he destroyer.

"Thank God!" said Brent, as he met them at the rail. "You're safe, old
man ... and Miss Allaire ... both of you! You let off that rocket just
in time; we couldn't pick you up with our light--

"And now," he added, "we're going back; back to San Diego. The Admiral
wants a word of mouth report."

Thorpe stilled him with a heavy gesture. "Give Ruth an opiate," he
said dully. "Let her forget ... forget!... Good God, can we ever
forget--" He stumbled forward, heedless of Brent's arm across his
shoulders as the surgeon took the girl in charge.

* * * * *

Admiral Struthers, U.S.N., leaned back from his desk and blew a cloud
of smoke thoughtfully toward the ceiling. He looked silently from
Thorpe to Commander Brent.

"If either one of you had come to me with such a report," he said
finally, "I would have found it incredible; I would have thought you
were entirely insane, or trying some wild hoax."

"I wish it were a damn lie," said Thorpe quietly. "I wish I didn't
have to believe it." There were new lines about the young-old eyes,
lines that spoke what the lips would not confess of sleepless nights
and the impress of a picture he could not erase.

"Well, we have kept it out of the papers," said the Admiral. "Said it was a
derelict, and the wild messages floating about were from an inexperienced
man, frightened and irresponsible. Bad advertising--very--for the passenger
lines."

"Quite," Commander Brent agreed, "but of course Mr. Thorpe may want to
use this in his next book of travel. He has earned the right without
doubt."

"No," said Thorpe emphatically. "No! I told you, Brent, there was
often a factual basis for fables--remember? Well, we have proved that.
But sometimes it is best to leave the fables just fables. I think you
will agree." A light step sounded in the corridor beyond. "Nothing of
this to Miss Allaire," he said sharply.

The men rose as Ruth Allaire entered the room. "We were just
speaking," said the Admiral with an engaging smile beneath his
close-cut mustache, "of the matter of a bet. Mr. Thorpe has won
handily, and he has taught me a lesson."

He took a check book from his desk. "What charity would you like to
name, Miss Allaire? That was left to you, you remember."

"Some seamen's home," said Ruth Allaire gravely. "You will know best,
if you two are really serious about that silly bet."

"That bet, my dear," said Robert Thorpe with smiling eyes,