never understand how glad I am to be able to bring a little joy
to this poor couple. They have not known much happiness, sir. Even now,
Abner is compelled to be away from home all the time in order to earn
bread for his family."

Paul Singleton seemed to consider.

"We'll talk that over later on, Darry, when we have plenty of time," he
answered. "Perhaps I may be able to suggest a remedy. I have shares in
several properties down this way, and possibly Abner can be given a
steady job as keeper at the club, or put in charge of a farm I own not
far away from here. Depend upon it, some means can be found to help your
benefactor out. I'd rather talk about you, just now, and what you have
seen in your adventurous past. In fact, I'd like to know everything that
ever happened to you, if you don't mind," he continued.

Again Darry had that queer sensation pass over him, and he could not but
remember what Abner had said about the possibility of his finding out
something connected with his childhood, and that this young gentleman
would be the means of supplying the missing link.

So as they sat there and sipped the delicious coffee and dried out in
comfort, he answered all the questions Paul could think of asking.

They covered his entire past, from his earliest recollection, and
especially about the old man who had finally deserted him in Naples,
for he naturally occupied a prominent place in the recital.

Darry had called him uncle, but thought the man could not have held that
relationship toward him. He never knew what had become of the old man,
but suspected that he must have met with some fatal accident in the
Italian city.

Then he narrated how he had supported himself by playing the violin, and
at the same time learned to speak Italian as well as a native.

Finally came the scene in the cafe, when Captain Harley rescued him from
the cruelty of a bully, and after that there was very little to tell up
to the time the brigantine was lost and his best friend vanished from
the scene, never to appear again on earth.

Paul Singleton harked back to his earliest recollections, and with the
skill of a lawyer asked questions that put Darry's memory to a strain;
he examined the singular mark upon the boy's arm with deepest interest
and seemed impressed.

"That will undoubtedly prove one thing or the other, as soon as I can
see her," Darry heard him say, as if to himself.

Evidently Paul Singleton knew nothing of the mark an