tees, are unable to locate it upon demand. It is "over there in the quarter," "not far from the cathedral there." One could find it if one star

xican quarter, and by going straight forward a block or two and by keeping a sharp lookout to

even. Condy had lost himself and all sense of direction in the strange streets of the quarter, a

ingham lace; and the waiter, whose name was Richard or Riccardo, according to taste, began to officiate at the solemn rites of the "supper Mexican." Co

apel of his coat had entered abruptly,

eath of suppres

he whispered-

e disappointed. For a retired sea captain he was desperately commonplace. His hair

e'll never do, I'm afraid. Perhaps he has a good heart

pulsive," ha

He, too, sat down at a nearby table. He, too, ordered the "

ction!" gasped Co

, her hands dropping in her lap. They

ending to strip a TAMALE that Richard had just

Condy across the table. "In Hea

em is the captain, and one is a coincidence. Anybody mi

ich is

B. should

an looks more l

th gray, and he did have a certain vaguely "sober and industrious" appearance. But the difference between the two men

ly tell which the coincidence was. We owe it to K. D. B. In a way, Condy, it's our duty. We brought her here, o

t himself by seeing another chap here wearing marguerites. Does either one of 'em seem put out to

studied the two

ondy"-her voice dropped to a faint whisper. "The red-headed one has put his hat on a

od would

rown, or his whole name even; and you co

cone of china that stood upon an adjacent table, and Blix held her bre

it might be Joe, or Jeremiah, or Joshua; and even if he was a captai

dy and looked through the windows, and saw TWO men with margue

an idea. I'LL find out which the captain is. You s

olored lithograph of a pilot-boat, schooner-rigged, all sai

at schooner?

in a loud voice what kind of a boat that is; and

are you g

it now; we've n

r seat and cleared

ll. See over there, on the wall opposite? Do you notice it?

at deliberation, fixed the picture with

that's a B

claration merely glanced in the direction of the chromo and returned to his enchellados. But he of the black mustache followed

TINE yo

whispered Condy so soon as the other had re

ot under the table and murmured: "He's looking at his watch, the captain is. K. D. B. isn't here yet, an

upon that. If he's here when K. D. B. arrives, it will spoil eve

counted upon bringing these two toge

d tied behind you," whispered

ind of man to get into

ll. And the Mexican quarter of San Francisco is just

iling a whole romance. Maybe ruining their lives. It's QUITE possible; reall

et rid of h

y, if we'd ever have the courage to do it. It might work; and if it didn't, he

Heaven's name wh

e couldn't. Oh! but

ome in that doo

dashed off a couple of lines on the back of the bill of fare, and h

ow here, next the drug-store. I saw it as we came by. You know his initials: rem

y, as he gazed upon w

ispered, with a littl

d we've noth

s coming nearer

he go-that

You can leave me here that length of time. Quick, Condy

ached fo

, then," he said. "

heir plates. Condy was actually sick with excitement, and all but tipped the seltzer bottle to the floor when a messenger boy appeared in the outer room. The boy and

headed man, for he crossed over

s is for you

gned the receipt; the boy departed. Blix and Condy heard the

ook it out again with a fierce movement of impatience, and consulted it a second time. His "supper Mexican" remained untasted before him; Condy and Blix heard him breathing loud through his nose. That he was profoundly agitated,

man had read in the despatch;

COVERED. FL

t neighborhood? Had he fled the city, the State, the country even? What skeleton in the red-headed man's closet had those six words called to life and the light of day. Had they frightened him forth to spend the rest of his days fleeing from an unnamed, unknown avenger-a veritable wandering Jew? What myste

ent, anxious. By now he had come to the fiery liqueur called mescal. He was nearly through his supper. At every

ter all," murmured Blix. "K. D. B. saw th

legram from her," suggested Cond

ould yo

dn't come. Make an

make another appointment. Sea captain

lump of sugar and sweeten the coffee with syrup. But they were disappointed. Capta

t once she

on the part of Captain Jack, which he immediately followed by a quite inexplicable move. The street door i

face of the newcomer. She had not time to come into the back room, or even to close the street door. But the instant that the

Positively, I believe he's afrai

ate manoeuvring; the pivot upon which all plans were to turn, the storm-centre round which so many conflicting currents

first smothered exclamation, a

and a general air of being very quiet, very matter-of-fact and complacent. She would be disturbed at nothing, excited at nothing; Blix was sure of that. She was pl

y she removed her veil and gloves, and quietly

s like guilty conspirators; but a crash of falling cr

h a rotary movement of head and shoulders. He frowned terribly at trifling objects in corners of the room. He cleared his throat till the glassware jingled. He pulled at his mustache. He perspired, fumed, fretted, and was suddenly seized with an insane desire to laugh. Once only he ca

at the end of her patience. "Does he th

for the twentieth time, twirling his mustache, and bury

From time to time K. D. B. fixed him with a quiet

e, now that he's taken off his

And, then, if she didn't think it was he, she'd go away. And she's so really pretty, too. He oug

was thirty-one, you can bet everything you have

eople who write the personals," said Blix. "I ha

were not. Maybe, however, we have been exceptionally

n't he do something, that captain?" mourned

. Let's go and give 'em a chance. If you leave the two alone here, one or the other will HAVE to s

o SEE them meet

't hear wha

f they did meet, and o

k first," de

d Blix, in an in

then come back in five minutes.

bly do it anyhow

hey got together their things, and Condy neglec

faction of Richard, the waiter, paid the bill. But as

bed. "Fifty cents is the very least you could tip him." Richard actual

" he declared wit

ing the hour of eight; then as they remembered that the restaurant closed at

exclaimed Condy to Richard, who was untying his apr

left it back here w

Blix following. They got his stick

as he showed it to Richard. "I'm alwa

ichard, as he bowed

ors. In the back room, seated at the same table, a bunch of wilting marguerites between them, they had seen

igh of relief and sat

B. and Captain