Evening journal., 1900-03-13

VI "
CT taan;1 yol, noble American.D
sariat stuff that occupied our after
deck FIom my posi.io which was OF
course considerably elevated one,
had o pretty wide field OF vision by
simply turning my head in any de-
sired direction.
"Say. Landissn called our skipper
from the shnky old deck chair on |
which he was reclining what DO you |
make out Of that bright red thing |
down near the edge Of the water |
about three points ON our quarter |
looks as If it might lie a woman, |
sir" | said at venture. Those Gu |
ban girls are fond of bright colors
when they can get them. and perhaps
Il is her dress. I'll take look through
the glass"
The binoculars were good ones. Had
TO be for our business / suppose !
must have gazed steadily through
them for i've minutes az the very
least. AZ any rate the skipper got im-
patient and came up alongside of me
You're taking long enough 10 see
right through the island and half way
across the Yuoatan." he says, joking
ly. May / inquire the reason of this
intentnessg'
"You may, sir" / replied, handing
him the glasses as / spoke; "but the
best answer / can give is to let you
look for yourself. "If that sight does
not glue your own eyes for a dozen
doctors watches I'm no judge Of pet
ticoat folk"
II was this way AS pretty girl as
ever want TO look at-big eyes, black
hair. and face just like an angels Ia
ken bodily out of some great painting
was standing there upon the sand
beach gazing directly at U.S. and. az
the same time. waving slowly TO and
fro a big red thing which turned out
TO be n blanket. Even at that distance
| fancied that | could detect a sort Of
wild longing IN the expression OF her
| face The skipper must have seen as
much. II not more than | did. Anyway
he took the glasses down from his
eyes only long enough TO order our
course changed 50 as to head directly
| for the spot wtcre she was standing.
and then recommended his inspection
| through the lenses until we were near
enough 10 use the naked eye to better
advantage.
"Landiss. You and / will go ashore
| In the small boat and see what this
scarlet signal means" said the skip
per: 1.-The rest OF you boys, keep your
eyes peeled for treachery; and II any
Spanish soldiers try TO rush us. just
drop a shot from our main battery
where 1t VIII do the most good
The men cheered him, and even be-
fore | got well to work sculling the
boat in I heard the snap Of the breech
block on the little one-pounder, which
said In the plainest kind of language
under the sun: Now | am all loaded
and ready for business
The skipper sat up in the bow OF
the skiff. which was just little dingy
such as harbor tugboats usually car.
~, and told me how to head her.
Luckily, there was no sea on, to
amount to anything, and we made the
landing without getting very wet.
III that Cuban girl looked real pic.
ture through the glasses a point blank
sight at her merely improved the ef-
feet. If such thing could be possible
Not but what she had a sort Of pitt.
fully haggard look. and besides, her
skimp dress was torn TO rags But
J somehow even such disadvantages
could not queer her style Of beauty
She might have come out a shade
prettier when all logged up in bah fol
derols. although I doubt II. But III
stop describing her 10 you. for
couldn't do the subject justice II
: tried.
II was a mighty cad story she tolc
the ensign, half in broken Englisl
and the rest 10 her own lingo | pickle,
out enough 90 u 70 size the whole
thing mp. Her people had been well Of
snd she was partly educated in th,
states. but f,ie rebellion came alon.
. aud her brothers Joined the insur
= gents and the Spaniards burnt dow
their plantation and looted everything
/, The same old story so far. But thi
girl Her name was a longish on
and hard TO pronounce. The skippc
c0s IL down fine. but we always ju
called her "the Scnorita." She ceriai
ly was as plucky as they make then
Her father ana mother and half
dozen aunts or servants Of one kin
or another were all old and prett
nigh helpless: so when the reconcen
tration edicts wsnt into effect the
: simply could not cbcy So what doe
she 30 hrt pitch - and rig up III
tic hut in amp~r = uees. AMI lugge