The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1880-04-09

brig-a place on the forecastle, between
decks, where prisoners are kept and
guarded by marine.
1t was soon known that Paul Edwards
had obtained an introduction to the
young Spanish beauty whom he saw at
the theater, and that her charms had
tempted him to desert A shipmate of
his, named W s., had pointed
out the place where Paul was concealed
though not before a native called
Paola had come on board and given
such information as led to the capture
of the unfortunate lover. This Paola
was the tall Spaniard of whom I have
spoken, who came OF in his canoe, and
who Bill Regan suspected was "after
blood money" He had given the in
formation which led to Paul's capture,
and had received his reward in Spanish
dollars, and that was the "blood money"
Of which the Captain Of the maintop had
spoken.
Paul and several other offenders were
soon tried by a court-martial, and Paul
was sentenced to receive three dozen
lashes with the cat.o-nine-tails for de-
sertion.
Paul received his punishment, and,
although he never WINGED, it was evi-
dent thao he would not soon forget
hose who had betrayed him.
Paola lived near the shore, in mud
walled house, to which was astached a
small garden. His mates Of the rein
top noticed that whenever Paul cast his
eyes in that direction he slowly shook
his head and gritted his teeth.
On the Fourth of July we fred ma
tional salute; a French frigate in the
harbor ran up the American flag, and
also fred salute in honor of our inde-
pendence.
As soon as the smoke cleared away a
commotion was observed on the shore !;
several persons were seen running in
land from the beach; and the quarter
master, upon looking through his spy
glass, announced that Paola's house
had been overthrown, or, as he ex-
Df6bb6Q lJs Ittu DS6n 6AOCAOA AAgO t41J
shape of a cooked hat"
The officer of the deck then took the
spy-glass, and, after looking through it
a moment, said that the people on
shore were looking off at our frigate,
and shaking their heads in a manner
which denoted that round shot from
one Of our guns had done the mischief
@Third cutter awayp was the order
given, and an officer went on shore 70
ascertain whatever he could in regard
to the affair. He soon returned with
the intelligence that shot had struck
the house OF Paola, knocked away one
corner Of it, and smashed the dinner
pot which had happened, at that mo
ment, to be boiling over q pan OF char
| coal.
But that was not the worst Of it. Tht
beautiful Spanish girl who had wor
| the heart of Paul Edwards was coming
toward the beach at the time, probabl!
| in the hope of seeing or hearing some
thing of Paul; and the shot, after pass
ing through Paola's house, struck he
full in the breast and killed her out
right. The people on shore could no
decide whether the shot came from on
frigate or from one Of the Frenchman'
guns, as both salutes were fred nearl
together.
Some of our men were inclined Il
laugh when told that Paola's hous
had been knocked over by q roun'
shot; but, when the additional informa
tion was given that the young Spanisl
lady. had been killed, all eyes wer
turned gravely upon Paul, who SCENE,
thunderstruck by this intelligence, ane
turning very pale, was unabls to ute
q syllable.
Courses sometimes come home +
roost," said our FIRST Lieutenant, hxin
his keen glance upon the face OF Pau
That somebody had put round she
into one of the guns, when the salut
was fred, could not be doubted; an
it was pretty evident that more tha
one of our officers suspected Paul Et
wards, as Paola was the man who ha
informed against him and caused b
arrest. Who else but Paul could hat
wished to iniure Paola9 But the deaf
of the Spanish girl was serious mattel
and the quarter gunners, therefore, III
derwent rigid examination.
AS for Paul, he was changed ma
ALI his liveliness forsook him; he a
very little, and seemed to be forev
: brooding over the untimely death
the fair Spanish girl.
But was that allp Had he not to q
dure the sad reflection that in reven
ing himself upon Paola -he had mu
dered the girl headored2
Greatpainsweretaken to discover wi
: put that shot into the gun; and it W
suspected that one Of the quaTter-gu
! ners was in possession Of the seers
l but, if SO, ne never revealed it. 81
picion none the less rested upon Pa
! who became more and more gloomy q
! emaeiated every day, and life seem
! to be burden to him.
Q Such was the state Of affairs, whe
a 1