y's spotless white shirt and
collar. Then he nodded his head slowly.

"Mr. Gray is the Chief Engineer," he explained, with mock courtesy.

"Yes, sir,--I know," responded Percival. "He comes of one of the oldest
and most highly connected families in Baltimore. He informs me that his
father--"

"Never mind!" snapped the Captain. "We need not discuss Mr. Gray's
antecedents. How old are you?"

"Thirty last Friday, sir."

"Married?"

"No, sir."

"Parents living?"

"No, sir."

"And now, what the devil do you mean by sneaking aboard this ship and
hiding yourself in the--by the way, Mr. Mott, where was he hiding?"

Mr. Mott: "It doesn't seem to be quite clear as yet, sir."

Captain Trigger: "What's that?"

Mr. Mott: "I say, it isn't quite clear. We have only his word for it.
You see, he wasn't discovered until he accosted Mr. Shannon on the
bridge and asked--"

Captain Trigger: "On the bridge, Mr. Mott?"

Mr. Mott: "That is to say, sir, Mr. Shannon was on the bridge and he was
below on the promenade deck. He asked Mr. Shannon if he was the Captain
of the boat."

Captain Trigger: "He did, eh? Well?"

Mr. Mott: "He was informed that you were at breakfast, sir,--no one
suspecting him of being a stowaway, of course,--and then, it appears,
he started out to look for you. That's how he fell in with the Chief
Engineer. Mr. Gray informs me that he applied for work, admitting that
he was aboard without leave, or passage, or funds, or anything else,
it would seem. But, as for where he lay in hiding, there hasn't been
anything definite arrived at as yet, sir. He seems to have been hiding
in a rather wide-spread sort of way."

Mr. Percival, amiably: "Permit me to explain, Captain Trigger. You see,
I have been obliged to change staterooms three times. Naturally, that
might be expected to create some little confusion in my mind. I began
in the second cabin. Much to my surprise and chagrin I found, too late,
that the stateroom I had chosen,--at random, I may say,--was merely in
the state of being prepared for a lady and gentleman who had asked to be
transferred from a less desirable one. I had some difficulty in getting
out of it without attracting attention. I don't know what I should have
done if the steward hadn't informed them that he could not move their
steamer-trunk until morning. There wouldn't have been room for both of
us under the berth, sir. If the gentleman had been alone I shouldn't
have minded in the lea