The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-31


alogy surely does not suffer.
1.-THE sea may tell me, he would OCCASION
ally reflect before starting-and reflect hai1
In humorous earnest, half in somber Jest
what sort of incentive, occupation, self-ab-
sorption my life just now really desires. Or,
1t may tell me on the other hand, whether
grief and Disappointment have indeed thrust
my soul into an oubiette of that austere
Bastllle, ennui, and doomed that shall wait
there only single summons-that OF the
turnkey. death"
he had already crused in this stately
yacht of his. the Nomad, along numerous
Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Henow
chose the Pacific, reaching it after many
days OF INDECENT sailing. and after pauses
at many port, from Rio Janeiro TO San
Francisco, a pleasure journey at once auda-
ctOus and immense.
On the California shores we fingered for
two or three months. and at length put forth
for kind Of adventurous ocean ramble
among the mighty POlynesian sweeps. His
curious longing had all this time remained
as indefinite as 1t was acute. la San Fran
cisco a sudden wish for human association
had seized him, and he had permitted him
self certain follies which although his strong
Inherent refinement prevented them from
ever being of the grosSer sort, now filled
him with dreary remOrSe. The huge blue
levels of the Pacific at once so0thed and re-
preached him. Perhaps he at length told
DtdTly
beaches OF tToplc Islands began TO dawn on
his sight. he was destined TO find forever,
here among these vast quieScent seas, a
haven Of delicious repose.
Landing at Honolulu, he spent some time
there, and then struck SouthWeStward. His
yacht was meanwhile in splendid condi-
tlon, his picked crew in excellent health
and perfect discipline. About ten days
later he reached two islands, one of which
was perhaps 1000 acres in extent, aud in
hablted by small settlement of English
traders and few hundreds of harmless,
half-civilized natives. The other island lay
possibly three miles distant, and the NOmad
had scarcely Landed him on its edge before
Stayne became entranced with its lonely
and lovely charms Its extent was less
than half that OF its near neighbor, and
doubtless because of the English trading
post across the intervening channel, it was
apparently quite deserted. But StaYne
found there, amid grove Of ruStlng palms,
the auaintest kind of dwelling, which
combined the primitive features of
Hawaiian structure with q Yeranda and
two or three tiny-ceied chambers. An
American or European had evidently erected
the curious edifice and then left il here on
this deserted island. Stayne at once conceived
the idea of establishing himself as its latest
occupant and sent across the channel for
rugs, couches and other articles of convent
ence or comfort.
One afternoon he remained quite alone on
the island, while the N0mad steamed away
for the purpose of securing and transporting
some heavier furniture which the small
boats could scarcely carry, and which he
had purchased on the previous day. For
long time he paced the hard white curve of
beach that musical beryl sea tapped with
tender and foam-rimmed surges below
eraggy cliffs colored tawny brown and
Overhung with poisoning vines, where the
great disks Of flowers looked like peering
fairy faces.
"a paradise saidiStavne to himself, and
wondered how long he would stay in the odd
little species OF bungalow that he was fur
nishlng. But a short while before sunset,
and Just as he had begun TO watch for some
appearance Of his returning yacht, change
not wholly Of the sort supposed to occur IN
Paradise fell upon sky and land. One be-
came quickly and gi0omily misted over, and
the other caught new and weird tnts IN the
emerald Of its palms and is sheen OF its rocks.
Nearly ten minutes later q terrific tropical
storm had broken hose. Stayne took refuge
in the building which he had designed for
his hermitage, and here he abode for nearly
two. hours, while jayelinS of lightning
pierced the almost lnky air ana he could
hear the roar Of the sea like voices from
multitude of giants in mingled wrath and
pain. When at last the torrents of rain had
leSsened and the whole riOtous turbulence
was IN measure stilled he drew near the
door of his retreat. This door faced
a gap in the rocks, and he now succeeded in
discerning, though very vaguely, the pale
stretch Of land that lay perhaps a hundred
yards beyond. But he caught only ftful
gllmpStS of il, for the pillows that poured
over II were no less incessant than they
were mammoth. Now and then the light
ming aided his vision. followed as it was by
crashes of thunder that seemed to phrase,
while he heard them, awful tidings of the
Nomad and those who manned her.
Suddenly, as a fresh blaze oil flame IL
iumiDed the shore, he felt sure that the
lightning had just missed dealing him death
for some great dark object seemed to tumble
like an overlapping cliff between himself
and the white-lit tempeStuous sea. Then
hercer torrents of rain fell and We're driven
toward the opening in such solid LIQUID