

"Bad and good," answered the underwriter. "Good, in learning that this
dear little girl was his granddaughter--bad, in learning that he was a
ruined man. He was der heaviest stockholder in der _Titan_. One hundred
thousand pounds, he owned, of der stock, all of which this poor, dear
little child will not get." Mr. Meyer looked sorrowful, as he patted
Myra on the head.

Captain Barry beckoned to Rowland, who, slightly flushed, was standing
by the still figure on the couch and watching the face of Mr. Meyer, on
which annoyance, jubilation, and simulated shock could be seen in turn.

"Wait," he said, as he turned to watch the doctor leave the room. "Is
this so, Mr. Meyer," he added to the underwriter, "that Mr. Selfridge
owned _Titan_ stock, and would have been ruined, had he lived, by the
loss of the insurance money?"

"Yes, he would have been a poor man. He had invested his last
farthing--one hundred thousand pounds. And if he had left any more it
would be assessed to make good his share of what der company must bay
for der _Royal Age_, which I also insured."

"Was there a collision clause in the _Titan's_ policy?"

"Dere was."

"And you took the risk, knowing that she was to run the Northern Lane at
full speed through fog and snow?"

"I did--so did others."

"Then, Mr. Meyer, it remains for me to tell you that the insurance on
the _Titan_ will be paid, as well as any liabilities included in and
specified by the collision clause in the policy. In short, I, the one
man who can