“Are these the young men who handle the ‘Pollard?’ Present them to me, please.”

The boys were introduced, also, to Mr. and Mrs. Scott, the elderly couple.

“Some time, Mr. Farnum, if it could be arranged, I wish very much that you would invite us to take a short trip aboard the submarine boat.  It will be the only chance of the kind we’ll ever have.”

“I certainly shall invite you,” replied the builder.  “But,” he added, bitterly, “going aboard the boat that played the strong part in your undoing will be the nearest you will ever come, I fear, to a trail of your missing money.  Pardon me”—­Mr. Farnum choked suddenly—­“I can’t think of that night with patience.”

“And that is just what I want you to forget, please,” begged the girl, softly.  Then she added, with a laugh:  “I’ll call a trip on the ‘Pollard’ settlement in full for any claim you may think I have against you.”

“I’ll pay,” groaned Farnum, “but it won’t be settlement even in part.”

When Miss Desmond and her friends had gone on again Farnum clenched his hands, muttering: 

“The girl’s kindness only makes my savage disgust with myself all the greater.”

“Why, she’s right in saying that you’re not responsible in any way,” urged Jack.

“Boys, if you ever happen up with that rascal, or his scowling son, and if you choke either one, and give him a sound beating, draw on me for a thousand dollars.  If you can ever do anything that leads to the recovery of Miss Desmond’s money, draw on me for anything you please!”

Two days later the promise to give Miss Desmond a trip on the “Pollard” was kept.  Mrs. Scott would not go, but her husband did.  The girl even begged for a brief run under water, and stood it bravely, though with some pallor until she saw the sun once more shining in through the conning tower.

By the time that trip was over the submarine boys would have gone cheerily in the “Pollard?” through a sea of ink, blood or fire to serve the unfortunate young woman.

Very soon after that Miss Desmond plucked up sufficient courage to ask for the vacant position of typewriter in Mr. Farnum’s office, and obtained it.  She rapidly mastered the machine, and, in the meantime, gave all her spare time to the study of shorthand.  She also learned to do much work on the books.  Jacob Farnum would’ve made her post an easy one, but Grace Desmond insisted that she had her way to make in the world, and that she wanted to obtain a business training in the shortest time possible.

Although the “Pollard” went out every day, ever night she lay in the little harbor that formed the sea-board part of the yard.  At her anchorage was a depth of seventy-five feet of water.

The three boys now lived wholly aboard, but it was dull there evenings, so after dark they spent much of the earlier hours of the night ashore.

“Going ashore with us to-night!” asked Hal, one evening, after the meal had been disposed of and the dishes washed and put away.