The Port of Missing Men

l good gift

ave at la

ne denie

than swo

am Wa

aid Shirley. "What lies out there in

ous and doubting crew. There is no America, and we

d on bread and water, and turned over t

rm at once, or walk the plank. I choose the h

fuller word!" p

t my imagination play a little on the eternal novelty of

ine of business than discovery. Discoverers benefit mankind at great sacrifice and expense, and die before t

k Claiborne was engrossed with a vivacious California girl, and Shirley saw him only at meals;

tted to Shirley. "He's either an awful

hirley. "I'm surprised at your seeming intimacy with a mere 'pe

h-class one-probably the junior mem

young man an interesting talker. Judge Claiborne is, as every one knows, the best-posted American of his time in diplomatic

s the governor; and when I saw our mother footing it on his arm this afternoon I almost fell in a faint. I wish you'd hold on to him tight till we're d

nerous foe-whether-whether

r says this to me! This

elf to the daughter of

daughter of a man who was an authority in such matters, and found it pleasant to discuss them with Armitage. He felt the poetic quality in her; it was that which had first appealed to him; but he did not

. The spring stars hung faint and far through thin clouds and the wind was keen from the sea. A

ople who feel themselves getting old might sail forth i

become fishers-permanently, and grow

sement. My idea-mine, please note-is for such fortunate people to sail in pretty little boats

d to pause a

a dream

assing over-the idea is pretty, and is creditable to your imagination. But I thought your fancy

ed at hi

you kn

etaille par

ste?-what's the answe

s a strictly personal matter. That was a wonderful collection

She had seen Armitage in Paris-in cafés, at the opera, but not at the great exhibition of world-famous battle pictures; yet undou

n, I believe; there was no

him and gave him pause. He could not play upon that stolen glance or tease her curiosity in respect to it. If this were a ship flirtation, it might be well enough; but the very sweetness and open-heartedness of her youth sh

ly. "Ormsby, the American painter-the man who did the

O

it day after day; and the thought that Armitage had taken advantage of her deep inter

rian prime minister to pass that way. Armitage had not referred to the crime in any way in his talks with her on the King Edward; their conve

. "We Americans are hungry for empire; we're simply waiting for the man on horseback to gallop down

isorderly conduct or disturbing the peace, or for giving a show without a

emperor at the door of St. Patrick's Cathedral, and his majesty would go to Sherry's for luncheon, an

and the plundering of banks-if the thing is bound to be-I should like to share in the ge

u have

n on horseback; a

terrible!-what migh

should c

e would be bold enough to meet the issue

t flattering," she said mockingly; but she was conscious

e dais; but whether you should be queen or empress-that's the rub! If America is t

lights of an east-bound steamer that was passing near. The exchange of rocket signals-that pretty and graceful parley between ships that pass in the

ights on in a moment!" shouted the deck off

o in?" aske

tting cold," r

lone on the dark deck, though

ley was aware of some one lurking near. A figure seemed to be crouching close by, and she felt its furtiv

e is some one follo

re of the presence of a stooping figure behi

still, Miss

y at the same moment threw out her hands, defensively or for support, and clutched the arm and shoulder of the man who had assailed Armitage. He had driven a knife at John Armitage, and was poising himself for another attempt when Shirley seized his arm. As he drew back a fold of

hat has happened

a sea-serpent," h

blinked in the glare of light, and asked whether

en in a lower tone to Shirley: "That was certainly a strange proceeding. I am sorry you were startled;

sought something to take hold of. That pirate was the nearest thing, and I caught hold of his cloak; I'm sure it was a cloak, and that makes me s

he steerage, probably. I sha

d be reported,

d; but it's something to have had hold of a sea-serpent, or a pirate! I hope you will

ghts had been out of order pointed to an espionage that was both close and daring. He was greatly surprised and more shaken than he wished Shirley to believe. The thing was disquieting enough, and it could not but impress her strangely that he, of all the persons on board

on a steamer deck must be animated by very bitter hatred. She knew that to speak of the affair to her father or brother would be to alarm them and prejudice them against John

nlikely that a steerage passenger could reach the saloon deck unobserved; a second cabin passenger might do so, however, and he sought among the names in the second cabin list for a clue. He

te case he had stupidly left behind he could not conjecture; but the importance of recovering the packet he had cut from Chauvenet's coat was not a trifle that rogues of their caliber would ignore. There was, the purser said, a sick man in the second cabin, who had kept close to his ber

head; bristling mu

e, grinning at the ease with

regular for us to let such a matter

, and might do harm. I wil

made a memorandu

vels as Pet

ize that had originally been affixed to the envelope; and at once after the attack on the dark deck he opened the packet and examined the papers-some half-dozen sheets of thin linen, written in a clerk's clear hand in black ink. There had been no mistake in the matter; the

ver again in his mind until they rose and fell with the cadence of the high, wavering voice of th