Madge Morton's Victory

sed Tania's hands from about her throat. Quietly the three of them began to float upward with such steadiness, such quietness, that sh

ragingly into hers. Near her were her three friends, looking very wet and miserable, and one little, dark-eyed elf who was sobbing bitterly. Farther aw

ghtily, looking with an unfriendly countenance at their wreckers. Then, fee

tragically. "You must not faint. Ca

bay as you can shows she has good sea-blood in her. She can see the old captain's diving suit any day she likes-own it if she has a mind to. Fishing for pearls isn

rink this," she pleaded. "It has taken some time to make the water boil. I wish to give some to

her face pale with fright and sympathy. The other girl stood apart at a little distance with a

h the tea. She was trying to control her feelings when she caught sight of the

ch had no right to bear down on our boat without blowing its whistle or giving the fainte

in. Her direct mode of attack showed t

a boat in these waters. If I hadn't happened to walk along down the shore of the bay after these young ladies left me two of them

orthy of an admiral in the United States Na

you girls pulled so slowly that we did slide into you. Still, if you will admit that it was your fault and not mine, I will have your old sk

hyllis, Lillian and Eleanor were furiously angry at the young man's retort to Madge and Captain Jules, but they bit their lips

heat of passion over the

you did not take the least trouble to come to our aid when you had not the faintest knowledge whether any one of us could swim. Men in the part of the world where I come from don't do things of that kind. Put you

ot meant to use it, but someh

med the hot tide of her anger. "I am sorry I said you were a coward," she added, with one of her quick repentances.

as soon as he could. I am Ethel Swann. I received a letter from Mrs. Curtis this morning, who is one of my mother's old friends. She wrote that she and her son would be

f you are Ethel Swann, Mrs. Curtis has talked to us

The four girls bowed coldly. Mabel Farrar acknowledged the introduction by a stiff nod.

d I'll tie her on for you," ordered Captain Jules quietl

htened at his deed than he cared to ow

d and she gave a shrill scream. Instantly the girls recognized the voice

visit, it was he who handed each girl from the deck of Roy Dennis's boat into the arms of their frightened chaperon. Finally he crossed over to t

away from the determined young women. In his heart of hearts the old sailor had no des

er the houseboat, showing him each detail of it. He insisted that th

g Tania in his arms. He talked most to Phyllis, but he seldom took his eyes off Madge's face. Sometimes he frowned at her; now and then he smil

Ann's knee and her eyes on the water. "Do tell us, Captain Jules," she pleaded, "something about your life as a pe

thusiastic "Yes," which

ble, because the little fish that are usually floating about in the water had all disappeared. A creepy feeling came over me. I was cold as ice inside my diving suit. Then I turned and looked up. Just a few feet in front of me was a giant shark that seemed about twenty-five feet long. He was an evil monster. The upper part of his body was a dirty, dark green and his fins were black. You never saw a diving suit, did you? So you don't know that all the body is covered up but the hands. I tucked my hands under my breastplate in a hurry. It didn't seem to me that a pearl div

tell you some of them at another time. Why, I declare, it is nearly sunset. You don't know it, children, but the bottom of the tropic sea has colors in it as beautiful as the lights in that sk

ers that waved with the movement of the water as the earth flowers move to the stirring of the wind. And there in the land of the

up and say good-bye. She was wishing, with all her heart, that she

pted her reverie, "Ca

werful ones. "Good-bye," she said gratefully. "There is so

ure as Captain Jules left the houseboat and strode up

In many ways Captain Jules is rough. He may be uneducated in the wis

ld not come at once to Cape May. She also described the day's adventures. She made as light of their accid