The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1899-07-13
CHAPTER V.

| dinner-gong sounded; then the photo
/ graph, which lay directly under one
| OF the incandescent globes, caught my
/ eye, and l examined it again. In the
/ solitude of our cabin had a better
opportunity TO study the Senorita
/ Dorotea's face, and il attracted me
strangely. If she had any of that
| charm of manner possessed by the
Senorita Palacios, l thought, my stay
| upon the island of Guaian might be
anything but unpleasant; so, between
the anxiety to be accomplishing some
thing aud my speculations concerning
the people at Agana, l was rather pre-
occupied at the dinner-tabe.
Padre Sebastian began presently to
chaff me a little as being poor com
| pany. | noticed that he was watching
| Dick and the senorita very closely, as
If trying 70 detect triangular under
standing between us three. or at least
some indication Of rivalry between the
captain and myself. The padre had
kept track of my movements during
the day, but l was positive he could
not have overheard anything. so be-
|
ing social conditions in the islands.
He seemed to have accepted my rea-
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 a closer observation
than IL we had been his own country
men. Your Spanish priest is the most
companionable and 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,
found myself rather liking the man.
He spoke so frankly upon even church
matters that | began to consider him
harmless, and fancied my first impress
sion a mistake
Halstead was too reasonable a man
to claim more than a fair share of the
senorita's society, much as he liked
her; so, as Don Silvestre retired to the
smoking-room after dinner for tobac-
co and cards, took her aft, where we
could watch the sphorescent foam
from the screw and talk without being
overheard; for | saw she had some
thing to say.
She had Deen listening attentively to
my conversation with the padre, and
had been trying to recall sundry
scraps of talk winch she had overheard
between him ana his Jesuit compan-
ion; but before mentioning them she
questioned me in regard to my pro-
posed movements after leaving the
steamer.
81 heard you the padre tell, Senior
Enrique" she said, that you were this
voyage merely taking as a siesta from
your affairs, and | too many of los
Americanos have seen to believe they
do rest very long. They do work. work,
work like slaves, all of the time. And
when they get rich-oh, so very rich
still they do work, and no siesta take
Yet the Senior Enrique does one take
which will last a month surely, with
his very good friend el captain; and
when he on land goes at ell Guajan, il
will three months be-such long, long
months-before be will again see el
vapor in which he may return. Now
!
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
is not. How"
"One moment, senortta; why should
you think have any intention OF
staying in Guajan?"
"Oh, but il so simple is! Amigo mio'
(here she laid her pretty fingers on my
ARM, los Americanos gencrosos are;
1t so kind was of you TO think of Ia
pobrecita's dresses ] doubt not that
it your goodness of heart was, vet
even such un hombre could not resist
at the least seeing la seuorita when she
does wear them. And she will not them
wear before the steamer shall &c
away, do you not see? Ell Captain Dix
did for her feel a,so, but II was not he
who to think tried how he la senorita
might help at once-ai, but he to see
her was not, long enough!"
well, that's pretty clever line OF
reasoning, mia senorita. But don't
you think you are giving that photo
graph the credit of being 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 a whole three months
just to get acquainted with the orig,
inal?"
THAT not is so, Enrique milo" (bl, h.
ing warmly at this audacious familiar.
ity). Il am alive, and-you shall ia
be with me have for two of the weeks
yet l think not you would me leave
for but a photograph if said you
should not; have l la gran conceit p
(She looked so bewitching in the
moonlight that TO save my neck
couldn't avoid giving her waist gen.
tie squeeZe). mo! you some affair
in el GuaJan have-though never could
l guess what il may be. 1t something
which of more wcrth is to you 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 well 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 it not, amigo milo? But true,
not the less. Else you embrace me
would not, and el capitan would look
at me not with the eyes that talk, oh,
| so much--sO much that the LITTLE Shiv.