They passed the old forts Jackson and Pulaski, both on the south side of the river, and both deserted and falling to ruin, and very soon had left behind Tybee Island, with its flashing light, at the mouth of the river.  The tug left them when they reached the siren buoy that keeps up a constant moaning on the outer bar; one after another of the ship’s sails were loosed and “sheeted home,” and then Captain May said it was “high time for the watch below to turn in.”

The sea was so calm and beautiful the next day that even Mark did not feel ill, nor was he during the voyage.  As for Ruth, she knew, from her experience on the last voyage they had taken, that she should not be sea-sick, and so everybody was as happy and jolly as possible.

During the afternoon, after they had all been sitting on deck for some time, talking of the dear ones left at home, and of the many friends whom they hoped soon to meet, Ruth said she was going down to open her trunk and get out the album containing the pictures of her girl friends in Norton, and see if they looked as she remembered them.  It was so long since she had opened this album that she had almost forgotten whose pictures were in it.  She soon returned with it in her hand, and with a very puzzled expression on her face.

“Mark,” she said, “did you ever think that Frank March looked like anybody else whom we know?”

“I don’t know,” answered Mark.  “Yes, come to think of it, I have thought two or three times that his face had a familiar look, but I never could think who it was he resembled.  Why?”

Placing the album in his hand, and opening it to the first page, on which was the photograph of Edna May, Ruth said, “Do you think he looks anything like that?”

“Why, yes! of course he does,” exclaimed Mark, startled at the resemblance he saw.  “He looks enough like the picture to be Edna’s brother.”

“Aunt Emily,” said Ruth, turning to Mrs. Coburn, who sat near them, “do you know in what Southern city Captain May found Edna?”

“Yes, it was in the one we have just left—­Savannah.”

“And Frank came from Savannah, and he lost his mother and little sister there, and Edna’s own mother was drowned there.  Oh, Mark, if it should be!” cried Ruth, much excited.

“Wouldn’t it be just too jolly?” said Mark.

Mrs. Coburn became almost as interested as the children when the matter was explained to her; but Captain May was quite provoked when he heard of it.  He said it was only a chance resemblance, and there couldn’t be anything in it.  He had made inquiries in Savannah at the time, and never heard anything of any father or brother either, and at any rate he was not going to lose his Edna now for all the brothers and fathers in the world.  He finally said that unless they gave him a solemn promise not to mention a word of all this to Edna, he should not let her visit them next winter.  So the children promised, and the captain was satisfied; but they talked the matter over between themselves, and became more and more convinced that Frank March and Edna May were brother and sister.