Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-04

quiet twinkle under her long lashes at
her aunt's effusiveness, and who wanted to
be taken care of.
A blue-eyed brunette was Miss Gertie
Blake, schoolma'am. Has it evsr been
your lot to meet laughing eye eyes,
whose liquid blue is ever frightened with
sparkle ike champagne, and fringed with
long lashes OF rich deep brown? A little
figure. the issome suppleness of which was
not obscured by the traveling-dress she
wore, not long enough to hide an arching
instep, clsdasSee, as daintily as even Paul
de Kock could wish. With rich pouting
lips and nose just the least bit "tip.tilted, :"
neat handed and well gloved, she stood,
calmly waiting to be taken care of by that
ogre of Captain, nor seemed one bit
afraid OF that monster of the deep. Self
reliant and hard-working, she had per-
feet knowledge of the side on which her
bread was buttered and keen eye to the
main chance, such as women who have
early been thrown upon their own resources
do acquire. Born in California and scarcely
twenty, she had already taught school for
nearly year in Oakland, and was now re-
turning to resume her duties after short
sojourn with her relations in southern
city by the sea. No wonder Captain Storm
oway gazed admiringly at her until, in
deed, poor Gertle began to fear something
was wrong, and quickly up went her hand
to her back hair, as the most vulnerable
point of her outworks, and she whispered,
"Do lend me a hairpin, auntie. l know
this tiresome back hair of mine is coming
down, is it not 2"
"No, dear it is all right p
The luxuriant masses of rich Velasquez
brown were steadfast in their places, and
there was no pressing need of bracing those
mysterious coils which ladies seem to think
are ever always on the point of shutting
off, Then she thought he wanted to tease
her, and she was fonder of teasing than
uelhS 0CdoSu "hilo uo ouiy uioane oioW,
honest, bovine admiration. The dawn of
his emotions was always preceded by a
kind of twilight, But he should not tease
her with IMMUNITY.
''Going to San Francisco, Miss Blake p
Yes, Captain, L believe l shall form
part of your cargo"
'Too precious for cargo, ma'am. No
underwater would undertake to insure
such risk"
SIS it because l am too valuable or too
risky, Captain, or do want ballast y
Three questions at once staggered him;
and he was getting entangled.
"Too valuable, of course, ma'am. I'm
always kinder seary when have valuables
on board. 1t isn't lucky"
Like Jonah, for instance? None but
the brave deserve the fair, Captain. either
as cargo or anything else"
"Well, I guess I'm an old fool, and don't
deserve 'em anyway"
"And am a young one, Captain. Pray
forgive my nonsense"
She was easily appeased, and was now
sorry for having teased the poor man.
Then there was a shufliing of feet, rat
Ting OF the gangway and a ringing of
bells, and Charles father, with hurried
Good by, and God bless You, my boy u
and rough, hasty shake of the hand,
jumped for the shore The engines
throbbed, the great wheels revolved, and
the stricken sea boiled up with foamy in
dignation. Captain Stornoway was too
busy with his ship to attend much to his
passengers, and believing that the iniunc-
ton to take care of Miss Gertie Blake
would be best complied with by introduce
ing her to the first eligible young man in
his possession, he delivered Charlie Gould
over to her tender merc;es, to be dealt
with as be might deserve.
"Shall fetch you chair, Miss Blake,
or perhaps you would prefer to walk the
deck ?" inquired Charlie.
"No; let us sit in this cozy nook and
watch the light and shade of the lifting
fog on the mountains, said the cunning
young woman, for she did not altogether
see her way to taking the arm of a young
man on so short an acquaintance, and on
the airy, unstable footing Of ships deck
and in broad daylight, too. That might
come in due course before the close of the
voyage, but, in the meantime, we will
keep some weapons In reserve, If you
please. OF course one must not waste
ones opportunities, but gently, for the
end is not yet, and there will be time
enough for that perilous, clinging contact
OF the shifting deck and those sweet, in
toxicating bumps.
"Why, you don't mean to say that you
have let them put you down there?" said
Miss Gertie, as Charlie emerged from be-
low, With couple of chairs he had fetched
from his state-room, off the saloon. :" !
always make them give me room on
deck. she continued, "and on the shore
side, too. There Is so much to be seen.
ooh, generally go where 1 am told, u
said Charlie.
How very obedient y
usually am when I get my own way, .
said Charlie. as if to intimate that he would
not let himself be trodden on unless he
liked the process.
DO you stay in San Francisco
sob, 1 cannot say that have any plans
respecting residence as yet, but suppose
l shall settle down there somewhere, after
l get into business
Oakland is so much nicer. l mean the
place and the people" said this ELUSIVE
young partisan.
"You live in Oakland 81