Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-01
CHAPTER I.
Concerning a Theft.

Renfrew."
From what suarter?'
.Nor,east.''
] rose from the cabin table with its
litter OF papers, and stumbled ND the
companionway. Simpson. my skipper.
pointed over the starboard rail.
There it is. sir: and shouldn't won
der but what a storm was lynn some
where back of 1t. The glass has been
falln' steady for the last half hour"
/ looked at the widening patch of ruff
fled water behind us, then ahead, at the
dim point Of land which quivered hazily
on the outer verge of the CLASSY sea.
What's that? Martha's vineyard?"
mo, sir The Vineyards further over
this way-to the west'ard. They call that
the Isle of Whispers
"The Is'e of Whispers? I've never
heard Of it before"
|. Il doubt If You have. sir. It's only a
bundle of rocks. with a few acres Of real
estate scattered over 'em; and besides, 1t
lies quite ways out o. the usual course
some twenty miles off the nearest
land"
| raised the marine glasses. and leveled
them on the island with languid interest
The rocks. detaching themse yes from
the blur OF distance. stood out gaunt and
desolate in the warm June sunshine.
rs it inhabited?" 1 asked
Yes. sir-or. leastways. they say 1t is.
! But the people-there's only a family of
twoIive by themselves, like hermits,
| never comm ashore, or hayin' ANYTHING
to do with the rest of the world"
Rather monotonous life. don't you
think" l dropped the glasses on q seat.
How did 1t ever get it's name?'
From some queer echo you can hear
on tor so I've been tod"
The yacht lurched into the trough of
the lazy sea. Simpson gave the wheel
quick turn. The reefpoints beat out a
noisy tattoo against the sails; and, above
us, the slackened halyards whipped sharp
ly about the mast heads. A hot after
noon sun fell with merciless force on the
deck. and the air was lifeless. A sense
Of stagnation seemed to hang over al
l glanced astern The ruffied patch of
water had spread out fanshaped, closing
| beyond, on the horizons edge, low banks
of cloud were rising swiftly.
''Fog?" l questioned.
1T looks 50. We've had the DEVILS own
| luck, sir
''How far are we from New Bedford?"
"Some seventy miles, as the crow flies.
but Heaven Knows
A puff of wind caught the mainsail and
the schooner heeled over. The smooth
green waters began to slip past US.
looked at my watch.
ITS 4 O'Clock now. Do you think I'll
be able to get the 1890 for Boston? If
/ don't catch the midnight, I'll never
reach New York tomorrow morning."
81 know it, sir: but It's very uncertain
This fog sort O. complicates matters, and
with a storm brewin'. too. I can't guar
antee anythin'."
Isn't there some place where you can
put me ashore?"
mo place nearer than the Vineyard.
and the last boat lett Tor the MAINLAND
an hour ago."
There seemed to be nothing for 1t but
to contain myself in patience. But even
patience was to be sorely tried; for. after
entirely, and the yacht returned to her
futile wallowing in the swells
Simpson muttered an imprecation Inc
grim hunor of the situation dawned on
me- and laughed aloud.
YOU'D have done much better. SIR ne
said reprovingly, 'if you'd taken my ad-
vice. and gone ashore somewhere up the
Cape. You'd have got to Boston ton'en''
at any rate. .. L.,
Simpson scowled politely; his sense OF
humor was deficient. l turned into the
Let me know il anything happens" 1
said as l went below.
The heat in the cabin was stining;
ordered the steward to bring me q whisky
and soda, then sat down before the PIE
of papers on the table. yellow teie-
gram-that telegram which had reached
me in the little Cape Cod seaport ana nad
been the cause of my sudden departure.
Law on the top Of the heap. picked II
up and read it for the twentieth time.
Market smashed. Firm going to the
wall. Come at once. Finn"
I studied the name with a frownlng
brow, and for the twentieth time won,
dered why the telegram had been signed
by a clerk in the Office and not by my
partner. James Prescott. 1t seemed strange
that the dispatch OF such message as
this should have been left to an under
man. could not believe that the
slight was intentional, and from that
fact alone the words before me took
on a special significance. Prescott must
have been pushed hard If he could not
have found time to wire me himself.
1 knew that he would not have sent Tor
me unless the need were urgent. He was
not the man to be easily frightened; the
ordinary. fluctuations Of the market held
no terrors for him. When l had left
home two weeks before stocks were on a
general rise and everything was booming:
the occasional newspapers which l had
been able to get had given no indications
of change, and yet, with q swiftness
which was appalling. the blow had fallen.
And we had been caught In the crash.
Our firm was young one-Prescott had
barely turned forty, while was five years
his junior: but in our eight years OF part
nership we had both acquired comfort
able incomes-as witness my possession
Of the Naravido. Who knew? Perhaps
she was my only negotiaole asset now.
The thought was not a pleasing one.
and, turning to the papers before me. l
once more worked out the dreary compu-
tation of my chances. The result was