ung acting naval lieutenant.

"Yes; as much as you wish."

"I confess to being a bit curious."

"About what?"

"Did Millard--Graves, I mean, have any great reason to need money?
More, I mean, than he could earn by honest work?"

"Yes," admitted Miss Daisy. "My mother is dead. Under her will I
inherit a considerable little fortune when I am twenty-five. But it
is solely on condition that I have my father's permission to marry the
man of my choice. I could remain single until twenty-five, but I am
only nineteen, and Mr. Graves complained that it would be an
eternity to wait."

"Then your father did not approve Millard? I am going to call him that
because the other name is unfamiliar."

"My father feared that Donald was a fortune hunter. He said he would
be satisfied if Donald could show that he were rich in his own name."

"So, then, Graves, or Millard, hit upon the plan of stealing our harbor
fortification secrets and selling them to another government," said
Jack, meditatingly. "Yet I am puzzled to understand how he found the
chance. There are no foreigners openly engaged in buying our national
secrets."

"I think I can explain all that, though it will be but guess-work,"
replied Daisy Huston, thoughtfully. "My father was for some years
minister to Sweden. He is still well acquainted among foreign diplomats
here in Washington. Some of them are often at our house. Donald must
have met one there who tempted him, or pointed the way to a fortune.
Yes; I am certain that must be the answer."

"Did--but perhaps you don't like my asking such questions?"

"No; I do not mind--now," replied Daisy Huston. "I began to feel as
though I had been an innocent party to Donald Graves's wrongdoing.
When I went to try to see you, this afternoon, I supposed only that
Donald had gotten into trouble through some filibustering expedition
to Central America. I did not look upon that as so serious, you see.
But selling the national secrets is quite another matter," she added,
bitterly. "I shall never care for the man again. I have wrenched
him from my heart in these last few minutes. So you may ask me any
questions that will help to clear up the matter."

"Thank you, Miss Huston. Then did Graves, or Millard, as I call him,
express any hope of becoming suddenly well to do?"

"Yes; and now I can understand how he has lied to me. He let me believe
that he hoped to profit through mining concessions to Americans that