A boat rocked upon the calm water that murmured along the
shore, when a young man came down from the upper bank of white
drift sand, and seized the tiller rope. He had the rope in
his hand, his arm was upraised to draw the boat to his feet,
when he was startled by hearing the words with which we open
our narrative.

The young man turned toward the speaker, and encountered a
sight that caused his handsome eyes to bulge with amazement.

It was a clear, cloudless night, and a half moon shed its
diminished radiance on surrounding objects, and revealed to
the astonished gaze of the young man the weird-appearing
figure of a young girl.

One glance was sufficient to announce the fact that the girl
was beautiful, but alas! in what questionable shape did she
appear? She was attired in a loose gown tightened about the
waist with a leathern belt, her feet were bare, and her long
hair hung unkempt upon her shoulders.

As our old-time readers know, we are not heavy on the
beauty-describing business, and we will merely declare that
the girl was indeed a lovely creature, clad in rags; but she
was beautiful, and Spencer Vance, the young man, discerned
the fact at a glance, and his amazement was the greater
because of the thrilling conditions under which re beheld
so great loveliness.

The young man made no immediate answer to the girl's abrupt