"But tell me this, please: Why is Sangoa so little known, or rather, so quite unknown ?" "My father," Jones returned, "loved quiet and seclusion.

He was willing to develop the pearl fisheries, but objected to the flock of adventurers sure to descend upon his island if its wealth of pearls became generally known.

His colony he selected with great care and with few exceptions they are a sturdy, wholesome lot, enjoying the peaceful life of Sangoa and thoroughly satisfied with their condition there.

It is only within the last two years that our American agents knew where our pearls came from, yet they could not locate the island if they tried.

I do not feel the same desire my father did to keep the secret, although I would dislike to see Sangoa overrun with tourists or traders." He spoke so quietly and at the same time so convincingly that both Arthur and Uncle John accepted his explanation unquestioningly.
Nevertheless, in the embarrassing dilemma in which Jones would presently be involved, the story would be sure to bear the stamp of unreality to any uninterested hearer.
The girls had now begun to chatter over the theatre plans, and their "financial backer"-- as Patsy Doyle called him--joined them with eager interest.