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62 "Do you know anything about pearls?" Chester queried after a moment's hesitation.

"In a way, yes," Keith replied. "I don't pretend to be an expert, but I have handled a good many in my time. As I was telling your sister the other day, I have had a flutter or two at pearling."

Chester Trent took a small wallet from his pocket, and extracted a folded piece of chamois from it. This he opened with loving care, and held out two pearls in his palm.

"Those," he said, "are my justification for saying there is a reasonable chance. I'm convinced that there ought to be more of the same sort where these came from."

Keith took them into his hand and examined them carefully. They were remarkably perfect white pearls, beautifully spherical and of fine lustre.

"They're fine," commented Keith. "Are these exactly as they came out of the shell?" "Exactly," replied Chester. "Now do you wonder that I'm keen to see if there are any more round there like 'em?"

"No," Keith said. "It certainly is tempting. Those two ought to fetch a thousand dollars apiece in New York."

"And if my luck was in I might fish up half a dozen of the same kind in a single day."

"But it is all such a gamble, Chester," the girl protested.