a white, awful horror broke over his face and shone in his eyes.

"Tell me about him again!" he cried, hoarsely. "What was he like--this
man who took Dorothy away?" And as he listened to the description his
face grew stormy with terrible wrath, for it tallied exactly with that
of the man who had put Dorothy in the cab and rode away with her.

Like a lightning's flash Jack tore down to the Staten Island wharf, and
was just in time to catch the out-going boat. He would surprise them, he
told himself, and tear little Dorothy, his promised bride, from his
rival's arms, or die in the attempt.

All the way down the bay Jack paced the deck in a tumult of fury that
increased with every breath he drew.

The half hour that it took to reach his destination seemed as endless as
the pangs of purgatory to lost souls. He never knew how the journey was
made, or how he reached the island--flaming with lights on this gala
night, and gorgeous with flags and gilded banners.

There were few passengers going down to Staten Island. The steamer had
come to take the revellers back to the city, and the gang-plank was no
sooner lowered than the crowd rushed aboard with happy laughter and gay
repartee. Among the first to gain a foothold on the stairway that led to
the upper deck were Harry Langdon and Dorothy; and here, face to face,
they met--Jack!

"Unhand that young girl!" he cried, sternly, facing Langdon. "You have
no right to be here with her."

Langdon started back, and glanced in haughty amazement at the
broad-shouldered, fair-haired young man confronting him.

But without waiting for him to answer, Jack turned to Dorothy, holding
out his hands to her, saying huskily:

"Leave him, little one, and come with me."

But Dorothy threw back her head with rising anger.

"How _dare_ you, Jack Garner!" she cried, stamping her tiny foot, her
blue eyes flashing. "I shall never speak to you again for
this--_never_!"

"Step out of our way," cried Dorothy's companion, "and allow this young
lady and myself to pass!"

"You shall never pass me with her!" cried Jack, furiously, his hand
stealing involuntarily to his breast pocket.

"Step aside; we wish to go on deck!" returned Langdon, haughtily, "and
we intend to do so!"

"You will never go on deck with her, unless it be over my dead body!"
cried Garner, his face white as death, his voice trembling with
excitement, and his brown eyes flashing like living coals of fire.

"_You_ can not p