At last, however, he returned, laid the bracelets and a slip of paper in the captain's hand, and was about to retire.
"One moment!" said Captain Brett. "Is the writing on the two bracelets the same?"
"Words on two bracelets are identical," replied Lee Ching, precisely.
"That is all, then, and thank you!" And the captain dismissed him.
"Oh, read it," cried Marcia, "or I shall die of impatience!" and she hung over his shoulder while he read aloud Lee Ching's queer, angular handwriting.
When he had finished, a blank look crept over the expectant faces of the two girls.
"Is that all?" cried Janet. And Marcia exclaimed, "Why, how disappointing! It doesn't tell us a single thing!"
"Wait a minute," said the captain, tugging thoughtfully at his short mustache, while he studied the paper, "I'm not so sure of that!"