muttered.

"He sounds unpromising," Mr. Dodge sighed. "And there are no friends who
would be sufficiently interested in your problem to open either their
doors or their pocket-books?"

"We don't know many people here," Felicia said. "Mother hasn't gone out
very much for several years."

Ken flushed. "And we'd rather people didn't open anything to us,
anyhow," he said.

"Except, perhaps, their hearts," Mr. Dodge supplemented, "or their
eyes, when they see your independent procedure!" He tapped his knee with
his glasses. "My dear children, I suggest that you move to some other
house--perhaps to some quaint little place in the country, which would
be much less expensive than anything you could find in town. Your mother
had best go away, as the doctor advises--she will be much better looked
after, and of course she mustn't know what you do. I'll watch over this
Rocky Head concern, and you may feel perfectly secure in the Fidelity.
And don't hesitate to ask me anything you want to know, at any time."

He rose, pushing back his papers.

"Don't we owe you something for all this, sir?" Ken asked, rather red.

Mr. Dodge smiled. "One dollar, and other valuable considerations," he
said.

Kenelm brought out his pocketbook, and carefully pulled a dollar bill
from the four which it contained. He presented it to Mr. Dodge, and
Felicia said:

"Thank you so very, very much!"

"You're very welcome," said the attorney, "and the best of luck to you
all!" When the glass door had closed behind the pair, Mr. Dodge sat
down before his desk and wiped his glasses. He looked at the dollar
bill, and then he said--quite out loud--

"Poor, poor dears!"

CHAPTER III

UP STAKES

That night, Kenelm could not sleep. He walked up and down his room in
the dark. His own head ached, and he could not think properly. The one
image which stood clearly out of the confusion was that of the
_Celestine_, raising gracious spars above the house-tops. The more he
thought of her, the more a plan grew in his tired mind. The crew of the
_Celestine_ must be paid quite well--he could send money home every week
from different ports--he could send gold and precious things from South
America. There would be one less person to feed at home; he would be
earning money instead of spending it.

He turned on his light, and quickly gathered together his hockey
sweater, his watch-cap, and an old pair of trousers. He made them into a
bundle with a few oth