Mary Rogers," continued the young girl, approaching her small mouth to her confidante's ear in an appalling whisper.

"His father was--a PIRATE! Yes--lived a pirate and was killed a pirate!" The statement, however, seemed to be partly ineffective.

Mary Rogers was startled but not alarmed, and even protested feebly.

"But," she said, "if the father's dead, what's that to do with Clarence?
He was always with your papa--so you told me, dear--or other people, and couldn't catch anything from his own father.

And I'm sure, dearest, he always seemed nice and quiet." "Yes, SEEMED," returned Susy darkly, "but that's all you know! It was in his BLOOD.