Evening star., 1915-03-21

a little while ago | was speaking to Lar
raidou, the fisherman whom people here call
Peridot, you know, and had known then
of your project l should have asked him
what he thought of it,
",ffe sea is one big mystery, an that's
fact" said Popple, refilling his pipe, and
nodding his head to emphasize Bit of sem
tentious philosophy born of experience.
It'll gobble up ship, an you'll never find
scrap of timber or life belt to tell you
what's become of her. an in the next breath
it'll show thing as plain as though it was
writ in a book. A friend of mine, skipper
day, and no one knew what had become of
him. That night they shot the trawl in
sixty fathom O water, an brought up the
mans body. That's wat the sea can do,
Sir. Talk of women bein tickle. They amt
in it with the most changeable thing on this
earth!'
Raymond poured out a second glass of
brandy. "At any rate, you'll not recover a
dead body from the Stela's wreckage," he
said, with a CHASTITY grin.
"You never can tell, said Popple.
But, surely, Captain, you don't pretend
that the finding of a drowned sailor in a
trawl net was other than an accdent?"
"'rhat's as may be. S'pose some poor
wastrel had been charged with knockin a
matey on the head an chuckin' him over
board. The doctors evidence would clear
him. An then it would ha been providen-
tial.
81 shall refuse to believe that you will re-
trieve any of the Stela's contents until see
them. Of course | know why Mrs. Carmac
is SO anxious that the effort should be made.
There were thousands of pounds worth of
pearls and diamonds in her jewecase. One
pearl necklace alone cost ten thousand
pounds many years ago, and would fetch far
more today"
"Queer you should mention that, Sir,
commented Popple.
"Why?" The question came with strange
eagerness The prospect of salvage was
either fascinating or highly distasteful to
Raymond.
Because that's the one thing l shouldn't
expect to come across.
"You are speaking in riddles, Man. What
have you in your mindo'
Popple turned mildly inquiring eve on
this testy companion. He thought, "That
drop o spirit has gone the wrong way, my
friend But what he said was Il was
thinkin of the seas whims It'll hide SIX
decked liner an give up corpse. If Mrs.
Carmac was keen set on piclln up a pair O
scissors, I'd back them to turn up as ag in
your tent thousand pound necklace. Alebbe
that's silly thing to say in this case. Her
jools are in locked box an a strong one at
that, because | twigged her baggage when
it KEN aboard, an the lot was built for hard
wear. But there you are! I'll take care she
has look at the stuff we find, an that ends
my job
"You can count on me- Captain, for all
the assistance can render" said Raymond,
and the subject dropped
RY the way he went on, adopting the
~ most nonchalant tone he could COM
mand, shave you met Mrs. Carnac's niece
since we came ashore?'
"NIe, Sir2 No. Didn't know there was
any such young woman.
"Iou have not been told, then that Mrs.
Carmac found a long-lost niece in Miss
Yvonne Ingersoll?"
Popple slapped stout thigh, and his eyes
rounded in surprise. "Snk me! but that ex-
plains it, he cried
Explains what?'
81 wondered where had seen the girl in
bib an tucker afore'
what do you meano"
"Well, these here caps an streamers an
tickle-me aprons do make a heap of differ
ence. Now what in the world will she think
of meo I've passed her dozen times with
out ever a Thank you Miss or a touch of
me hat. Dash my buttons! thought my
eyes were sharper'n that. OF course she was
NV ,,;1cI.;,, h., tI.,