oment she rested her eyes by studying the ship's deck. Then
again she gazed away.

"Why," she exclaimed suddenly, "he has reached the cabin! Must have
run every step of the way!"

In the cabin on shore, the young stranger began packing the girl's
possessions preparatory to putting them on the sled.

"Some careless housekeeper!" he grumbled as he gathered up articles of
clothing from every corner of the room, and, having straightened out
Marian's paint-box, closed its cover down with a click. He arrived at
the schooner an hour later. The sled load was soon stowed away in the
wireless cabin.

He brought a quantity of food, canned vegetables, bacon, hardtack,
coffee and sugar from his store below. Then he stood by the door.

Marian was bustling about the cabin, putting things to rights.

"Wants to make a good impression," was the young man's mental comment.

Lucile, a trifle pale, was sitting in the corner.

Presently Marian caught sight of him standing there.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "you are waiting for your reward?"

"Any time," he smiled.

"You shall have it right now--the blue envelope."

She seized her paint-box, and throwing back the cover lifted the
paint-tray. Then from her lips escaped one word:

"Gone!"

He sprang eagerly forward.

"Can't be," Lucile breathed.

"Take a good look," the boy suggested.

Marian inspected the box thoroughly.

"No," she said with an air of finality, "it's not here."

"Your--er--the paint-box was a bit disarranged," he stammered.

"Disarranged?"

"Well, not in the best of order. Letter might have dropped out in the
cabin. I dare say it's on the floor back there. Had you seen it
lately?"

"Only this morning. I can't understand about the box. The wind must
have blown it down, or something."

"I dare say." The boy smiled good-naturedly as he recalled the
disordered room.

"I'll hop right back and look for it." He was away like a flash.

It was with a very dejected air that he returned. Marian could not
tell whether it was genuine or feigned. Had he been in such haste to
secure the letter that he had taken it at once from the box? Was all
his later action mere stage-play?

"No," he said, bringing forth a forlorn smile, "I couldn't find it.
It's not there."

That evening, after a supper served on a small tip-down table in the
wireless cabin, after the boy had gone to his bunk below, and Lucile
had fallen asleep, Marian lay awake a long time p