The Holly chieftain., 1899-07-07

He seemed to have accepted my res
sons for making the voyage, but my
sharing the captains quarters. also
the fact Of our being the only Amer
icanos on board. evidently led him to
favor us With q closer observa tion
than II We had been his own country
men. Your Spanish priest is the most
companionable aud interesting man in
the world when he wishes to be. and
Padre Sebastiano was no exception to
the rule. Having overcome my repug-
nance to him for obvious reasons, I
found myself rather liking the man.
He spoke 20 frankly upon even church
matters that l began to consider him
harmless, and fancied my first impress
sion mistake
Halstead was too reasonable man
to claim more than . fair share Of the
senorita's society, much a. he liked
her; so, a. Don Silvestre retired to the
smoking-room after dinner for tobac-
CO and cards, took her aft. where we
could watch the phosphorescent foam
from the screw and talk without being
overhesrd; for i saw she had some
thing 10 say.
She had oeen listening attentively to
my conversation with the padre, and
had been trying to recall sundry
scraps Of talk which she had overhe ard
between him and his Jesuit compan n
ion; but bafore mentioning them she
questioned me In regard to my pro-
posed movements after leaving the
steamer.
II heard you the padre tell. Senior
Enrique she sad. shat you were this
voyage merely taking as siesta from
your Affairs. and too many of los
AmeIicanos have seen to believe they
do rest very long. They do work. work,
work like hlaves. all of the time. And
when they get rich-oh. 80 very rich
still they do work. and no siesta take.
Yet the Senior Enrique does one take
which will last q month surely, with
his very good friend el capitan; and
when he on land goes at el Qua jan, II
will three months be-such long. long
months-before be will again see el
vapor In which he may return. Now.
un Americana. the senior will not
rest for all these long months; not sol
What, then, will he do In el Guajan
where one never works? Make love
perhaps to la senorita whom be
never has seen? But even that work
il not. How"
Zone moment. senor.ta; why should
you think have any intention of
staying in Guajan7"
"Oh. but 1t SO simple isl Amigo mio''
there she laid her pretty fingers on my
arm). los Amer'canos generosos are; /;
1t SO kind was Of you to think OF Ia
pobrecita'r dresses. doubt not that
II your goodness of heart was. ye,
even such un hombre could not resist
at the least seeing la senorita when she
does wear them. And she will not them
wear before the steamer shall &c
away. do you notreeP ElCapitan Dix
did for her feel. a'so, but 1t was not he
who to think tried how he la senorlta
might help at once-ai. but he to see
her was not. lorg enoughl"
swell. that's a pretty clever line OF
reasoning mia senorita. But don't
you think you are giving that photo
graph the credit Of icing a pretty
strong attraction. to make me think
of leaving you to Capt. Dick. and bury
ing myself among those out-of-the
way islands for whole three months.
just to get acquainted with the orig
inal?"
THAT not Is so, Enrique milo" (blush.
ing warmly at th,E audacious familiar
ity). IL am alive, and--you shall to
be with me have for two Of the weeks
yet. think not you would me leave
for but Photograph II said you
should not; have la gran conceit? 2"
(She looked 80 tewitching in the
moonlight that 10 save my neck
couldn't avoid giving ber waist gem
tie squeeze). "No! you some affair
in el Guajan have-though never could
] guess what it nay be. 1t something
which of more wcrth Is to yon than
your affairs In Manila or you neglect
them would not for SO long 1t some
thing Is which you do undertake for
el Ricardito as w.ji as yourself. and in
which he does you trust as few men
do trust each otner, or your friendship
could make like broken thread
with jealousy of me. I'm gran presun.
cion is 1t not, amigo mio? But true.
not the less. Else you embrace me
would not, and el captain would look
at me not with the eyes that talk, oh,
SO much-so much that the little shlv-
ers he does make come to me some.
times, ano j am afraid. Well. then, II
this something stronger is than love
of woman, what It car be but the love
Of gold-such heaps ofglittering. chin
ing gold! Yet gold there Is not in ell
Guajan, else ell gobernador would in
Madrid be with much oft What then
II can be?"