The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-03-14

other, and by the time the last glimmer
of the town had been hid from view
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 balls tinkled
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 for
the nearest support, and Loring heard
the jovial tones of Turnbull.
He must be up here or overheard.
He's nowhere belowP' Then glanoing
sternward, "Oh, Loringr" he shouted,
and at the name Pancha's little dak
head was suddenly uplifted, and pAir
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 been
sufficient to rouse her from depth of
and In fyiu ricn <n Vic
lent distress. She was trembling, and
he could plainly see it. To answer
would only announce to the frightened
girl that the man whose name was suf-
ticient to cause such evident dismay vas
standing there just beyond her seat
within a few PAGES of her-and had
probably been there for some time
Quickly, watching his chance, as the
Idaho careened to port, Loring shot
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 Of
the doorway on the other and answer.
ing the eager questions as to where he'd
been and whether he better not turn in
Have brandy and water. sir, ,"
urged the colonel's new companion.
Nothing like it to head off NAL de
mer We're in for a lively night Half
the women are sick already, and the
colonel here was turning white about
the gills
1.-The air in the cabin was close after
ell that champagne. It's fresh in the
ctok <hN,,ot,
bull. Come on, Loring. It's time for
you to be abed." Then in low tone he
queried: whats become of the child?
Did she see you? Has she got back to
shore?''
For answer Loring pointed to the
dark figure shrinking from view half q
dozen yards away toward the heaving
stern. Their jovial fellow passenger
again interposed.
"Come, gentlemen, brandy and wa
ter's what we need, amt it;" The
Idaho's champagne had evidently taken
effect.
/ Right" said Turnbull. "Run down
and order for us, quick, or it'll be too
late. Well join you in minute. The
burly merchant dived for the doorway
on the next stomach wrecking lurch and
collided with the white capped steward
ess, Fastening up, with anxiety in her
eyes. The two officers chung to the miz-
zen shrouds opposite the companionway
| as she emerged from the broad light in
to the darkness Of the wind swept deck.
1t was moment before she could dis
tinguish objects at all. Then with prac.
ticed step she went swiftly to the crouch
ing figure at the distant end of the long
seat
~ have learned something of her, u
murmured Turnbull. "That was hel
fathers brother. Escalante, who came
aboard with her. That woman at San
cho's was not he. mother She has been
dead for many year. She was own sis