Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-09-25

eyes-he had been watching for them.
He bent over Annette.
Look at the freak" he said, that's
tied up to Inez-I mean Irene Cour-
tier 1 always call her Inez somehow.
Let's go and see the freak"
THE freak" said Annette, has dis
appeared"
She was not the only person on deck
who noticed that. Some half dozen
naval officers in spick- and-span uni
forms noted it also and started dou
BILE quick toward Inez Castro. Half
way they stopped, for her escort, M.
Romanoff had reappeared. He smiled
as Joe came up with Annette and
waved his hand.
i've been looking at the moon," he
said.
Annette, already bored. chiefly by
the close proximity of Joe Welcher,
glanced off toward Neal.
Let's go and get some grape juice"
she sai6.
Joe drew her out to the railing
through the same aperture from
which Romanoff had watched the cir
cling motor boat.
"I'll get the grape juice" said Joe
aloud. wait here until [ return"
Annette started after him, but the
aperture was closed now by the
broad back of Romanoff, who talked
vivaciously with Irene Courtier.
Annette was not averse to looking at
the moon, and she looked. But all
she saw was the moon itself. She did
not see and could not know that a
motor launch, silent as the night, had
fetched up along side of the anchor
chain. She did not know and could
not see black shadow that stole
along the railing behind the canvas
curtains that hid the dancing deck.
Suddenly she gave choking cry.
The black shadow like some black
panther had sprung upon her from
the night and clutched her in its
grasp. She cried out once more, or
tried to. She found she could not. A
strong, wiry hand closed across her
mouth and a wiry form forced her
back across the rail.
With a superhuman twist of her
1.-THE young body-and she was strong
was Annette Ilington-for one instant
she wrenched herself away and gave
vent to a piercing scream. Neal Har-
din at the punch bowl heard 1t. For
getting all discipline-and all grape
juice-he bounded across the dancing
deck and with one sweep of his arm
brushed the nonplussed Romanoff and
his charming escort to one side. His
eyes were blinded by the deck lights
and as he rushed through the cur
tains he could only see that some
terrific struggle was at hand.
In another instant 1t was all over.
Two figures clutching at each other
darted suddenly over the
rail. There was a splash below.
Man overheard" yelled Neal.
He sprang to the rail and dove into
the moonlit water-taking good care
not to foul the other two. He cut
the water neatly with hardly the sug-
gestion of a splash and rose imme-
diately to the surface; then he saw
Annette. She was alone and she was
swimming easily. A dark figure left
her as she rose and swan frantically
away-a figure that seemed like some
imp of the deep. =
Two minutes later 1t was all over
was on deck half fainting in
Meals arms-but with a smile upon
her face.
Don't worry" she said to the
crowd about her, "I haven't swal-
lowed q drop of water, / assure you.
I'm a regular little water rat-Neal
knows that, don't you Neal?"
A young ensign stared at her in
He wondered how such
a superior and beautiful young
woman even In the excitement Of the
moment, could so far forget as to ad-
dress a common seaman.
Half an hour later in the Courtier
villa in Newport, Annette nestled in
O huge arm chair in a kimono before
q blazing fire. She laughed tri-
She seized a dripping lit
tie chamois bag and took from It
very damp old piece of paper parch-
nent.
"This is what he was after-you
can't tell me-" she said. She spread
it out and exhibited 1t to Inez Castro.
why, 1t is a blank piece of paper"
said Inez Castro.
Look at 1t closely" said Annette.
"Oh, yes," said Irene. ut has ono
word upon it-longttude."
''Tt has more than that upon IT,"
said Annette. Watch and see"
She spread 1t out upon the hearth
to dry. 1T is a piece of the map
of my map, Irene," she went on, 'the
Face got O portion of it-don't you
remember. at Crooked Crag-but a
harmless portion. I got part and so
did Neal. Wait. Look! The piece is
dryl See what the heat has donel"
Inez Castro bent over her. Where
did the writing come from?" she de-
manded.
1.-THE heat brought the writing out"
said Annette. "See! Look now at the
longitude! What does 1t say?"
Inez looked eagerly. "One hundred
and twenty-three degrees" she ex-
claimed slowly, "and forty minutes
west
"That isn't ALL" went on Annette
There's a message-a message from
the past upon our pieces, Meals and
mine-a message that I've got by
heart"
what" queried Inez, yawning, 'is
the message from the past?"
Annette nodded proudly. This Is
the message" she returned. Grant
ed to Ilington, Spanish-Amertcan ex-
plorer. for distinguished services, by
Joseph Bonaparte, King OF Spain. In
the year eighteen hundred and nine,
tho original grant, being In the pos
session of the fatherB- She
stopped, What was the rest of
that?" she unused. "I can't remem-
ber."
Think" persisted rnes, wtth ouri-
GUS insistenoe.
Annette laughed. TT has escaped
me. [ will have to ask Neal about
that the next time I see him."
Part of the message Is on his por-
ton. too7" said Inez. And what
about the latitude?"
Annette shook her head. That |
can't remember, either" she returned,
"stubid that 1 am. Yes, the latitude
is on his piece, too"
CHAPTER XIII.
UNLOCKED Passengers.