k of some way to
get rid of the coincidence, if we could only tell which the coincidence
was. We owe it to K. D. B. In a way, Condy, it's our duty. We brought
her here, or we are going to, and we ought to help her all we can; and
she may be here at any moment. What time is it now?"

"Five minutes after seven. But, Blix, I should think the right
one--the captain--would be all put out himself by seeing another chap
here wearing marguerites. Does either one of 'em seem put out to you?
Look. I should think the captain, whichever one he is, would kind of
GLARE at the coincidence."

Stealthily they studied the two men for a moment.

"No, no," murmured Blix, "you can't tell. Neither of them seems to
glare much. Oh, Condy"--her voice dropped to a faint whisper. "The
red-headed one has put his hat on a chair, just behind him, notice? Do
you suppose if you stood up you could see inside?"

"What good would that do?"

"He might have his initials inside the crown, or his whole name even;
and you could see if he had a 'captain' before it."

Condy made a pretence of rising to get a match in a ribbed, truncated
cone of china that stood upon an adjacent table, and Blix held her
breath as he glanced down into the depths of the hat. He resumed his
seat.

"Only initials," he breathed--"W. J. A. It might be Jack, that J., and
it might be Joe, or Jeremiah, or Joshua; and even if he was a captain
he might not use the title. We're no better off than we were before."

"And K. D. B. may come at any moment. Maybe she has come already and
looked through the windows, and saw TWO men with marguerites and went
away. She'd be just that timid. What can we do?"

"Wait a minute, look here," murmured Condy. "I've an idea. I'LL find
out which the captain is. You see that picture, that chromo, on the
wall opposite?"

Blix looked as he indicated. The picture was a gorgeously colored
lithograph of a pilot-boat, schooner-rigged, all sails set, dashing
bravely through seas of emerald green color.

"You mean that schooner?" asked Blix.

"That schooner, exactly. Now, listen. You ask me in a loud voice what
kind of a boat that is; and when I answer, you keep your eye on the two
men."

"Why, what are you going to do?"

"You'll see. Try it now; we've no time to lose."

Blix shifted in her seat and cleared her throat. Then:

"What a pretty boat that is up there, that picture on the wall. See
over there, on the wall opposite