She wrote letters praying that money might be sent her by express to Paulmouth, but with the orders addressed under cover to "John-Ed Williams, Jr." at the Big Wreck Cove post office. She explained her design to her juvenile confidant and little John-Ed was made immensely proud of such mark of her trust. She could have found no more faithful adherent than the boy, and with him the secret of her dwelling on the lonely shore and in her hermit-like state was safe. But her presence there could not be hidden for long; of that she was well aware. Little John-Ed, however, told nobody of her whereabouts until the day Tunis Latham came back from Boston and learned that the girl he loved had stolen away from her home in the Ball house. Coming out of the rear door of the barn, fresh from the interview with the old captain which had so shocked him, Tunis saw a small boy astride the low stone fence that marked the rear boundary of the Ball farm. The captain of the _Seamew_ was in no mood to bandy words with little John-Ed Williams, but the sharp tooth of his troubled thought fastened upon one indubitable fact: if there is anything odd going on in a community, the small boy of that community knows all about it--or, at least, as much about it as it is possible to know. Tunis could not have walked up to any adult person on Wreckers' Head and asked the question which he put to little John-Ed on the spur of the moment: "Where is she?" He did not have to utter Sheila's name. Indeed, he was doubtful by what name it would be wise to call her. But he did not have to be plainer with little John-Ed. He saw in the sly expression of the boy's eyes that he knew whom he meant. But he shook his head. "You know where she went," was the schooner captain's accusation. "Where is she?" "I--I can't tell you," stammered the boy. "I promised not." A promise is a promise, especially to a small boy who scorns to "snitch." Tunis thought a moment. "Show me," he said, and his voice had in it that tone which made the foremast hands jump to obey when a squall was coming. The boy got promptly off the wall. "All right," he said gruffly. "But don't you tell her I showed you, Cap'n Tunis Latham." "Trust me," agreed the captain of the _Seamew_, and followed after little John-Ed with such tremendous strides that the latter had to run to keep ahead of him. Tunis was led to that point on the bluff from which a curl of smoke from the cabin chimney could be seen. He halted almost in horror--stricken to the heart when he understood. "Alone?" he muttered. "Yep," was the reply. "She's playing she's a castaway. Nobody but me knows it." Then, fearing he had said too much, John-Ed ran away.