The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-12-19


100000 cocoanuts to the acre, ana ne
knew they were, as goods, as standard
~ Ras,s's Ale These were some or the
mans that helped to make Lyndhurst
forget his hearts despair, for the time
at least.
OF course, Lyndhurst had been given
up for lost by those on the steamer, who
finally discovered that he was missing,
Senior Gibas had many feelings-whlch
are immaterial here. So did Kate,
which might be material, if there were
space IN which to record them. III she
were distressed, she did not speak OF 1t
to GJbas But in spite of herself,she must
have shown it. For one afternoon, over
looking the Pacific from the hotel bal
cony in Panama, he almost whispered to
her, as Lyndhurst's name was. perhaps,
accidentally mentioned, as if plausibly
to reassure her IN his own behalf
Kate, it was sympathy with him, not
love-"
Eyes. yes, it was sympathy. | know
now" she said with a half-tone which
could not be repressed, and she tapped
her fan, as if distract, with her fingers
as she turned her head away toward
the palms of the Plaza.
The wedding day had been agreed upon
between Kate and Jose, but it was
again postponed. She wanted to have
another season in New York before she
would be willing to make her permanent
home in the tropics. For Gibas, besides
being wealthy. was the manager OF
immense Manganese mines on the coast
of Colombia, and had for three
years been preparing himself in the New
York School of Technology. 1t was
during those three years that he had
met Kate Bradford. If she was equally
loved by Gibas and Lyn1hurst, sh.
was differently loved.
Pretty" mo-" That was the ques-
ton that had thus been asked and an
swered to himself by Lyndhurst.
~Beautiful?" YES" Another CUES
loved her spir tually; Gihas loved he
pass:onately.
And who should know better than
II" Lynfhurst used to ask himself.
Have | not in sketching her. felt as
artists feel with my eyes for the
curves of her throat and brow, and
that sustained, almost musical line
from ear to chin-and her eyes-the light
of them--the light that is hidden ex-
eapt in strange moments. / saw it
once, and it took touch of 1.-The Beau
tifuP' to kindle it, And then / knew
that | loved her unchangeably. because
spiritually 'Prettyr vexing word
made for dolls AMI Christmas bric-a-brae,
not for women illumined with subtle,
infinite qualities" Of such fashion was
his solioquy.
Perhaps the same power played upon
Gibas, if he had ever analysed it, but
he never had. He was simply physi-
cally captivated.
Skip year and then what? Lynd-
hurst was in sight of his kingdom, as
he thought. He had so arranged as to
have steamers touch once month in
stead of twice a year, and had completed
his New York business connections. He
might have been called already rich
man. For cocoanuts sold like hot cakes
and kept going. He had introduced an
Arcadian bachelor dwelling for him.
self, with studio to his own taste; he
had even gone so far as to give an order
in New York for a steam-yacht-and
had he forgotten Kate?
He had forgotten her in the sense that
the course of water is stopped by a
barrier which nevertheless feels numbly
the pressure of the very force that is
thus arrested.
Although Panama was not many hun
bred miles distant, the track was I'M
travelled by sea-craft, and Lyndhurst
had been too busy to do 1.-THE of the
things he had planned. He had been
so immersed that he had not even left
the island, fearing TO risk the possible
results of absence. But his cores
pondence was at last somewhat sys-
and facilities stimulated thirst
for a touch of the outside world. From
some such reason, probably, he had at
last, for the first time, sent a small
boat to Panama. He had CHANGED
letter to an old friend there of "CanaT
days. in which, toward the close, he had
helplessly asked as to the happiness of
Kate and her Cuban. ''Ass that / am.'
he thought, what place has she in my
thoughts-she is married and | am a
memory only, if that. He wrote the
letter again, leaving out the portion about
Kate, and finally wound up by sending
the first letter, discoursing the while
on the particular pigeon-hole of fools
into which he might property be tossed.
''Not married. he exclaimed, as he
began to read his friends reply, who,
with many calculations of surprise at
his whereabouts, and with condolences,
impaired the informal ion-"Oh, yes, here
it isv' said Lyndhurst as he read on
''the ceremony is expected to be per-
formed on the night Of -, 18th,
at her lone in New York. You viii
be thereW
"Question 1st," unused Lyndhurst.
answer: will not be there"
''Be happy Katew he unused once
more, and closed the letter with kind
of petulantly pathetic haste.
When the wedding-day came, we'd
ding gift arrived. 1t was a cocoanut,
on one side Of which was sketched bride
and groom kneeling al the altar On the