replied the lieutenant commander, flushing.

"I didn't mean to be offensive, Mr. Kimball. But I have as great a
reason as Uncle Sam can have for wanting to preserve the secrets of
this boat from all but sworn officers and men of the Navy. You and I
are one in that desire, Mr. Kimball, so we'll gladly take out any party,
ladies included, that you bring on board."

"Thank you," answered Kimball. "And I can assure you that I shall be
very careful in making up my party. Oh, but won't there be fluttering
hearts at Spruce Beach tonight And I'm more than half afraid that I
shall make an enemy of every lady of my acquaintance whom I have to
leave out of the affair. How many, guests can you take, Mr. Farnum?"

"Not above fourteen, all told," replied the shipbuilder.

"Then I shall go ashore myself this evening, to deliver my invitations."

The shipbuilder also went ashore that evening, just to see whether he
could learn anything about M. Lemaire and Mlle. Nadiboff. Almost the
first person Farnum encountered was reporter Hennessy.

"Oh, your people are still here," answered Hennessy, in response to the
shipbuilder's question. "They're both keeping in the background,
though. It looks as though they feared to run away, and were waiting
to see whether the lightning were going to strike them. Now, that I've
told you so much, Mr. Farnum, can't you give me a little more of the
inside of this whole strange business?"

"If I did," smiled the shipbuilder, "you'd send it to your paper."