note that the shawl was of fine texture and of
a peculiar pattern.

Retiring again to his corner in the stern of the boat, and noting that
the woman kept her place there, Colonel Ashley waited in patience. And
he had his reward.

The Allawanrda was whistling to tell the deck hands to cast off the
mooring ropes, when LeGrand Blossom came running down the inclined
gangway and got on board. He seemed in a hurry and excited, and,
apparently unaware of the presence of the detective in the dark corner,
he went directly to the woman in the shawl. The boat began to move from
her slip.

"Did you think I was never coming?" asked LeGrand Blossom.

"No, I was detained," the woman answered, and at the sound of her voice
Colonel Ashley started and uttered a smothered exclamation. "I but just
arrived," the woman went on. "Did you bring it?"

"Hush! Yes. Not so loud. Some one may hear you."

"There is no one here. One man, with a heavy beard, passed by me as I
came on board. At first I thought it was you, disguised, but when I saw
it was not I kept to myself. There is no one here."

"I hope not," murmured LeGrand Blossom, as he looked cautiously around.
The after deck was but dimly lighted.

For a time the woman and man talked in tones so low that the detective
could hear nothing, and he dared not leave his hidden corner to come
closer.

But, just as the Allawanda was nearing her slip on the other side, the
man spoke in louder tones. "And so we come to the end!" he said.

"No, please don't say that!" begged the woman.

"I must," Blossom answered. "We can't go on this way any longer. Here is
what I promised you. It is all I can raise, and I had a hard time doing
that. Every one is suspicious, and that detective is all eyes and ears.
It is the best I can do. You must not bother me any more."

The lights from a passing boat fell on the couple as they stood close to
the rail, and, from his vantage point in the darkness, the colonel
saw LeGrand Blossom hand the woman in the shawl a package. She took it
eagerly, and thrust it into her bosom. Then, turning to the man, she
said reproachfully:

"You say this is the end. Then you don't love me any more?"

LeGrand Blossom did not answer for a moment.

"You don't--do you?" the woman insisted.

"No," was the slow reply. "I might as well be brutally frank about it,
and say I don't. And you don't care either."

"Oh, I do! I do!" she eagerly protested.

"No, you only think you d