ing he thought of
during his last illness--his misunderstanding with you."

"My fault as much as his," Madam Bellethorne said sadly. "We were both
proud and high-tempered. But no more of this now. Something in this
gentleman's long telegram to me----"

She bowed to Mr. Gordon. He quickly stated the matter of the black mare's
ownership to the singer.

"If you will come to the British consulate where Ida's passport must be
vised, and sign there a paper empowering me to act in your behalf, you
assuming the guardianship of Ida, I can start lawyers on the trail of this
swindle."

Miss Bellethorne was a woman of prompt decision and of a business mind,
and immediately agreed. She likewise saw that her niece had made powerful
friends during the weeks she had been in America and she was content to
allow Mr. Gordon to do the girl this kindness.

It was a busy time; but the delay in the sailing of the _San Salvador_
made it possible for everything necessary to be accomplished. Uncle Dick
and Betty and Bob accompanied the Bellethornes aboard the ship again and
had luncheon with them. Ida cried when she parted with Betty; but it would
be only for the winter. When the opera company returned to New York it was
already planned that the younger Ida Bellethorne should join the friends
of her own age she had so recently made at Shadyside School.

It was an astonishing sight for Betty and Bob to see the great ship
worried out of her dock by the fussy little tugs. It was growing dark by
that time and the great steamship was brilliantly lighted. They watched
until she was in midstream and was headed down the harbor under her own
steam.

"There! It's over!" sighed Betty. "I feel as if a great load had been
lifted from my mind. Dear me, Bob! do you suppose we can ever again have
so much excitement crowded into a few hours?"

As Betty was no seeress and could not see into the future she of course
did not dream that in a very few weeks, and in very different
surroundings, she would experience adventures quite as interesting as any
which had already come into her life. These will be published in the next
volume of this series, entitled: "Betty Gordon at Ocean Park; or, Gay
Doings on the Boardwalk."

Bob shook his head at Betty's last observation. "Does seem as though we
manage to get hooked up to lots of strange folks and strange happenings.
Certain metals attract lightning, Betty, and I think you attract
adventures. What do you say, U