honors of the vessel, but as
I have received direct orders from the owners, I am turning her over to
you--you are to show her around."

"Thanks, Captain, I won't mutiny a bit against such an order. I'm mighty
glad to know you, Miss Newton."

"I've heard a lot about you, Doctor. Dad and Breckie here are always
talking about the Big Three--what you have done and what you are going
to do. I want to meet Doctor Brandon and Doctor Westfall, too," and her
hand met his in a firm and friendly clasp. She turned to the captain,
and Stevens, noticing that the pilot, with a quizzical expression, was
about to say something, silenced him with a fierce aside.

"Clam it, ape, or I'll climb up you like a squirrel!" he hissed, and the
grinning Breckenridge nodded assent to this demand for silence
concerning children and nursemaids.

"Since you've never been out, Miss Newton, you'll want to see the whole
works," Stevens addressed the girl. "Where do you want to begin? Shall
we start at the top and work down?"

"All right with me," she agreed, and fell into step beside him. She was
dressed in dove-gray from head to foot--toque, blouse, breeches, heavy
stockings, and shoes were of the one shade of smooth, lustrous silk; and
as they strolled together down the passage-way, the effortless ease and
perfect poise of her carriage called aloud to every hard-schooled fibre
of his own highly-trained being.

"We're a lot alike you and I--do you know it?" he asked, abruptly and
unconventionally.

"Yes, I've felt it, too," she replied frankly, and studied him without
affectation. "It has just come to me what it is. We're both in fine
condition and in hard training. You're an athlete of some kind, and I'm
sure you're a star--I ought to recognize you, but I'm ashamed to say I
don't. What do you do?"

"Swim."

"Oh, of course--Stevens, the great Olympic high and fancy diver! I would
_never_ have connected our own Doctor Stevens, the eminent mathematical
physicist, with the King of the Springboard. Say, ever since I quit
being afraid of the water I've had a yen to do that two-and-a-half twist
of yours, but I never met anybody who knew it well enough to teach it
to me, and I've almost broken my back forty times trying to learn it
alone!"

"I've got you, now, too--American and British Womens' golf champion.
Shake!" and the two shook hands vigorously, in mutual congratulation.
"Tell you what--I'll give you some pointers on diving, and you can show