“But he might not have known anything about it,” interposed Joseph, who was becoming interested.
“The idea!” exclaimed his sister, “Captain Shannon not to know all about Cocos Island!”
But Joseph wasn’t to be scorned off well taken ground, and maintained that the Captain had had too much sense to put dependence in such yarns as that.
Miss Katherine began very patiently:
“It isn’t a yarn, but a well substantiated fact that every sea captain would know. But I have good reasons for believing he found it,” concluded Miss Katherine mysteriously.
Miss Katherine closed her lips tightly as if she knew a great deal but was resolved to make no more disclosures to a skeptic. She acted very wisely, for curiosity is not confined exclusively to females. Joseph resisted as long as he could and then said in a gruffly apologetic tone:
“I didn’t mean to offend you, Katie; but I was trying to see all sides of the case. Would you have any idea where he put the money and valuables, if he found them?”
Miss Katherine was quite mollified.
“I wouldn’t want to say that I knew exactly where he put them, but I’ll tell you what I’ve deduced from the facts of the case. One would suppose that Captain Shannon had put all his money into his schooner which was lost, but notwithstanding that he immediately settles here and spends a good deal of money upon this property. I am convinced that that money was part of the treasure he found on Cocos Island.”
Miss Katherine paused impressively.