Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-10
"The stranger in there is a Government

man; he's here to look after old Rochon."
''Diable! but what will you do? He'll
want you too, Mo'sieu Garcin, don't you
think?"
"Dieul I cannot say, but Captain Victor,
of the Zozo. brought him here, and he told
me that am not suspected"
''Victor did?"
"Yes, and admonished me that must
treat this stranger like prince
At this point in the hasty conversation
Garcin thrust his visitor out of the door, and
thereafter Orton could hear only murmur
coming in from the verandah, where they
continued the interview for long while.
To an imaginative young man in search
of romance and adventure, this interlude
between dreams was we'll cast to add a
singular and strange emphasis to the i'm
preston already made in his mind by his
new and almost fantastic surroundings. 1t
was evident that this nocturnal visitor of
Garcin's, as we'll as Garcin himself, was an
outlaw Of some sort, a smuggler or wreeker,
probably both in one. Orton could not
sleep after that, save in the most frag-
mentary maps, so interested did he become
in building romantic fabrics of imagination
out of the suggestions that had come to him
within the space of a few hours. He was
genuine American, brave, self-reliant and
inquisitive, full of enterprise, and daring to
boldness in whatever he undertook. More
over he was rich and without ties to bind
him to any spot. Therefore it can be well
understood how keenly he enjoyed the
situation in which he now found himself
Nothing indeed was further from his mind
Tbon Of fnYo xuif fba
lawful or unlawful practices OF this
orange-scented and mockingbird-haun
little wilderness; but it was
rather satisfying than otherwise to feel that
he was both respected and feared by men,
fearless as rule and desperate at need, who
had neither law of their own nor law of 9TH
ers to trouble them much. Then how the
desultory night songs of the mockingbirds
fed his mood and added richness to his
imaginings! The sough of the Gulf breeze
as it washed through the giant liveoak was
full of wildness, and the tender and contin-
uous swash of the bayou filed his ears and
gave him a sense of being immensely remote
and isolated from ordinary life. Early in
the morning he heard Lalie get out of bed,
and soon she was going lightly over the
house. apparently putting the rooms to
rights. Garcin was not at breakfast and
Orton was told that he had gone down the
bayou to look after some domestic matter.
When the meal was over the young man
took his gun and went into the neighboring
woods, intending but short ramble for ex-
ercise and observation rather than with a
view to shooting. As he passed through
the little garden behind the house
he met Lalie in the walk; she
held great bouquet of roses,
pink, white and yellow in one hand,
while in the other and lying along
her forearm rested tawny cat whose fur
was like silk, and whose greenish eyes glared
savagely. The girl was dressed in red
pettIcoat of rich, ge-fowered stuff and
blue Jacket with loose sleeves and richly
embroidered front. On her head was the
hat he had seen on the spinet. Bizarre she
was, almost barbaric, dark, flashing. warm,
with just suspicion of the savageness of
her cat in her amber-brown eyes. Orton
felt her singular beauty and panther-like
grace thrill him; he lifted his hat as she ap-
preached him smiling radiantly and hold
ing forth her roses.
Everything is so lovely this morning."
she said, with.a half-childish lisp in her
voice and an underglow showing in her
dusky cheeks.
81 thought that as soon as 1 saw you,"
responded Orton, with the gallantry of the
time, and bowling again.
~ wish were lovely" she said, with
perfect sincerity of voice, though her cheeks
grew still warmer. SIT must be delicious
to be beautiful, like these or this, " she
added, indicating the flowers and the cat.