“Bully for you, Mother!” cried Tom, glad to catch a straw as he saw the shadow on Madge’s face lighten. “As soon as I have had a bite of supper with the girls I’ll get hold of a boat and go after the captain.”
Tom did not have to make his journey up the bay to “The Anchorage” that night. While he and his mother were at supper with the girls they heard the sound of Captain Jules’s voice calling to them over the water. He had to come ashore lower down the bay, where the water was deeper than it was near the houseboat, but he always hallooed as he approached.
“O Jenny Ann!” faltered Madge, trembling like a leaf, “it is our captain. Perhaps he has brought Tania back with him. I—I—hope nothing dreadful has happened to her.”
Without a word Tom fled off the houseboat. A moment later he espied Captain Jules coming toward him, alone!
“Halloo, son!” called out Captain Jules cheerfully. “Glad to know that you are down here with the girls. Funny thing, but I’ve had these girls on my mind all day. It seemed to me that they needed me, and I couldn’t go to bed without finding out that everything was well with them. What’s wrong?” Captain Jules had caught a fleeting glimpse of Tom’s harassed face. “Is it—is it Madge?” he asked anxiously. “Is anything the matter with my girl?”
Tom shook his head reassuringly. It took very few words to make the captain understand that the trouble was over Tania and not Madge.
When, a moment later, the captain went aboard the “Merry Maid” he was able to smile bravely at the discouraged women.
“Here, here!” he cried gruffly, while Madge clung to one of his horny hands for support and Eleanor to the other, “what is all this nonsense I hear? Tania is not really lost, of course. I’ll bet you we find the little witch in no time. She has just gone off somewhere in these New Jersey woods to join the fairies she talks so much about. They are sure to take good care of her. We can’t do much more looking for her to-night, but I’ll find her first thing in the morning.”
Both Captain Jules and Mrs. Curtis insisted that the girls and Miss Jenny Ann go early to bed. Just as Captain Jules was saying good night it occurred to Miss Jenny Ann that she would rather turn over to the old sailor the box of coins and jewelry. While Tania was lost there would be so many persons in and out of the houseboat that Miss Jenny Ann feared something might happen to the valuables.
She went to the drawer in the sideboard in the saloon cabin without thinking of the key under her pillow, and took hold of the knob. To her surprise the drawer opened readily. There was no iron safe inside it. Miss Jenny Ann ran to her bed and felt under her pillow. The key was still there as though it had never been disturbed.