hing else was in the box except some strange,
thin bits of yellow, foreign paper covered with vague pictures and
curious Chinese characters. They seemed to be so thin and old as to be
almost falling to pieces.

"I don't know what _these_ things are," she remarked, "but they probably
have nothing to do with this affair, anyway. Grandfather was always
picking up queer old things on his travels. But he must have thought them
interesting, or he never would have kept them in here. But we must go
now," she ended, closing the box. "And I'll see you dear people all
to-morrow. This has surely been a wonderful night!"

But just as she was ready to go, she said: "Do show me the dusty shelf
where this was hidden, please!" And then, as she stood gazing up at it,
she exclaimed, "To think that it lay here behind those worn-out old
kitchen things all the time we were so madly hunting for it! But perhaps
it was the safest place, after all!"

The two girls escorted Eileen and Mr. Barnes to the door, Ted offering to
see them to the car. As they came out on the porch, Leslie uttered a
little cry of delight. The storm, which all had momentarily forgotten in
the later excitement, was over. The ragged clouds were driving by in a
strong northwest wind, and a few stars could be seen peeping through the
rifts, while, best of all, the water had already retreated several feet,
though the crash of the breakers was still tremendous.

As Leslie and Phyllis returned to the room, they were startled to see
Aunt Marcia, in a dressing-gown, peering out of the door of her room and
blinking sleepily.

"What on earth are you two girls doing up at this unearthly hour?" she
inquired. "I woke and thought I heard voices and came out to see!"

"Oh, we've been talking and watching the storm!" laughed Leslie. "It's
all over now, and the stars are shining. You'd better go back to bed,
Aunt Marcia. The fire's out and it's very chilly!"

And as the good lady turned back into her room Leslie whispered to
Phyllis, "And she slept through all _that_--and never knew! How can I be
thankful enough!"

CHAPTER XIX

THE BIGGEST SURPRISE OF ALL

"PHYLLIS! I've got a nibble, Phyllis! I believe I can land him, too. And
it will be the first I've really managed to catch!" Leslie began to play
her line, her hands fairly trembling with excitement.

The two girls and Ted stood at the ocean's edge, almost directly