“Oh, this is a break!” exclaimed Kitty. “I never dreamed I’d find someone so soon who knows Mr. Tradd.” “Then you do know Whit and Uncle Mose and Terrapin Island?” The soldier spoke hurriedly, fearing the train might pull out at any moment. “Uncle Mose and Terrapin Island, but not your Whit,” Kitty replied. “Where’s he—Whit?” “Still in the South Pacific. I’d be there, too, but for a cracked ankle,” he added ruefully. Kitty’s face showed her disappointment. “But he told me if I ever got to Carolina I was to try to find out how Uncle Mose is faring.” “He’s fine. I saw him yesterday. But he’s awful lonesome and wants to hear from Whit.” “Say, this is a bit of luck!” “Give me Whit’s address.” ordered Kitty. “I promised Uncle Mose I’d write a letter for him and send it to his young ‘Massa’ if I could get the address. Imagine meeting you!” “And imagine meeting you!” The young man took out a card and scribbled an address rapidly on it. As he handed it down to Kitty he also gave her a dollar. “Take that and buy the old man some ‘baccy’ for his pipe. Tell him it’s from Whit.” The train was beginning to move now, and Kitty trotted along beside it, handing up the last bar of chocolate from her tray. “What’s your name?” she called. “Kenneth Turner. My name and address are on back of the card, too. Write and let me know what Uncle Mose says. Say, what’s your name?” he yelled as an after-thought, when it was almost too late. “Kitty Carter,” she laughingly called back. Then with a final wave he was gone as he drew his head inside the window, leaving Kitty rather dazed as she looked at the card and the dollar in her hand. These were positive proof that the thing had really happened. On the way back to the Canteen Kitty told the other workers of her experience. “You could never believe such a thing as that would happen. Why, it was only yesterday that I met Uncle Mose for the first time, when we ate our supper over on Terrapin Island. It’s really a small world after all.” “Yeah, real small,” said Vera sourly, “where everybody knows everybody’s business.” Kitty looked at her friend, feeling somewhat taken aback, but she didn’t ask what she meant until they were on their way back to Palmetto Island on the bus. “You seemed to forget that people all around you heard every word you and that chap said,” Vera retorted in a rather severe tone. “Well, there was nothing secret about it.” “Maybe not. But there was one hard-boiled listener, who definitely registered the fact that you talked with Uncle Mose on Terrapin Island yesterday.” Kitty felt the blood rising to her cheeks as she realized that might be significant. “That island’s posted all over with ‘No trespassing’ signs,” Vera stated. “And the owner was standing right there staring at you, and listening to everything you said.” “Not Mr. Beeson?” “Of course.” “Which was he?” “The tall hard-faced man in the Stetson and knee boots.”