Page:Ballinger Price--Fortune of the Indies.djvu/49

 enough, and Mark's train did come in at last, and Mark himself arrived—in an extravagantly hired cab across the bridge—rather late for supper. His face told the outstanding fact of his story before he said a word.

"It's gone," Jane said quickly.

"Yes," he growled, "it's gone, all right. Somebody bought it just after Ned saw it."

"I fear we could hardly expect the luck to turn at this late time," murmured Miss Lucia.

"But didn't you find out who bought it?" Jane cried, shaking Mark's arm.

"Of course I tried, silly," Mark said. "They had no record of it. Just that it was sold. Some man,—he carried it off in an automobile. Some beastly collector, I suppose."

"Mark, not 'beastly, Miss Ellen protested gently.

"Well, he'd no business collecting our ship," Mark muttered. "Not that we could have afforded to buy it, though, if it had been there. What do you suppose he paid for the thing? Eight hundred dollars!"

There was an incredulous gasp. In