must have met Retto in New York after the rescued men came
here. Maybe I'm wrong in thinking Mr. Potter is in New York now. He
may be some distance off, and depending on Retto to look after his
interests. If that's so it would explain why the East Indian was
hanging around the house. He wanted to see that Grace and her mother
were well, so he could report to the millionaire.

"Yet if that was so, I can't see how Mr. Potter could write in the
letter, as he did, that I was getting too close to him? Yes, there's
something very strange in all this, but maybe it will soon be
cleared up."

Thus Larry hoped, but he was doomed to disappointment. For, when he
inquired at the hotel desk for Mr. Retto, and said he would like to
see him, the clerk replied:

"Mr. Retto left early this morning. He gave up his room. I don't
know where he went."

"I've got it all to do over again," the young reporter thought as he
strolled out into the street. "I'll never have such luck again. If
he watches the house after this he'll do it in a way that won't give
me a chance to catch him. Well, I've got to go back and tell Grace I
made a fizzle of it. Too bad, when they're hoping so much on the
result of this visit!"

Larry purchased a morning paper from a newsboy on the street, and
glanced at it idly, as he strolled along. His eye lighted on the
column devoted to shipping news, and, almost unconsciously, he saw
among the "arrivals," the _Turtle_, of an Italian line. At once a
train of thought was started in his mind.

"The _Turtle_," he mused. "That's the freight ship that Captain
Tantrella, formerly of the _Olivia_, commands. That's the captain
Retto was inquiring about the day Grace and I made the tour of the
steamer offices. He wanted to meet him. Well, Captain Tantrella is
in now. I wonder if Retto could have left the hotel to go and see
him?"

Larry puzzled over it for a few minutes. Several ideas came to him,
but they were confused, and he did not know which line to follow.

"Why should Retto want to see Captain Tantrella?" he asked himself.
"Is it possible that Retto is a criminal and had to escape from the
sinking ship? It looks so. But if he has done something that would
necessitate him keeping out of the way, how can he aid Mr. Potter?
It's too deep for me. But I know what I'll do. I'll go and see
Captain Tantrella. He'll remember me, for I interviewed him about
the wreck.

"I'll ask him who Retto is. He'll know him, for he wa