The Press., 1892-02-04
AN ABALONE'S SECRET.
IN AUGUST. 1890.

Ou06r the afternoon sun bnG reSMeSS
 waters of San Francisco bay flung dia- monds and opals at such human eyes as
 chanced to look on them.
 Two young people who strolled down
 to the Presidio beach, however, had no
 glances 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 Sola, and Miss Pa schita de- Sola 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 Sola found 1t SO,
 as had half dozen other girls within as
 many months. It was a wholly serious 1iness with the heutgz--.nt this tine1
 bugh.
 Nile had been in California but 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 alaocking; then, with
 theslids hiding those lovely, big eyes of hers, her whole aspect suggested espe- cially to 8 lieutenant with ample means
 to marry possibilities of tenderness un- speakable. | g#tsf No wonder that when Miss Pachita permitted Lieutenant Anderson to gaze down into her eyes and returned an an
 swering look, giving 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 ciasping his fingers, removed them from her waist, saying demurely:
 sDon't be foolish, John. Somebody may be looking"
 This, in city of soO,OoO inhabitants and in full sight of the ever wgilant | garrison, struck John as being not i'm probable.
 Instant in action, as became soldier, lieutenant Anderson executed 8 flank movement on 8 sand bank and seated Miss de Sola in it's lee, on large, water whitened, sun dried log of driftwood. Then this ccnsummate tactician repeat, cd the original attack with entire suc- cess
 sPachita, oh, my darling" breathed the ecstRtic lieutenant, straining her to his side and immediately showing dis position to put knee upon the beach. "Wells Johny' and the smile of love and gratifed vanity that smote his eyes lblinded them. 4E' Name the day, oh, Pachita; I cannot live till you dor
 Pachita pursed her full, red lips, puck hered' the midnight eyebrows, and con- E,sidered profoundly, digging deep into tythe sand with his cane the while. lss sssIhe. day, my own love-the day. ? fgaeued John. - S Miss de,s Sola exclaimed suddenly, sswhat q aibeautiful shelly'
 Damn the ahsllr' cried lieutenant "A hdgfson, Teaching for what she had unearthed, to cast it wrathfully out among the unnoticed diarionds and Eopals.
 K But he was restrained in wonder. aase.ss IN AUGUST, 162H
 The same sun was enriching the danc- Ting waters of the same bay with dia- Emonds and opals. A young couple who Istrolled down to the Presidio beach ad- mired the view very much, and Senorita Pachita de Sola had no occasion to re Emind the lieutenant by her side that somebody might be looking. Lieutenant Juan de sEcheandia would have liked greatly to coil his arm about that slim Iswaist, but did not dare, though there Mas only small and sleepy garrison, land no city 3at all behind them m-only 1sthe padres and Indians at the mission Dolores, far over the sand hills, and g cabin or two down at the embarcadero entirely out of sight. Pachita de Sola was niece of Commandante Don Luis I Antonio Arguello, and though he, Lieu tenant Juan de Echeandia, was nephew l of Don Jose Maria, of the same name one, even though an aristocrat. has under all circumstances to show proper re spect for his commanding officer, Be | sideS.the Sen0rita Pachita had twice re