The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-04-27
THE SUNDAY MORNING NEWS. APRIL q lsao

with dreamy reminiscent expression
out over the bay TO where the sun was
gliding some vagrant gulf caps till they
looked like vague floating doines OF gold.
It is scarcely possible for one to real
ize now what place Pensacola must
have been for refined and gentle wo-
man to be Gagged in; the years have hurl-
ed us forward so far from those wild,
lawless, freebooting days that we can
think of them only as appearing haaily
through mist of romance. The reality
was romantic indeed, but it was harsh,
cruel, painfully devoid of any high
strain of endeavor, and withal brutally
coarse, no matter how picturesque and
interesting may have been its setting.
Dona Hortense (thus we must name the
wife Of Don Alphonso) had felt to the
last thrill the loneliness, the starvation OF
soul, the utter exile of the life which for
wears she had been compelled to accept.
The coming of Pauline was to her at once
a ioy and q sorrow, for while it filled in
degree the void in her heart, itawaken-
ed to renewed life and activity the SYM
pathies which for years had lain dor
nsnt, and made her feel how terrible
would be the poor girls sutferings in the
life which must now come to her.
s.Poor little dear, she murmured, gaz-
ing half sadly at the delicately chiseled
face and laying her hand on the yellow
brown hair. "Poor little dear, wonder
what play of fate brought you to this
terrible place" After long, thoughtful
pause she added-'and wonder what
at last will become of you" She shook
her head dolefully and covered her eyes
with the finger and thumb of one hand
as if to shut out some disagreeable vision.
A heavy football in the adjoining room
gave warning of the approach of Don
Alphonso.
s.And how fares the mermaid by this
timer"
The light voice and the stalwart gray
bearded man came through the doorway
together.
The woman put her finger on her lip
and shook her head.
Don Alphonso stalked in with that
easy and careless swagger which in all
ages has marked the man without con-
science.
Beautiful as saint" he exclaimed,
stopping himself in the middle of the
room and looking with admiring eyes
upon the girls white face. "Capt. Cor
tesisa lucky dog to capture such prize.
For shame, Alphonso, for shaInep
whispered the Dona. ssYou will wake
the poor child. and then your words are
brutal. Don't speak again, she must
sleep.
Don Alphonso was not soldier. He
was an adventurer who had come to
Spanish Florida ostensibly as the agent
of a great trading company, so called;
but in sober fact his business was to for
ward any scheme, lawful or unlawful,
for gaining wealth. He was very hand
some man, and despite his wickedness
had many traits attractive to women.
His wife loved him passionately, but she
had long since discovered that her power
over him was not what it had been in
the days of her prime when she was both
beautiful and happy.
He stood quite still for Some time with
his gaze fixed steadily on PauIine's face.
His features relaxed and their expression
softened. 1t had been years sincehe had
looked upon the face of young and
beautiful girl. The vision recalled his
youth and the season of careless, happy
idling in the companionship Of the pure,
the beautiful and the good.
1.-THE Holy Mother bless the poor girl"
he softly said. tShe has found but a
poor exchange for the bottom of the sea.
His wife looked up at him and warm
flush stole over her prematurely with
cred cheeks. She arose. and going to
him, laid her hands on his strong Shout
ders and said:
my dear husband, we must save her;
we must make her our child"
The man appeared to shake himself,
as if drawing together his wits after
fit of abstraction. He smiled grimly,
but not without a lingering tenderness
as he responded:
"You forget" he said, trying to as
sumo the swsgger. "You forget that
Capt. Cortes win have something to say
in the matter" With this he turned
and abruptly left the ROOM