The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-11-08
AN ABALONE'S SECRET.
A Romance of California in Two
Episodes.
m AUGUST. 1890.

IN AUGUST, 1871.
Under the afternoon sun the restless
waters of San Francisco bay flung dia-
monds and opals at such human eyes as
CHANGED to look on them.
Two young people who strolled down
to the Preside beach, however, had no
chances to spare for anything SO COM
monplace as diamonds and opals. For
Lieutenant Anderson was gazing into
the depths of the great, soft black eyes
of Miss Pachita de Sofa, and Miss Pa
chita de Sofa was looking up into the
ardent blue ones of Lieutenant Ander-
son. She seemed to like it.
The tall young soldier with the fair
hair, broad shoulders and square, manly
Saxon face, had not been long released
from the hard work and harder restraint
of West Point, and in his new freedom
of army life went at things with an
energy of desire that was quite ~irresist-
ible. Miss Pachita de Sofa found it SO,
as had half q dozen other girls within as
many months. 1t was a wholly serious
business with the lieutenant this time,
though.
He had been in California but a few
weeks. and this daughter Of an ancient
though decayed Spanish family, as
American in education and thought as
himself, was ravishing in her novelty.
Altogether feminine Pachita; at one
moment childlike and chnging; the next
worldly, witty and hooking; then, with
the lids hiding those lovely, big eyes of
hers, her whole aspect suggested-espe-
cially to a lieutenant with ample g
to marry-possibilities of tenderness un-
s~peakable.
No wonder that when Miss Pachita
permitted Lieutenant Anderson to gaze
down into her eyes and returned an an
swering look, giving a little sigh, too,
his head went after his heart, which had
been lost for an eternity-that is to say,
for two terrific, ~sleepless weeks.
But the young lady was discreet, and,
gently clasping his fingers, removed them
from her waist, saying demurely:
"Don't be foolish, John. Somebody
may be looking"
This, in a city of 300,0 900 inhabitants
and in full sight of the ever ~vigilant
garrison, struck John as being not i'm
probable.
Instant in action, as became a soldier,
Lieutenant Anderson executed a Hank
movement on q sand bank and seated
Miss de Sofa in it's lee, on a large, water
whitened, sun dried log of driftwood.
Then this consummate tactician repeat
ed the original attack with entire sue
cess.
"Pachita, oh, my darling" breathed
the ecstatic lieutenant, straining her to
his side and Immediately showing a dis
position to put a knee upon the beach.
"Well, John?' and the smile of love
and gratified vanity that smote his eyes
blinded them.
"Name the day, oh, Pachita;s l cannot
live till you dol"
Pachita pursed her full, red lips, puck
cred the midnight eyebrows, and con-
sidered profoundly, digging deep into
the sand with his can't the while.
''The day, my own love-the day."
gasped John.
''Dear me-" Miss de Sofa exclaimed
suddenly, what a beautiful shellI'
Damn the shellr' cried Lieutenant
Anderson, reaching for what she had
unearthed, to cast it wrathfully out
among the unnoticed diamonds and
opals.
But he was restrained in wonder.
IN AUGUST, 1895.
The same sun was enriching the dane
ing waters of the same bay with dla-
monds and opals. A young couple who
strolled down to the Preside beach ad-
mired the view very much, and Senorita
Pachita de Sofa had no occasion to re-
mind the lieutenant by her side that
somebody might be looking. Lieutenant
Juan de Echeahdia would have liked
greatly to coil his arm about that slim
waist, but did not dare, though there
was only a small and sleepy garrison,
and no city at all behind them-only
the padres and Indians at the mission
Dolores, far over the sand hills, and a
cabin or two down at the embarcadero,
entirely out of sight. Pachita de Sofa
was niece of Commandante Don Luis
Antonio Arguello, and though he, Lieu
tenant Juan de Echeandia, was a nephew
of Don Jose Maria, of the anne name,
one, even though an aristocrat, has under
all circumstances to show proper re-
spect for his commanding officer. Be-
sides, the Senorita Pachita had twice re-
fused his friendly offered hand. 1t was
believed that her young affections were
bestowed upon Ensign Tiburcio Mendez
at Monterey, though this was not known
to a certainty at the Preside.
Lieutenant Juan de Echeandia and
Senorita Pachita de Sofa walked leisure
ly to the little wharf where that Won
derful vessel, constructed but recently
by a wandering British sailor, lay pre-
pairing for a voyage to S~ausalito, four
leagues distant 1t was a marvellous
boat, with oars and a sail, and capable
of accommodating 40 less than six per-
sons. Don Luis Antonio Arguello HIM
self had commanded her in person on
the dozen passages which she had made
to the opposite shore for timber. Pre-
vious to the creation of this ~extraordi-
nary ship, which annihilated distance
and obliterated time, timber was hard to
get from Corte de MADEIRA. Soldiers
were sent around by way of San Jose,
armed with axes. who crossed the Straits
Of Carquinez on RATS, and in the circuit
of seventy leagues encountered hardships