Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-02-18
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Copyright, 1899. by F. TennysOu Neely.l
CHAPTER XIV.

was we'll nigh half over. The old sema-
phore of Telegraph hill would have
worn itself out signaling side wheel
steamers had it still been in operation.
The transcontinental railway was
stretching out up the valley of the
Platte toward the center of the CONT
nent, but Wells, Fargo and the pony
express charging dollar letter were
the only transcontinental rapid transit
of the day.
People still went to and from the dis
tant east by way of Aspinwall and Pan
anna, and the big boats of the Pacific
Mail were crowded, going or coming,
and one bright June day two women in
mourning were escorted aboard the So
nora and shown to their little state
room, one decidedly pretty girl, the
other a sad faced, careworn, delicate
looking widow, 10 or II years, apparent
y, the senior.
They sailed with only one friend to
see them off-an aid-de-camp of the
commanding general-yet not without
much curiosity on the part of the
younger woman as to the composition
of the passenger list. Even before they
were beyond the rocky scarp of Alca-
traZ-for few things are impossible to a
pretty woman-she had been able to Sc
cure a copy and to say, with bated
breath, to the 1anguid invalid: Sat
least, he's not going on this ship. 1t
might be better if he were'-for Miss
Geraldine Allyn had not lost faith in
her power to charm.
And one reason why the che" refer
red to was not going on this ship was
that the sisters Nevins and Allyn had
''booked' their passage nearly two
weeks before, it being useless to remain
longer on the Pacific coast in hopes of
finding the fugitive husband, for the
consul at Guaymas was authorized to
report the death, at Hermosillo,
through wounds and exposure, of the
gallant but unfortunate captain, whose
mind must have given way under his
accumulation of troubles. - A seal ring
that Nevins used to wear and some let
tiers were all he had to leave, and these
had been duly forwarded to the address
of his wife, whose pathetic inquiries
for further particulars elected nothing
more relia BILE than that Nevins was
dead and buried and that was the end Of
him. The Guartermaster got ''transpor
tation'' for them to New Orleans. A
sum sufficient for their immediate
needs was placed in their hands. An
other sum, which did not receive i'm
mediate Acknowledgement, was also
sent to the disconsolate widow, and now
they were going, and that was all.
Going, too, was Loring, though not
on that trip-ghaking, SO to speak, the
dust of California from his feet, ST.
lent but much disgusted man. For
nearly five weeks he had lived life
that would have tried the endurance Of
the patriarch of Holy Writ and wrecked
the sunny nature of Tapley- Hounded
day after day by the so called agent Of
the Escalantes, with insolent demands
for property that was never in Loring's
possession threatened with arrest if be
did not make restitution or propose an
equivalent; sent practically to Coventry
by officials at headquarters to whom he
was too proud or too sensitive to dilate
upon his wrongs or to tell more than
once the straight story of his innocence;
saved from military arrest only by the
''stalwart'' letter written by the Yuma
surgeon, in response to his urgent ap-
peaIs; comforted measurably by Blake's
eloquent, but emphatically insubordi
nate outburst at the expense of depart
ment headquarters; unable to bring to
bear for nearly five weeks the mass Of
testimony as to character forthcoming
from the superintendent and officers at
West Point, and the letters Of class
mates and comrades who knew him and
felt that the charges must be false, our
engineer passed through an ordeal the
like of which few men have had to en-
counter.
Then the unexpected happened. The
captain of the Idaho slowly recovered
his mind and strength, and, with con-
valescence, came keen recollection of
all that had occurred. He, too, made
full report to the owners of Loring's
GOODNESS and determination the night of
the wreck, and was amazed to be told
OF the charges against that officer.
''Who says so? Who makes such ac-
cusations?" he demanded angrily, and
was informed that his friend and ship
mate, Purser Traynor, was the person,
whereat the big skipper gave long,
long whistle, looked dazed again, smote
his thigh with a heavy fist, and pres
oulAy edAu, just you WALL ulIl6,
wherewith he took himself Off Traynor
and the first officer had been very
"thick" for fortnight or SO, though
that dinner had never come off. Tray
nor and the first officer had both been
promised excellent berths the moment
the new steamer arrived that was to
take tho place of the Idaho But the
captain went cruising out beyond Sacra-
mento, where the purser had little
nest and brood, and came back later
with tale he poured into the ears of
the company, the result Of which was
that Traynor was informed he would be
wise to seek other emnIoYment there