The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-08-16
THE RUBY CROSS.
BY CHESTER n. GOOLD,

IHci5 WIS magnificent view from the
lantern of the lighthouse which stood on
the rocks of San Pelayo; and as Jose
Perez, who kept it, was staunch friend
and humble crony of mine | used tC
enjoy it tolerably often. Indeed, [ NAV
truly say that most of my time was
passed in that old lighthouse. [ was
young then-and handsome and / was
the heir to good estate, was the favorite
of all the senoras for forty miles around.
No doubt they looked upon me as very
proper mate Tor some of the dark-eyed
senoritas of the province. Fate assigned
me different bride, as you know; but
that Is not pertinent to what have to
tell.
As | have said, much of my time was
spent at the lighthouse. Many and deep
were the conferences between Jose and
myself, az he trimmed his lamps and |
looked on. We discussed divers things
love, poetry, voyages, and the latest
news from Madrid. We give most valu-
able advice at distance to her majesty s
ministers; and no doubt had the young
queen, Isabella Segunda, heard our
opinions, she would have saved the
realm much misery and herself deal of
trouble. But she was too far off to
profit by our wisdom. The nobility and
gentry of the province came in for a
share of our careful comment and dis
tinguished consideration, and no doubt
the grandees and hidalgos would have
been intensely Mortified could they have
listened to the free remarks exchanged
by Jose, the lghtkeeper, and the strip
ling count, his patron.
Among others who attracted no small
degree OF attention, and much admira-
ton, was the resident at the castle on the
cliffs, about a mile below San Pelayo.
The estate on which he dwelt and which
had been called by the fantastical name
OF Manana, or Tomorrow, consisted Of
forests tilled with loose rocks, WORKOUT
fields and dilapidated dwelling, with
It's ruined Offices, and, as Jose well said,
had better be called Aver, or Yesterday
1t was evidently thing of the past. It's
owner, who resided in Madrid, for long
while bestowed but little attention on a
property which yielded MIN no revenue.
but at length, after remaining untenant-
ed for years, except by occasional bands
OF smugglers, the old place was surpris-
ed TO find q commissioner there one day.
accompanied by workmen, who proceed
ed to repair, furnish and render it toler-
ably inhabitable. After these departed
there came the new proprietor, accom-
panied by single negro servant. The
two shut themselves up, and for twenty
four hours neither of them were visible
to the most observant of their neighbors.
On the second day the servant came
to the village of Penayedras to purchase
necessaries. | was there at the time and
gazed at the fellow in curiosity. | had
never seen a black man before, and this
was the most hideOus of his class. He
was not alone possessed of the strongly
marked features of the pure African in
the most babOOn-hke state of develop
ment, but these were rendered more re-
pulsive by numerous scars and seams
which marked the face and neck, and by
the absence of One-half of the nose. The
latter had been taken away by sabre
cut, and what remained, after the fash
ion of his race, was not prominent. |
entered into conversation with him, as
well as | could, for be spoke but little
Spanish, and endeavored to ascertain
something concerning his master. What
ever might have been the merits of the
man, commissioners was not among
them. | discovered by comparing his
broken Spanish with that Of some sailors
who had been wrecked few months be-
fore, that he was English-or of some
country where English was spoken.
There my discovery stopped. He made
his purchases and returned to Manana,
to the great chagrin of all the gossips-
myself included.
The master was rarely seen. He
avoided intercourse with the neighbo1-
hood, although he occasionally took al
evening walk beyond the boundaries OF
his own place. In those strolls he ex,
changed words with no one-merely
acknowledging the salutations of those he
met by profound and stately bow,
accompanied by what could scarcely be
called q look of recognition. His was a
striking figure and face, not likely to be
forgotten. He was over six feet in
height, well-proportioned, but not
robust, with pale and intellectual face,
and hands and feet that would have
satisfied the pasha of Ysniva. He
dressed well, in the English fashion, wore
moustache and whiskers and he was
scrupulously neat. His tread was firm
and elastic; but deep and settled mel
ancholy seemed to pervade not only his
countenance but every look, motion and
gesture. At first there was much talk
concerning him, and many were the
cOniectures as to who and what he was.
Conjecture was all that could be had.
Nothing positive could be learned by the
closest investigation, save that his name
WAS Senior Thompson, and that he had
brought letter from the higher powers
of Madrid TO the authorities of the prov
ince, which insured him from molesta-
ton or surveillance.
One day, about year after Senior
Thompson came to reside at Manana, |
wandered up the cliffs to the lighthouse,
Alter eXhausting everything else we fell
upon the ineXhaustible theme of the
Lord Manana and his black servant
Pompeyo. We grew SO much interested
IN this theme that it was not until the
loud rafting of the glasses in the Ian
tern above, and the growing darkness
around us attracted our attention, and
warned us of an approaching tempest
that We ceased our conversation. jose
ran up stairs to trim his lamps, and
followed 10 look seaward. As my foo;
was on the last step low cry from jose
struck my ear. | looked out on the
ocean, and in the distance saw a shiI
approaching the rocks under her main
topsail alone. | took the telescope anC
examined her. [ saw what appeared Il
be the bodies of several persons on heI
deck; but none moved, and there was nc
one at the helm. Jose took the glass anC
also observed the same thing. | waited
for no conjecture of his "a IN tho Yneau