"No, I was never a friend of his," said the S. M., quietly. "He wouldn't know the name of Storm from the name of Adam." My brain worked wildly as he made this answer. I thought--perhaps I imagined it--that he looked suddenly as stormy as his name. I remembered the sheet of paper that had fluttered to me, the day we went to visit the third class--part of a letter which, rightly or wrongly, I had attributed to Peter Storm. Could it be possible that he had known about Larry Moore's wild speculations and other foolishnesses?--that he had some hold over Moore?--that he had wanted to send him a warning which would now be too late? There was nothing to put such wild ideas into my head, except the sudden, really _very_ odd look in the man's expressive dark eyes--a look I couldn't help associating with the talk about Laurence Moore. "But I'm a friend of the house," Mr. Storm was going on to explain. "There was a story I read once--almost the first after I learned to read and could enjoy myself with a book. It was called 'Cade of Kidd's Pines': a great tale for boys." "Oh, and for girls, too!" cried Pat. "An uncle of mine wrote that book. It was dedicated to----" "I've read it!" chipped in Ed Caspian, not to be outdone by any Storm. "What fellow hasn't? I've given it away for prizes to boys in mission schools. To my mind it would be a shame to make a common hotel out of such a place as Kidd's Pines." "I don't suggest making a common hotel," said the S. M. The two gazed at each other, the S. M. with a resolutely impersonal look, Caspian with as rude a stare as his sainted eyebrows would permit. "A good thing," thought I, "that you've reconsidered and taken Mrs. Shuster's offer, for you'd never squeeze one out of Caspian even if you'd accept it--which you wouldn't!" While I was thinking, Jack spoke. "Shall we hold a council of war?" he proposed. "You're all interested in finding some way for Miss Moore and her father out of their troubles. We're interested, too, but we must consult Mr. Moore himself before we can decide anything definite. For some reason he hasn't been able to come to the ship: a business reason probably. My wife and I are going to be neighbours of Miss Moore. We'll take her to Kidd's Pines, and if it's better for her to stay with us for a while we shall only be too happy. Anyhow, we invite you to Awepesha this afternoon; you, Mrs. Shuster----" "And Mr. Storm, my new secretary?" she broke in coyly. "Of course. We hope Mr. Storm will come and elaborate this interesting hotel scheme of his. I shouldn't wonder if there were something in it." "Do I share the invitation?" asked Caspian. "Don't forget that I have a scheme, too!" "Delighted!" said Jack, making no allusion to the latter "scheme."