Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-03-09

ed High and low, rich and poor. they
love romance, these tender hearts, and
for that reason, doubtless. no reference
did Nine Flores make Of the s. gold
piece that had found its way to her
ready palm
And he spoke Spanish beautifully
did the Senior Tenlente, said Nine
Flores, whereat did Pancha 5 heart be-
gin to tlutter anew, for that meant that
he mnst have heard and understood her
pleadlugs
And SO 1t happened that till long
after midnight the child lay wide eyed
and awake. listening to that steady
measured tread upon the upper deck
Strange and sad and eventful had been
that young life thus far What strange,
new thing had fate in store for her now,
The Idaho dropped anchor at San
Lucas and put off a passenger and took
OH the mails-two bag with TANKS as
flat as the sandy strand on which the
ceaseless, soothing ms!ody. The broad.
blue ocean glistened under the sunshine
of another day, and late in the after
noon one or two pallid and attentuated
shapes were aided to the deck, where
Pancha had been reclining ever since
noon, and the captain had come and
rallied her upon her big. pathetic eyes
and hollow cheeks and coaxed her to
promise to play her guitar that even
ing, and the purser had been polite, and
the stewardess had brought up an appe-
tizing lunch, and Colonel Turnbull had
put in an appearance toward shutdown
"a grewsome face was his-and all this
time Mr. Loring was either briskly
pacing the deck Or reading in a shelter
ed nook back Of the purser's cabin, but
never once did he address her or intrude
upon her meaitations Panchas spirits
and courage-or was it innate coquet-
ry:- began to ferment. That evening
no fewer than five passengers appeared
1t table, though all five did not remain
through the several courses
That evening Pancha was again tuck.
ed III her chair, and Cousin Inez was
aided from her room and placed beside
her. and very attentive was Mr., Tray
nor. the purser, though fair lnez was
but languid and unresponsive still ana
kept her veil about her face, and Colo
mel Turnbull came and poured cham
payne for both with lavish hand and
vowed it was specific against further
assaults of the salty seas, and still Mr.
Loring never spoke word. With the
sparkling sunshine of yet another day
the little maid was early Oh the shining
deck, fresh from its ma;utinal ablu-
tions and there was Loring taking his
early exercise, striding up and down,
up and down, and drinking in the glori-
GUS, invigorating sea air, but even now
he came no nearer, and she who feared
at first to venture to her accustomed
seat lest he might take advantage OF
her solitude and come and ask things
or say things she could not bear to hear
finally sided along one side while he
was patrolling the other, made her tim
id way to the stern and stood there
clinging to the flagstaff and became alb
sorbed in the rush of foaming, boiling
waters unrolling gradually narrowing
streak of dazzling white through the
blue green waste of pillows, all spar
king III the slanting sunshine.
Wheeling in Tapping circles over
head. skimming the crested waves, set
thing down and lazily floating on the
heaving flood, so many dots Of snow
upon the sapphire, the flock of gulls
sailed onward with the ship white
scavengers of the sea, and sometimes
dropped so close to the rail on wide ex-
tended wing that Pancha could plainly
see the eager little red beads OF eyes,
could almost bury her soft cheek III the
thick plumage Of their tleecy breasts
Away out toward the invisible coast a
;hree master was bowling along under
| full speed of canvas, and midway be.
tween some huge black fish were plung
ing through the swelling brine. Early
as it was the deokhands had cast astern
the stout trolling line, and far in their
wake the spinning, silvery bait came
leap!ns and flashing from the north
ward slope of each succeeding wave,
and Pancha, who had seen the previous
day a dolphin hauled in to die in swift
ly changing. brilliant hues upon the
deck, tested the taut lanyard with her
slender fingers, wondering whether she
alone could triumph over the frantic
struggles Of the splendid fish, or what
she would do if she found she could not
1t was an hour to breakfast time.
Only Loring and herself had yet ap-
peared Oh deck, and she stole peep at
him There he was tramping up and