The Irish standard., 1898-12-17
CHAPTER vi.


over the bills Of lading with him as If
he confidently expected to reach Tomil
bay on Friday. AS for myself, fol-
lowed his suggestions to the extent of
winning over 40 of Don Silvestre's dol
lars at Sancho Pedro, in the smoking
room, and then losing nearly all back
to him. This put the old gentleman
in high good humor. We were getting
quite chummy, when the senorita came
along forward and asked HE to tell
her how observations were taken; she
had noticed Moreno on the bridge
with his seXtant, and made that an ex-
cuse to get me out for chat.
It still lacked ten minutes of noon,
SO I fetched spare instrument from
Halstead's locker and held it so that
she could see the sun, like red hall,
through the smoked glass. She couldn't
seem to keep it from wobbling out Of
sight. but persistently squinted
through the lens while she scolded me
for leaving her alone the whole morn
ing.
"Ai," she said, II did my new shoes
put on before ell desayuno because
itan or ell Senior Enrique. See, are
they not pretty?" She placed the little
toe of one in mesh of the netting,
drawing up her skirt trife so that
could see the whole Of the dainty tie,
and, above it, few inches of beau
tifully rounded ankle in open-work silk
stocking, which disappeared in cloud
Of lace edging. "And then, when I
did with that stupid cura have to walk,
what saw but ell captain the tiresome
occupation talking with ell primero.
Ell Senior Enrique was in sight no.
where; but presently am told he does
mi PADRES doubloons win at the Pedro,
en- la camara de fumar. So 1 did think
that it was bad for my father that his
doubloons he should lose to a young
man like ell Senior Enrique, and thatI
should know If offended him have, or
ell captain, that neglect me they
should"
"Capt. Dick is responsible for the
safety of the ship and all our lives,
sen*orits mia, and well, do you not
think it is we'll that I should be good
friends with your father?"
ooh, yes, good friends, Enfiquito
mic; but not so noticeable you should
it make. The Spanish etiquette You
do not understand. When particular
): attention the gentleman has paid to the
young girl, as but yesterday and the
= days before you have done, he SO boldly
should not go to her father. On the
land, the liberty to see you so much
alone of the time as on ell vapor we
have done never should have; it is
not the custom. That is why las Sc
noritas the gentlemen like to be so
friendly when the-the opportunity
they do have; itso seldom is. Butwhen
to the senorita's father the gentleman
10 boldly does go, people do think that
for his wife he does wish her."
swell, suppose they do. guess I
can stand it if you can"
"Ah, but Enrique milo, you do not
mo wish. Not now, am quite sure.
But if the people you do make to think
so, you would me have to taxa or else
the duello to fight with mi padre. They
would say: Behold, ell senior the gran
adlniracion has for la senorita. But un
honorable he is; the respects he does
not pay to su padre; much alone 1t is
permitido that he does her sec. Then
he does find that she is not ali he did
think; remain he will not with her;
and su padre must the senior then kill
por la honra de la familia.' Do you not
see, Enriquito mio?"
"Pm beginning to, dimly. Sou
know Tn not as familiar with your
. Andalusian customs as I should be-.
But see, the sun must be at the zenith.
Here, let me adjust the sextant for
you. Now look. Isn't the lower edge
Just touching the water?"
As she peeped through the glass, HAL
stead, on the bridge, took the sextant
from his eye and said: "Strike eight
bells. quartermaster." Then he und
the mates went into the wheel-house
to figure up the reckoning.
For perhaps half an hour longer we
stood talking In the shadow Of the for
ward life-boat. Then, just as the stew
ard came along with the lunch-gong,
there was the muffled sound OF
crash from the engine-room gratings,
and the machinery stopped. In IN In
slant heads appeared at various win
dows and doors; the passengers, with
pale faces and questioning looks, crowd
ed out upon the decks. Echoes of
voices shouting excited orders came
from somewhere below, and the good
old ship, having lost her Roadway,
rolled uneasily upon the long, CLASSY
swell. Halstead stepped quickly down
the starboard' ladder and aft to the
engine-room gangway. The senorita
chung tightly to my arm with one hand,
while with the other she Ashed her
beads from their warm concealment
and held them ready for instant use.
Her bosom was pressed so closely
against my side that could feel her
heart beating about hundred and
forty to the minute. She looked aft
with dilated eyes toward where the
captain had disappeared, then beseech-
angly into my face, as she whispered:
'Madre de dos, Enrique! what is
IT. Shall ell vapor in the water sink?
is 1t la muerte7 Ricardito-why goes
be below into the danger7 tell me!
Por Dios, tell mel"
Twas beginning to think, myself, that
tor bluff it was pretty realistic. Per-
haps may have caught some Of the
fenorita's nervousness. The crash be-
low was what puzzled me; that hadn't
been on the programme. I comforted
the girl as well a. could by saying
! didn't think the steamer was likely
d IL IT. - 4