The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-03-31
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4 eyes.
Struggle as she might for composure
and strength, Pancha had evidently been
sorely disturbed over something through
the long watches of the night. Loring's,
heart reproached him as he realized
how selfishly he had been engrossed for
weeks, how little he had Thought for
her, of her who must be so lonely and
homesick in her new sphere. He was al
most shocked now at the pallor of her
face, the droop and languor of the slen-
der figure that was SO buoyant and elias
! tic those bright days aboard ship just
preceding the catastrophe What friends
and chums they had becamel How IA
mously he was getting on with his
4 Spanish! What charming teacher she
was with her lovely shining eyes, her
laughing lips, her glistening white
teethl She seemed happy as a queen
then, and now what had come over the
child?
'They are going to let me write to
you, Pancha, he had told her. land
shall write every month, but You will
write to me long letters, won't you?'
"Si." And the dusky little head bow
ed lower and Pancha was withdrawing
her hand.
'sYou know have no little sister, .
he went on.
She did. She had learned all this and
much more aboard ship and remembered
every word be had told her, very much
more than he remembered. She knew
far more about him than he did about
her, but he looked far more interested
now. The good gray sister was more
than good. She was very busy at some
thing away across the room, and Loring
had drawn his little friend to the win
dow.
elbow l wish had known you there
at-at the Gila, Pancha!' he managed
to say in slow, stumbling Spanish.
"Do you know we made great mis-
take, Mr.. Blake and I?'
She did not wish to know. Two little
hands went up imploringly, the dark
head dropped lower still, the slender.
girlish form was surely trembling.
What allied the child? 1t was time to
go, yet he fingered. He felt longing
to take her hands again, clasped in each
other now and hanging listless as she
leaned against the window casing. He
meant to bend and kiss her goodby, just
as he would have kissed younger Sis
ter, he said to himself, not as he had
kissed Geraldine Allyn. But somehow
he faltered. and that was something un.
TO ~ -. -
being abrupt he felt it time to go, but
after the manner of weaker men took
out his watch.
eyes, must go, Pancha. We WON'T
say goodby, will we? 1t is until tomor-
row-hasta la manana. You know we
always come again to California. You'll
be quite woman then, though" He
who was SO brief and reticent with men
found himself prattling with this child,
unable to break off. At last, with sud-
den effort, he seized both her hands in
his. where they lay limp and passive.
"Adios, little one! Dear little
friend'' be said, bent swiftly, and his
curling brown mustache was crushed
one instant against the top of her dusky
head. Then he hurried to the lady SUI
perior and took his leave, Pancha stand
ing silent at the window until the door
had closed behind him.
Another day and he was looking back
along the sparkling wake of the crowd
ed steamer, thinking how beautiful the
ocean seemed to him only few weeks
earlier Another week and he was at
the isthmus, homeward bound, yet
cllnglng with strange interest to the
scenes OF SO much trial. Another month
and be was spinning along old. familiar
shores. Ell route for the distant field of
new and stirring duty. Withouta days
delay he was hurried on the trail of
party OF officials designated to select
the site for the new post far up in the
heart Ut the Sioux hunting grounds. For
associates he found veteran quarter
master, with keen eye for business.
and an aid-de-camp Of his new general
commanding. and recent experiences
with such combined to render him more
retlcent than ever. Major Burleigh con-
fided to Captain Stone that if that was
a specimen of West Point brains and
brilliancy it only confirmed his previous
notions.
The site for the new post was decided
upon after brief but pointed argument.
and vote of two to one, the engineer
being accorf d the privilege of minor
lty report II he saw fit to make it.
Commandir" their escort was a young
officer, whom Loring had known when
as cadets Trey had together worn the
gray, and though there had been no in
tlmacy there was respect, and the two
subalterns, engineer and dragoon, agreed
that the board might better have staid
at home and left the selection to the In.
On