The Pirate of Panama

Book Excerpt: ...vite a stranger into her difficulty any more than I could push myself into her confidence."I hope you find the paper exactly as you left it, or rather as it left you," I stammered at last. She had put the map in her hand-bag, but at my words she took it out, not to verify my suggestion but to prolong for a moment her stay in order to find courage to broach the difficulty. For she had come to the office in desperation, determined to confide in me if she liked my face and felt I was to be trusted."Yes. It was torn at the moment I threw it away. My cousin has the other part. It is a map.""So I noticed. My impression was that the paper was yours. I examined it to see whether it held your name and address."Her blue eyes met mine shyly."Did it--interest you at all?""Indeed, and it did. Nothing in a long time has interested me more."I might have made an exception in favor of the owner of the document, but once more I decided to move with discretion....