So successful and enjoyable a trip did the naval officers have that, as the "Benson" was gliding back to the harbor, Lieutenant Commander Kimball broached a subject that had begun to interest the society people among the winter visitors to Spruce Beach.

"Mr. Farnum," inquired the naval officer, "I have a favor to ask of you."

"You know in advance, Mr. Kimball, that it is granted."

"I hope it is, if it's a wise favor to ask," smiled the naval officer.

"In brief, the idea is this: Naturally people in this neighborhood are all agog over this submarine craft. Some of the more daring of the ladies have besought me to arrange for a few of them to have a trip on board, even to running beneath the surface. Will you do that, for a party of our friends, to-morrow afternoon?"

"We've been a good deal beset by spies lately as you have means of knowing," replied Mr. Farnum, slowly. "You'll guarantee all of the guests, of course."

"As a naval officer I wouldn't bring anyone aboard here whom I doubted,"

replied the lieutenant commander, flushing.

"I didn't mean to be offensive, Mr. Kimball. But I have as great a reason as Uncle Sam can have for wanting to preserve the secrets of this boat from all but sworn officers and men of the Navy. You and I are one in that desire, Mr. Kimball, so we'll gladly take out any party, ladies included, that you bring on board."

"Thank you," answered Kimball. "And I can a.s.sure you that I shall be very careful in making up my party. Oh, but won't there be fluttering hearts at Spruce Beach tonight And I'm more than half afraid that I shall make an enemy of every lady of my acquaintance whom I have to leave out of the affair. How many, guests can you take, Mr. Farnum?"

"Not above fourteen, all told," replied the shipbuilder.

"Then I shall go ash.o.r.e myself this evening, to deliver my invitations."

The shipbuilder also went ash.o.r.e that evening, just to see whether he could learn anything about M. Lemaire and Mlle. Nadiboff. Almost the first person Farnum encountered was reporter Hennessy.

"Oh, your people are still here," answered Hennessy, in response to the shipbuilder's question. "They're both keeping in the background, though. It looks as though they feared to run away, and were waiting to see whether the lightning were going to strike them. Now, that I've told you so much, Mr. Farnum, can't you give me a little more of the inside of this whole strange business?"

"If I did," smiled the shipbuilder, "you'd send it to your paper."

"Of course," admitted the reporter, honestly.

"I'll tell you the best I can do, Hennessy. You keep your eyes and ears open for us, and I'll give you this news story before I give it to any other newspaper man."

"You surely will?" demanded the newspaper eagerly.

"I will."

"Then I'm here to help you"

As the lieutenant commander had predicted, the ladies at the hotels were in a flutter of excitement that evening. Every one who heard of the projected trip on the submarine boat, it seemed, wanted to be invited.

By the time that Mr. Kimball's list was made up it consisted of three men and nine women, these in addition to the lieutenant commander himself and Mr Featherstone.

As Jack paced the far end of the veranda that evening a girlish figure, only poorly concealed under a light wrap, stole after him. As the young woman reached him she threw back a light veil, revealing the very pretty face of Mlle. Nadiboff.

"So, my Captain," she cried, "you would forget me when you are getting up a party to take a cruise on your wonderful craft?"

If young Benson felt anything as he looked, he was staggered by this amazing bit of effrontery.

"You do not answer me," cried Mlle. Nadiboff. "You feel guilty indeed, then?"

"Perhaps 'astonished' would be the more accurate word," Jack replied, smiling now.

"My Captain, you were very pleasant with me, the first evening that we met."

"That was before," nodded Captain Benson, still smiling. He stood cap in hand, his whole bearing respectful, for he did not intend to be discourteous even to this known adventuress. He would grant her at least the courtesy due her s.e.x.

"Before what?" she asked.

"Well, er--before that automobile ride the day."

"And why should that change your att.i.tude toward me, my Captain?" asked the young Russian. Her tone was coaxing, almost cooing; her eyes extremely moist, as though the tears would spring forth in another instant.

"Why, you see, Mademoiselle," laughed Jack, coolly, "the finish of that automobile ride was just a trifle too exciting for me. I have plenty of the strenuous side of life out at sea. When on sh.o.r.e my tastes are all for the quiet, peaceful life."

"But surely you do not reproach me with having made the automobile ride unpleasant?"

"Only that, as I remember it, you dropped some dust--or something--into my eyes, and right after that two men took me away in your car--and then things happened to me."

"Why, that was all a joke," protested the handsome young woman, gazing keenly into his eyes.

"Then I'll laugh now--ha! ha! But seriously, Mademoiselle, I haven't a sense of humor that will appreciate carrying a joke quite as far as that one was carried."

"It was all a joke," Mlle Nadiboff insisted. "At least, M. Lemaire so a.s.sured me. What ever you may have thought, my Captain, I beg you will not believe that I had any notion of helping to cause you real discomfort."

Her tone was so sincere in its ring, her eyes looked so honestly and appealingly into the boy's that Jack, for an instant, had to wonder whether he were dreaming.

"My Captain," continued the Russian girl, in a voice that trembled softly, "I see, now, that I have been fearfully--cruelly--misunderstood by you. That is more than I can bear. Come, let us take a little walk together in the grounds. I want you to tell me just what part you thought I had in some affair against you. I insist; it is my right to know this. Your arm, my Captain!"

As she spoke, Mlle. Nadiboff slipped her soft little right hand inside of Captain Jack's arm.

Captain Jack took hold of that hand to disengage it. But Mlle. Nadiboff merely held the tighter, while the boy was conscious that she was gazing up at him appealingly.

"I don't wish to be rude, Mademoiselle; don't, force me to be," the submarine boy urged. "Will you kindly release my arm?"

Then, with a subdued though angry exclamation, the girl obeyed.

"You will not even hear me?" she cried, stamping one foot lightly against the veranda boards, while now her eyes brimmed with tears.

"By jove, but she's a bully actor," thought Benson, with a sort of admiration.

"I am sorry, Mademoiselle," he replied, "But I am wanted now. I am forced to say 'good evening.'"

With a bow he turned and left her, replacing his cap as he strode away.

"Oh, that fool, that unnatural young man!" she cried, angrily, to herself. "He prefers what he calls 'duty' to the friendly glance of a pretty eye. Bah! Perhaps he is laughing at me at this moment. If he is, he is laughing much too soon, for I shall teach him a lesson or two.

You are not yet beyond my reach, my brave young Captain!"

The veil that Mlle. Nadiboff carefully wound so that two folds fell across her face concealed a hard, sneering, almost barbaric look that had crept quickly into that handsome young face.