Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-01-11

KOlHS uOWH as ldnV DIS big Gall gu. al
folks is taking to the boats or trying to
swim to land" Then there was such a
hurrying and bustling and quick low
whispering that Zachy grew consumed
with longing to know what it all meant
He heard his father give a low laugh in
answer to the last remark. THERE'S a
many as have tried that" he said mean
ingly, and little Zachy's heart ached to be
a mar and to go with them, and as soon
as their backs were turned he tried to slip
on some clothes and cut out through the
open door, but his mother was quicker
than he.
"No, you don't, my dear cheeld," she
said, catching him as he was getting we'll
out over the threshold, and then she stood
by and received his little garments n by
one as he took them off, and, having put
them far out of his reach and tucked him
in his bed, she sat down by the fire and
waited, listening intently or went over and
opened the top half of the door and leaned
out over the hapse as though looking for
some one. Zachy, waiting and listening,
too, lay in his little bed and watched her.
1t seemed to him that a lifetime passed
thus. In reality it was a couple of hours
NOu q 0Ouuu WitIOuV saw NV hooh
and cry of the wind reached them, and he
was just dropping off to sleep when the
door was flung open and Verify burst In.
Over her head a thick shawl was pinned
tightly, but in spite of 1t her hair had been
caught by the wind and was blown wildly
about her face, and her skirts were drip
ping water all the way she went. She
stepped in with a brisk, exultant air and,
going over to the table, laid on 1t some
things that glittered and sparkled in the
light of the flaring Candida gold watch
and chain, two rings, in n of which
flashed a diamond; a handful of money,
and a pocketbook.
"Oh, myl' cried her mother, and her
eyes sparkled. Verity's s~parkled, too, but
she took care to draw the articles nearer
to herself and kept her hand by them.
II done better thar any of EN-" she
said, with a little exultant laugh. ''Steve
Benefits mad. One was washed right
in where I was s~tanding-the best of the
lot too. He splashed the water all over
me, but l saw the di'mond on his finger
as he clutched hold of the rock, and l
didn't mind a wetting. He was Frenchy
l believe; ANYHOW, he was a f%urriner."
"Then he wasn't dead?"
mo, he wasn't. He wasn't far Oft
though. l reckon he is by this time"
"You sent un in again9"
'sThe tide was turning, and l sent un
out long with IT,"
She greedily drew the things still nearer
her and began to look through the con
tents Of the pocketbook. "Only letters
and that there" contemptuously. She
flung THAT there, a portrait of a woman,
toward her mother. The letters she put
in the fire.
"You'd better put in this, too" said
her mother, handing her back the por-
trait. "She's pretty. I wonder who 'er
is? His wife or sweetheart, | shouldn't
wonder"
II reckon she isn't neither now" said
Verify callously.
The morning broke as calm and sunny
and beautiful as though such weather as
that Of the past night were impossible.
Except for the whitecaps OH the still angry
waves it seemed impossible. Down on the
quay, where the large steamers deposited
their living freights, a pretty, we'll dressed
woman stood, evidently waiting, gazing
anxiously out over the glistening water
Her eyes were full Of wistful, hardly joy
GUS, expectancy. She did not notice the
talk and excitement or the grave, horror
stricken faces Of those around her. A
woman g scream and bitter wailing reach
ed her ears perhaps, but not her brain
equally unconscious was she, too, Of thu
plying chances turned on herself, 80 In
tent was she on searching the face Of thu
ocean.
A bright flush came into her cheeks, thu
strain of waiting and her emotion We're 81
great. She longed now for the waiting tt
be over, for him to arrive, to know thai
anything else was impossible-some ON
touched her on the arm and interrupted
her thoughts. She glanced around, {
quick look of dread in her eyes. The lool
faded when she saw who stood by her, bu
one half glad, half anxious, took its place
"You," she cried, "you still herei Oh
you must gol 1t Is no goodl" Her tom
and her gestures marked her as not Eng
lish.
Il have news for you, " he gasped; ''pre
pare yourself for a shock. A telegram ha
reached here; there has been a calamity
his ship was wrecked last night. All OF
board re-no were savedl'
She opened her white lips, but no soun'
came. He read through her question II
her horror filed eyes and answered it
"He is dead"
They looked Into each others eyes for
long moment and then away, anywhere
at anything but each other, for In thei
faces there was d look which both wer
ashamed of, as yet, In the newness of thi
great tragedy which had happened. Their
was something besides grief and horro
in their eyes and hearts, and the dea'
man had been very generous to his frien'
and good to the woman he was on hi
way to make his bride. Mabel guile
Couch in London Sun.