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/^Valhalla f Out Walsh SYNOPSIS 5R I, —Fishing, In Idle (uk private dock, 0iok Van recoKntEes ae the Beacon, hia fa¬ r's yacht before his death and nnan l reverses forced him to part with It. nan whom he hears a girl who ac panies from him the address The aa Mr. girl Blake, drops a yacht. handbag in the stream, and gives Dick overs it. Thanking him, she her visiting of card. She Is Alioe or, niece Stephen Cutler, suc tul business rival of the elder Van CHAPTER II, — Dick overhears a con¬ versation between Pelican Blake and Captain him Brent of the which gives the impression that the yacht Is bound «p a voyage of adventure to an Island ISM name of which he does not hear. CHAPTER III—Acting on Impulse, Dick, ft footloose and ready for any sort adventure, remembers a hiding place at the main cabin of the yacht and de¬ termines to conceal himself and sail— a Cutler, stowaway— Invalid, with the party. Stephen niece, and the ship comes aboard, with his sails, CHAPTER IV.—In his retreat Dick overhears conversations between Blake end Captain Brent which appear to de¬ note something sinister. Believing the cabin empty, Dick emerges from hid¬ ing ler’s and encounters Marie, Alice Cut¬ French maid, (letting back quick¬ ly, unrecognised, the girl insists she The M» yacht seen a "ghost,” and Is ridiculed. reaches Its apparent destina¬ tion, an island. Dick swims ashore. CHAPTER V.—On the Island next (lay Van Ness witnesses an exchange of mysterious signals which he realizes are between Blake, at Cutler’s house, and la Captain Brent, on the yacht. He Marie present, unseen, while Blake and speak In heated terms of things which add to the mystery of the situa¬ tion. Sleeping In a boathouse near the admits dock, Dick Is discovered by Alice. He he was on the yacht, and she reveals the fact that the servants who should have been at the house are mys¬ phen teriously Cutler, absent, only her uncle, Ste¬ Dootor Alster, Blake and herself being on the Island. Dick’s presence is known only to Alice. The Taolu saila, leavllg the party. CHAPTER VI Walking unchallenged from the boat¬ house, leaving Alice Cutler white and quiet behind, Dick made a complete tour of the Island before any of the others were up. It was a larger Island than he had been led to think. In all It comprised at least several hundred acres, half of It low and flat, and the rest rough and rocky, with the south side ending In a precipitous bluff. The rambling house was built on the highest point, commanding an unobstructed view of the ocean in nil directions. The west side was somewhat shel¬ tered, and a dock had been constructed inside an artificial stone breakwater, that formed a safe basin for boats. It was In this basin that the Pelican had landed Its passengers the night before. In the early morning glow, the Island was a shimmering jewel of rare beauty rising abruptly from the sea, half trop¬ ical and half temperate In its climate and vegetation. The air was neither sultry nor chilly, but of just, the right temperature to soothe Jangled nerves without enervating the owner. Part of the flat side was under culti¬ vation, showing considerable expendi¬ ture of time and labor in advanced ag¬ riculture. Gardens of fruits and vege¬ tables bloomed in the warm sunlight; trees bearing flowers and buds of fu¬ ture crops—tulips, oranges and lemons along with cypresses and oaks—were planted In orderly array along the slope of the hills and on the lower levels; buildings and runs for poultry, game lnclosures, pens for sheep and cows, and low, rambling barns and sheds took up considerable space on the west and south sides. But the north and east, which re¬ ceived the brunt of the storms and pounding seas, were left almost un¬ touched by civilizing hands. Here was a touch of primitive nature—wild, nigged and untamed. The gray walls of rocks beat back the wildest surges of the sea, and the gnarled, twisted trees that grew on their sides and tops were mute testimony to their long defiance of wind and waves. Dick found this side of the island more to his taste. It was possible for one to seek shelter from the storms at any time in the caves, fis¬ sures and depressions between the rocka, and In an emergency one could find a spare living there. Sea birds had their rookeries in sheltered places, screeching and squawking In¬ termittently the day long, and In the pools below, left there by the receding tide, whole schools of fish and crusta¬ ceans ware caught. "With an occasional raid on a hen coop and the dairy, 1 could live here like a king,” Dick observed, whim¬ sically smiling. “A veritable paradise flung down in the ocean." Not exactly sure of his next move, and unwilling to force matters, Dick 1 tally explored the rough side of the island, hiding in the caves whenever any suspicious noise alarmed him, and otherwise enjoying himself to the ut mosrt. In this way he spent the morn¬ ing and early afternoon. Toward sunset, he was watching the shimmer of the ocean on the north when a tiny speck, bobbing up and down on the waves, attracted his at¬ tention. He watched it indifferently at first, and then with more concern. He shaded his eyes with both hands, and came to his feet with an exclama¬ tion of surprise. “It's somebody clinging to a life raft!” he said. He watched It a few moments long¬ er, and then added, “He’s nearly all In, and trying to reach the Island.” Hurrying down the rocks, he reached the edge of the water. The shipwrecked man on the raft was swimming freely now, and with pow¬ erful strokes propelling his frail sup¬ port toward the island. Dick waved his hands, and shouted: "This way! I’ll help you!” There seemed to be a moment of In¬ decision on the part of the swimmer, and then as if Dick's words hud been the signal he threw up both hands, and called faintly: “Help! Help!” Dick lost no time in throwing off his superfluous garments and plung¬ ing Into the sea. The surf was not heavy, and be had no great difficulty in reaching the exhausted swimmer. He caught the frail raft with a hand anfl began towing It in. "Can you hang on It?” he called. The swimmer nodded, and across the raft eyed Dick rather curiously. He seemed far from being exhausted, and as Dick recalled his recent pow¬ erful strokes he wondered. He was a seaman, with a round, bullet-like head, a scar across one cheek, and a squint in one eye. As most of hlg body was under water, Dick could only judge of Its size and strength by the breadth of the shoul¬ ders, bull-llke neck and great hairy arms and hands. "Shipwrecked?" he asked, between two rollers. The scsinion nodded. “What »h*p?” Dick added a moment later. “The yacht Pelican!” Dick almost lost the poweF of his arms in Ills surprise, and a big roller tossed him hack a few yards before he could recover from the shock. They were in the worst of the break¬ ers after that, and It took all their combined strength and skill to battle their way .through them to the beach. When they were finally tumbled ashore beyond the reach of the sucking wa¬ ter, Dick dragged himself to his feet’ and looked at the seaman. “You say you’re from the yacht Pelican?” he said. "What happened? Were you knocked overboard?" “No, sir, I come to get help. I’ve been in the wuter for ten hours. Reckon I’d never made land If you hadn’t seen me, sir. I was nearly in. What part of the coast Is this?” “The const? This is an island— Valhalla I” The man groaned and threw up his arms in despair. "G—d, then I ain’t done no good 1” he said. “That swim’s all fur nothing. I thought I was swlm min’ fur the mainland." He appeared so genuinely grieved and disappointed that Dick said sym¬ pathetically, “It’s too bad! But tell me about the Pelican. Where Is she? And what’s happened to her?” "The usual thing, sir. She ran on the shoals in the storm last night, an’ she’s goln’ to pieces. Can’t last twen¬ ty-four hours—doomed, sir. It’s a pity, sir, she being such a fine boat, and—” “Where was this?” Dick interrupted. "Don’t know, sir. The captain he said he’d lost Ills reckonin’, an’ couldn’t get it until sunup. That’s now. But a lot of good it will do him now that I’ve failed him!” He let out another groan, and strug¬ gled to an upright sitting position, “You say this is an Island?” he added. “You sure It ain’t the mainland?" "I’d hardly make a mistake like that.” replied Dick. Then, “If the Pelican’s on the rocks why doesn’t she summon aid from the shore? She’s equipped with wireless.” “Tes, sir, but It ain’t working no more. The storm ripped the wires to pieces an’ flooded the dynamos. No, sir, the capt’n can’t send a message ashore. That’s why I volunteered to swim It. I thought I could do it with this raft, but the tide and wind must have drifted me out of my course.” Dick nodded and said nothing. He was thinking hard. Was this a part of the mysterious plot? Or had the yacht been wrecked and the seaman risked his life in an attempt to get help before she went to pieces? He eyed the man furtively. He recalled his extraordinary strength in battling the waves until he saw Dick, and then his subsequent collapse. The man, in spite of appearance, did not seem so terribly exhausted. He was breathing almost normally. “Can you walk?” Dick asked sud denlv. “If so you’d better get up to fSe Bouse and make a repeat to see. Cutler. It’s his yacht—” He stopped In the middle of his sen ; tenee, and stared up at the rocks that rose abruptly from the beach a few yards back from the water’s edge. Standing on a projecting ledge within earshot, as if she had jnst stepped out of the mouth of a sea cave that yawned back of her, was Alice Cutler. Dick was satisfied that she had been there for some time, and had listened to the sailor’s story. “There’s Miss Cutler now,” he added, pointing. “You can repeat your story to her, or”—slowly, smiling—“perhaps she heard you." “Yes, I heard,” the girl replied gravely. “It won’t be necessary to repeat it.” She began making her slippery de¬ scent from the rocks. Dick offered a hand to help her, but she ignored it “You were one of the sailors on the Pelican,” she said, addressing the man. “Yes, I remember your face now. I didn’t up there. You’re a new man, aren’t you? Not one of the old crew that uncle had tinder Captain Johnston?” “Yes, ma’am, this is my first cruise in the yacht.” The man touched his forehead automatically as he spoke, but Dick thought he detected a bold leer in the eyes. “An’ I’m afraid, jna’in, it’s the last.” “You have no Idea where the yacht is?" “If I had, ma’am, I’d tell you In¬ stantly. The eap’n didn’t know either. Mebbe he does now. Pity I hadn’t waited until daylight, an’ then tried to reach land." “Yes, It Is a pity,” replied Miss Cut¬ ler, with a peculiar drawl in her voice. “All right,’* she added briskly. “Go up to the house, and report to—to— Mr. Blake. Uncle’s not up yet.” “Yes, ma’am!” He touched his head again with a .hand, and then slowly ambled away. Dick watched him in silence, expect¬ ing the girl to follow, but she re¬ mained standing until the sailor was out of sight. Then she slowly turned to him. “1 saw him swimming in,” she said significantly, "but he didn’t seem to need any help until you called. Then I noticed he lost his nerve. Rather strange, wasn't it?” “Yes, it struck me so,” replied Dick seriously. "Even when I hauled him In, I thought he had more strength than I. But the poor fellow may have been frightened. A night In the water would unnerve any one.” “Do you think he was In the water all night?" she asked a little bit too pointedly to suit Dick. “Why—he said so. I couldn’t say.” She gazed at him with a challeng¬ ing look In her eyes. Dick returned It with a smile of admiration, for with her windblown hair loose, and her eyes flashing with strange emotion, she made a picture of striking beau¬ ty. Suddenly she smiled. "Perhaps I’m misjudging you," she said, “and was harsh with you this morning, but the day’s happenings are getting on my nerves. Mr. Blake as¬ sumes all responsibility for the dis¬ appearance of the yacht lost night.” “Yes, he sent it away,” Dick re¬ plied. “How did you know that?” she asked sharply. “Are you in his con¬ fidence? I didn’t suppose”—speaking slowly—“you were particularly good friends—not after what happened on the dock the other day.” Dick chuckled reminiscently. “You’re quite right. We’re not good friends.” “Then bow’d you know he ordered the yacht away last night?" “I happened to be strolling around when he sent the signals to Captain Brent.” “What signals? I don’t understand." He paused a moment In indecision. Then he shrugged hts shoulders. “It may have been a coincidence," he ad¬ mitted. "He, or some one else, flashed three bright lights from the yacht After that the Pelican got under way. I took the lights as signals.” The girl frowned and watched him with grave, serious eyes. After a long pause, she asked: “What were you doing in front of the house at that time of the night?" “Oh, just hanging around,” he an¬ swered lightly. “You see I’d been pretty cramped in my narrow berth on the yacht, and needed a little ex¬ ercise.” There was still doubt and suspicion In her eyes when, drawing a deep breath, she added, “Where were you on the yacht, that nobody discovered you?” “In—in—” he hesitated. “Go on, please,” she urged when he stopped. "You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he answered, smling. "It would sound a bit too—too improbable.” “Anything seems probable to me now. Go on.” "Well, it was In a secret compart¬ ment that only two persons in all the world know of, if we except the archi¬ tects and builders.” She looked incredulous, but nodded her head. “Who were the two per¬ sons?” “One was the former owner of the Pelican, and he’s dead now.” "Mr. Van Ness, yon mean?” Dick nodded. "And the other?” she added inter¬ rogatively. “I don’t think I’ll mention the oth¬ er’s name,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Of course, you know lt’» I. That’s sufficient” “Yes, that’s sufficient,” she mussd thoughtfully. Then raising her eyes to him, she added: “I wonder how you came in possession of the Infor¬ mation, if what you tell me is true. I don’t snppose you care to tell me.” “No, Miss Cutler, I’d rather not” for Economical Transportation ' In Any Low Prised Car Thousands have already driven the Improved Chevrolet, They know its new smoothness, new stamina, new swiftness of acceleration. They Chevrolet know achievement that in performance of the it completely that dwarfs ranks every the past and it as finest Chevrolet in Chevrolet history. And if you are one who has not yet been behind the wheel, you have more than a treat in store. You have yet to experi¬ ence a type of performance never before offered in any low priced car. 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