The Morning herald., 1878-02-16
At Last.


"She is queer craft, truly, senior, and,
d what is more, she has at least one bit Of
Il queer history attached to her."
We were standing on the Custom-house
a quay at Port Mahon-he, swarthy, hand
a some, eager-eyed and nervous of speech,
a typical representative of the ragged, ease
n loving, idleness-cursed rabble which throngs
every city of the South of Europe and has
cent its stragglers even into the army of
busy workers which populates the Balearic
q Islands.
The subject of his comment, an old brig
with high bow and towering poop, elabor-
a.a with quaint carvings, to which some
furnished remnant of its ancient gliding
chung, rode easily at anchor amid feet of
4 ether smaller but similarly abandoned craft
in the neglected corner of the harbor
to which all such marine veterans were
&relegated until some enterprising specula-
y tor undertook to break them up.
What is the history?" asked.
"The senior would like to hear ?"
Il would, indeed"
My new friend deliberately drew leaf of
Y tobcccc from his pocket, rolled it into a
IL gar, which he ignited from mine, blew a
cloud of pungent smoke out in the direc-
flon of the brig, and, seating himself on
Pne of the stone mooring-posts, with his
q eyes fixed upon the vessel, said:
Then you shall"
This is his story as closely as I can
Fecolect it. word for word:
Fifteen years ago two people who loved
pne another more than well lived at the
farmhouse of the Finca Suberney in the
Parranco (valley) de Algandar.
One wasa girl of the farm, creature of a
beauty as pure and sweet as our summer
Ply; and spirit as loving and wayward as
the wind that blows from the orange gar.
ens of Alayor.
The other, lad of twenty, half sailor,
RNlf husbandman, but all true lover, had
Reen anchored in the valley by the cable
IN his heart, and in her eyes forgotten to
png for the free air and the salt spray.
They were man and wife, of but few
lonths' standing-man and wife who went
labor, in the lime groves and orange
orchards side by side, and to whom, even
lth its weary work and common fare, the
Rlley was Paradise.
In the third month of their marriage
ranger appeared in the valley.
He was an Englishman, traveller for
easure, whose idle lounge brought him to
pe farm. The place pleased him, the
ople, as everywhere in the Islands, were
Pspitable, and proud of the presence of
guest; so he remained.
Days wore. to weeks, weeks became
pnths, and still he fingered. To-day it
PS an excursion among the shepherds of
desolate heights that hem the valley in;
morrow sturdy climb up the Monte
Tow, with its wind-worn convent ruins;
pin, long ride through fields of golden
PIN and gardens of olives, fruit groves and
f9tile farms. Whatever the amusement
Nas he followed it up earnestly, as his
e2pntrymen always do.
ut the end of his second months stay
e of these excursions brought him down
mountain side after nightfall, with a
ID gale blowing from the north, sweep
over the bare hills with bitter
Fath,
rs he rode in the darkness, his attention
attracted by woman's shriek. It
erced the night and the gale, sharp and
PR, full of wild appeal for aid, and push
toward it without hesitation, he found
pself before one Of those high, pyra-