Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-03-02

Satuefeu way anu ner DOW swung grad
ually seward women and girls, ker-
chief waving, came drifting back along
the rail, leaning far over and throwing
kisses to the tossing shallops on the
dark waves beneath; then, gathering
about tho stunted Flagstaff at the stern,
calling loudly their parting words, all
unconscious of Loring, who had step
ped aside to give them room, and SO
found himself close to little Pancha,
| lost to everybody in the desolation of a
| loneliness and grief that Loring could
not see unmoved. yet could not recon
cile with what he had believed of her
| UP to this moment he had heard of
her only as an artful girl. the uonfeder
alta of thieves and rut1ians up to this
moment he had seen her only once, the
afternoon she threw herself on Blake,
as Blake and he had both come to be.
lieve, to prevent his drawing revolver
on the two rascals at the ranch Yet
never had Loring heard such pathetic
pleading; never had he seen child or
woman in such utter abandonment of
VOC. never had he thought it possible
|
ranch, cold crafty. lurlug, designing,
treacherous as any Carmen ever since
| portrayed upon the stage-could be- ca
pable of such intensity of feeling
Drawing his uniform cape snugly
aaont him-for now the sharp sea wind
was whistlins through the cordage and
chilling his fever weakened frame
Loring leaned against the rail, gazing
back at the receding shores, trying not
to hear the girls sobbing The chatter
OF the flock of women was incessant
Tcrnbull and two Guaymas merchanta
had joined the group, but all We're in
tent on those harbor lights now fast
glimmering to mere sparks upon the
sea, and the lonely girl sat there for
gotten. No: once was voice uplifted in
question us to what had become of her
Every moment now the stern was lift
ed higher in ;.ir and then dropped deep
er into the roaring, kissing waters, and
women frightened their hold upon the
tatfrail and gave shrill little shrieks
and huddled closer together, and pres
entity one of the elders fell back and
begged to be led below and then an
other, and by the time the last glimmer
and only the steady CLEAN of the light.
house shone forth upon their foaming
wake the hardest of the gay little par
ty OF the earlier evening had been care
fully assisted down the brass bound
stairway, and when five bells tinlsled
windily somewhere forward there with
little hands clasped about the stanchion.
shawl thrown over her head, that
head pillowed in her arms-there alone
in the darkness and the rush of the
wind and sea-there, the very picture
Of heartbroken girlhood-still sat Pan
cha, and Loring could bear it no longer.
He was thinking over his Spanish to
be sure of his words when the star
board doors of the companionway were
suddenly thrown open, and in the bright
light from within two burly forms step
ped unsteadily forth, then lurched foz
the nearest support, and Loring heard
the jovial tones of Turnbull
''He must be up here or overheard.
He's nowhere below' Then CHANGING
sternward, "Oh, Loring!' he shouted,
and at the name Pancha S little dark
bead was suddenly uplifted, and pain
Of black eyes, red trimmed and swollen
with weeping, gazed, startled, toward
the dark figures For the life Of him
Loring could not answer the hail. Turn.
bulls voice and words alone had beer
sufficient to rouse her from a depth OF
woe and to give rise to new and VIC.
lent distress. She was trembling, and
he could plafnly see it, To answe,
would only announce to the frightened
ticient to cause such evident dismay wa.
standing thore just beyond her seat
within few PAGES of her-and hat
probably been there for some time
Quickly, watching his chance, as ths
Idaho careened to port Loring sho
round the deckhouse and made his way
forward until he reached the companion
stairs on that side, and in another mo
ment was clinging to the outer knob O.
the doorway on the other and answer
ing the eager questions as to where he e
been and whether he better not turn in
Have brandy and water, sir, ;
urged the colonels new companion
Nothing like it to head off NAL d,
mer We're in for a lively night. Hal
the women are sick already, and thu
colonel here was turning white abou
the gills. =
The air in the cabin was close afte
all that champagne. It's fresh in tn,
staterooms, though" answered Turn
bull. Come on, LorinS It's time 70
you to be abed Then in low tone 1t
queried: whats become of the child
Did she see you? Has she got back tt
shore?'
For answer Loring pointed to th
dark figure shrinking from view half ;
dozen yards away toward the heaving
stern Their jovial fellow passenge
again interposed.
Come, gentlemen, brandy and wa
ter's what we need, amt it, TIL
Idaho's champagne had evidently takel
effect
Right, said Turnbull Run dow
and order for US, quick, or it'll be to-
late Well Join you in minute " Th
81 FL, 4