Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-02-09

"
with the intention Of betraying me
af+ervarG. But the mere thought of
this the more improbable II seemed.
II the first place. relations between
lie educated classes and the priest
hood In Spain are rapidly approaching
those which obtain in Italy-neutrality
on the surface. distrust beneath.
Then, It seemed as though the senorita
mus. know too much 20 look upon
Sebastiano In other than his priestly
character; and if the friendship be-
tween us was warming as rapidly as
! thought, it was reasonably safe TO
stake her woman's heart against her
head.
Finally. deciding TO risk it, l asked
her If she cared to spend Monday upon
the water with me; and she accepted
the invitation with such evident pleas
ure that l showed all worry about the
padre clear of my mind for the time.
When Monday morning came, we
breakfasted in the patio and made an
early start before Sebastiano ap-
peared, sailing leisurely around Cocos
reef as If we had the day before lis and
were disposed 10 take things easy.
When I asked Dorotea il she had ever
sailed into the bays On the east side,
she said that, as il was usually rough
and windy there, few of the islanders
cared about It, only remaining in the
little villages during the wet monsoon
or while they were gathering rice and
sugar crops. She was willing to go
anywhere I chose to take her, however,
and had no suspicion Of my object
until we headed into Paicpouc cove for
the instruments and diving apparatus.
Then, before taking them from the
assure, told her of my intention TO
search for something under the sea at
Santa Rosa reef, and asked il she would
help me. Looking straight into my
face for a moment, she said:
Does not Senior Enrique know of
reason why would do anything in the
world for him2"
Nothing more than the evidence OF
your friendliness, senorita mia"
$50! But you do have the bad MEN,
ory. 1t may seem nothing that you
try to give great pleasure to la senorita
whom you never have seen. / suppose
men do think ii matters little 10 worh-
an whether she does appear like other
women or Hike una barbara? Yet you
must have known, Enriquito, or you
would not have tried to do me 10 gran
benevolencia on el vapor, when mias
primas desprecfables did me defraudar
nominiosamente--"
"Why, how the dickens did you find
ont? Who told you?'
yourself, senor."
81? How? 1mpossible!"
"You did just tell me, by your excla-
macion. I but guessed before. True,
Senorita Palacios did say that you were
un generoso-that you did like my pic
ture all of the time-also that if did
find anything which | could not under
stand, YOU all about it would know.
Then, mias primas in Manila did write
the leIter about the trimming they did
have put upon las vestidas. Y contetp-
lar! they were as described. But there
were others, not of the style antigua.
And Of them there is no explanation
In the letter"
"Oh, well, don't say any more about
il. You caught me nicely, must say.
1t was the senorita's generosity, not
mine. She was very kind, and it was all
her doing. Now make yourself com
Portable, and wen try to find Santa
Rosa"
The dress business was dangerous
ground, and / didn't want to discussit;
there was the possibility of her resent
ing an implication that her appearance
In the picture wasn't perfect. Then,
again, | couldn't tell how the other
girls having made such a present,
merely from the desire to please Hal
stead and myself would strike her.
A return to Point Orote, to get my
bearings, would have cost good hour
and half; so determined to trust the
chart, which was laid out Oh a scale OF
three sixty-fourths of an inch to the
mile, and make straight run from
Tarofofo. Knowing as | now did the
exact position of the reef, it was a sin.
Pile matter to figure the distance ex-
actly-i0 miles, south-southwest quar-
ter west-and steer accordingly.
Ny calculations proved correct, the
lead touching bottom at about half-past
eleven. With my former dangerous
experience in mind, | determined to
locate the wreck, il possible, before go
| ing down, and steered directly along
the precipitous face Of tire shoal with u
| firm grip on the sounding-line, which
! told the instant that we edged off over
deep water. Proceeding in this way,
| the lead was pretty sure to strike the
wreck and drag when we came to il;
| but, as nm extra precaution, / lowered
away the rock anchor and let il hang
six feet under water. This experiment
was an entire success, for in few mo-
ments it caught so sharply against the
perpendicular side of the hulk as al
most to snap its line; had there been
/ more than rag of the sail up, il would
have done so.
As we needed all the time there was,
/ told Dorotea to turn around and gaze
upon the wonders of the Vastly deep
while | got into that diving suit. 1t
was Just as well however, that curios-
ity got the better Of her before / put
on the helmet, or my appearance might
have scared her into a fit. The rig GER
tainly made an uncouth monster Of me,
but II didn't frighten her half so much
| as did the idea of my remaining under
| water in it. She clung 10 me for several
moments, letting me kiss her as much
as I pleased, before ! could bottle my
self up. Her nervousness was con
tagious; but | impressed upon her
mind the necessity Of keeping a sharp
| lookout for other proas, and showed
her how to signal with the line If it
should be necessary.
The descent was accompanied by the
same uncomfortable sensation that had
been a feature Of my former experience;
| but, regaining confidence little more
! quickly ! carefully examined the
wreck with the electric lantern.
dreaded TO use dynamite, lest it might
dislodge the stern and send it crashing
down to unfathomable depths; but
there was no choice in the matter. II
would have taken all the afternoon to
/ cut through the coral and timbers. So
fixing one of the cartridges In a hole
drilled by the steel bar, | arranged the
line 80 as>to dctach a heavy sledge ham
mcr, which we had brought, and drop it
upon the mercury capsule.
There was considerable doubt in my
mind whether the thing would ex-