Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-17
Chapter II Continued

Still chatting, Ruth and Vira
stepped into the canoe with Dick
and Guy. while The others plunged
into the water and swan. They soon
slipped alongside the houseboat with
it's gilt letters, Sea Vamp."
Garrick realized as they mounted
the ladder that the marine engine
had materially changed the old-tirne
houseboat from a mere scow or
barge with a low fiat house on 1t
with difficulty and expense towed
from one place to another. Now the
houseboat like the "Sea Varnp' was
really fair-sized yacht.
She was perhaps sixty feet long
and q most attractive craft with a
hull yachty in appearance and Of a
type which could safely make long
runs along the coast, a staunch, sea-
worthy boat-of course, without the
speed of a regularly designed yacht,
but more than making up in COM
fort for those on board what was
lost in speed.
AS they approached he had looked
her over carefully. One Of the first
things he noted was that strung
from two masts forward and astern
was the aerial of a wireless.
They clambored aboard and drag.
ged up the canoe. At the stern
they saw a stockiiy-built man in sea
toys making fast a dory, and taking
out rather complete set of fishing
tackle and other duffle.
''Hye, Cap'n!" greeted Glenn.
shaking the water from his eyes as
he bounded on deck. "Any luck?"
Chats Captain Brock" asided
Ruth to Garrick. 'We hire him to
take charge of the Sea vamp'."
''Too early for snappers yet. Got
a couple of fiat ashland an eel" He
caught sight Of Guy and Dick and
glowered under bushy eyebrows.
who are they?" he growled under
his breath.
They're with me, Captain" ex-
planned Ruth. "Mr. Garrick and Mr..
Defoe, Captain Brock. Just a couple
of friends who are interested in how
spend my time"
'"'Well, so long as it's time they
are looking for, all right"
Garrick could not resist a startled
second glance as, tucked away in
the duffle with great care, he caught
sight of an electron tube, with fla
ment and grids, precisely the latest
type used i'm radio receiving. Fe
nudged Dick, but Dick was equally
quick. The fishing pole was equipped
with a miniature aerial and he had
noticed it.
Neither betrayed either interest or
burning curiosity they felt as Brock
dumped forward with his stuff.
Why, when Brock was even fishing,
away from the 'Sea Vamp," did he
carry this compact wireless receiv-
ing set? What station must he be
always in touch with, or what mes
sage did he expect that he must be
listening in?
Excuse us. Wen go down below.
Get the shaker and some ice and
you know. I guess we can
entertain" trilled Vira.
Alone in the comfortably furnish
ed saloon, Garrick glanced at Dick,
who shrugged at the unconvention-
atty of it all, then made a hasty
survey of the place. At one end
was a sort of closet or clothes press.
"'Snooping," he nodded as he opened
the door.
Inside hung a nondescript array
of old clothes. In the back corner,
on the floor where it had been
thrown lay girls cloth hat. He
picked it up, smoothed it out, then
with a suppressed "Ouch!' drew his
hand away and loosened a pin
caught in its folds.
"H'm-a diamond clasp-initials
V. G.-Vira Gerard?"
Diamond claps that's one of
the pieces of missing jewelry," whis-
pered Dick excitedly. "Say-hold
that hat again as YOU had it. There.
By jove, it's not only a hat. It's a
bag! Tomato color they said
the girl at the Rialto Dance put the
stuff in little tomato colored bag.
BY jove!
"Here's a camera, too" was all
Garrick answered. He turned the
camera over, saw the number, "6,"
then deity unloaded it and dropped
the roll of 1ilm into his coat pocket.
There was a step on the compan-
ionway. Softly he closed the door,
rolled the hat tightly and stuffed
it in his hip pocket under the tail OF
his coat.
The party thawed little bit as
the ice in the shaker thawed. Final
ly Garrick took advantage of a lull
in the conversation.
"I may as we'll tell you just why
we dropped in" he remarked cas-
ua1ly taking the diamond clasp from
his pocket. els that by any chance
yours, WRAP"
Vira looked at the clasp a mo-
ment, then gave little scream.
'My lingerie clasp-that they tore