iend of Anway's? He's
just gone aboard."

"He told me so much about it I thought I'd stroll down and take a look."

"Go aboard if you'd like to. We won't be leaving for ten minutes yet."

Evan desired a little further information before trusting himself
aboard. "You must need quite a crowd of helpers to look after the
kids."

"Miss Playfair takes care of that for me. She's a host in herself."

All the blood seemed to leave Evan's heart for a moment, and then came
surging back until it seemed as if that much-tried organ would burst.
He heard his informant saying:

"But if you know Anway, no doubt you're acquainted with Miss Playfair?"

"I've met her," said Evan, carefully schooling his voice.

"A wonderful little woman!"

"Quite so," said Evan dryly. "Look here," he went on, "I'd like to go
with you to-day if I wouldn't be in the way. I mean, work my passage,
of course; help take care of the kids, or amuse them, or feed them, or
whatever may be necessary. My name's Evan Weir."

The other man looked Evan over and was pleased with what he saw.

"I'd be delighted to have you," he said. "We can always use more help.
My name's Denton."

"Well, then, give me a job," said Evan.

"First of all, take my place for a moment," said Denton. "The
ice-cream hasn't come. I must go and telephone."

"Sure thing!"

"You needn't be too strict about tickets," Denton added in an
undertone. "I mean in respect to women and children. The main thing
is to keep the bad and healthy little boys off."

"I get you," said Evan.

Denton hurried away. Evan took his place and the procession passed
before him deprecatingly presenting its squares of red pasteboard. At
first Evan scarcely took note of them, he was so busy with his private
exultation. He had found her! And once they got away from the pier he
would have her all day on the boat where she couldn't escape him. His
luck had changed. For the present he kept his back turned to the
_Ernestina_ that he might not be unduly conspicuous to anyone happening
to glance out of the cabin windows.

He was recalled to the business in hand by a plea: "Say, Mister! Let
me and me brutter go, will yeh please? We had our tickets all right,
but a big lad pasted us and took 'em offen us."

Evan looked down into a little angel face and clear shining eyes. The
"brutter" waited warily in the background. Evan knew boys, and had no
doubt but that this was a pair of incorrigible