Page:MacGrath--The luck of the Irish.djvu/262

 was a new game to them and was beyond comprehension, since the man who was manipulating the letter's nomadic existence could not possibly benefit by it financially. The yacht Elsa was not in the harbor of Singapore, and this fact lightened William's burden somewhat.

At four o'clock on the afternoon of the fourth day the Ajax would sail for Hong-Kong direct, as it was proposed to spend considerable time in China and Japan. Ruth went shopping with the two spinsters. She wanted a good supply of those delicious mangosteens. William, on his part, agreed to superintend the shipping aboard of two Canton grass lounges.

Coming on board just before sailing, he saw a bunch of mangosteens in her chair, and concluded that she had gone below to change. He himself elected to take a tubbing and don his new pongee suit. But when at dinner-time Ruth did not appear, he grew alarmed and sought her cabin. One of the spinsters answered his summons.

"Where is Miss Jones?" he asked.

"Isn't she on deck?"

"No. I can't find her." He hesitated. "Did she come on board with you?"

"Why, no. She met Mr. Camden, and the two went over to the markets for more fruit. … Mr. Grogan, what is the matter?"

Deathly white, William suddenly collapsed against the door-jamb.

"She … she has been left behind!"