"
"But how does this concern us?" asked Jack, rousing a little.
"I could show you that cap, boss," the Negro went on. "I've got it
here. It's dark, but maybe you can make out the letters on it. I
can't read very good."
Jack held the cap up in the gleam of a light on the water-front. His
startled eyes saw a cap, such as sailors wear, while in faded gilt
letters on the band was the name: "RAMONA."
CHAPTER XXII
THE LONELY ISLAND
Walter, looking over Jack's shoulder, rubbed his eyes as though to
clear them from a mist, and then, as he saw the faded gilt letters,
he closed both eyes, opening them again quickly to make sure of a
perfect vision.
"Jack!" he murmured. "Do I really see it?"
"I--I guess so," was the faltering answer.
"Cora, look here!"
The girls, who had drawn a little aside at the close approach of the
negro, came up by twos, Cora and Belle walking together.
"What is it?" asked Jack's sister, thinking perhaps the man had made
a second charity appeal to her brother, and that he wanted her advice
on it.
"Look," said Jack simply, and he extended the cap.
As Walter had done, Cora was at first unable to believe the word she
saw there.
"The--Ramona," she faltered.
"The steamer mother and father sailed on?" asked Belle, her face pale
in the lamp-light.
"The same name, at any rate," remarked Walter, in a low voice.
Pages:
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154