Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-02-04
CHAPTER XIII.

The walters were just beginning to
set the tables for breakfast in the sa-
loon beneath the broad skylight. The
crew had ceased the morning "squilgee-
ing" and swabbing forward, and were
busy slowing away mops, buckets and
brooms. One or two passengers had
crawled up the companionway and
dropped into seats amidships, staring in
envy, if not disapproval, at the swing
ing stride of the young officer whose
cheeks were beginning to glow again
with the flush of health, and Pancha,
clinging to her perch at the stern, after
following him with her eyes far up the
deck until she knew he had almost
reached the point where be suddenly
faced about in his swift march, again
resolutely turned her back upon the
Idaho and all that appertained to her,
and found herself for the fortieth time
gazing out over the glistening wake, and
for the first time with thrill of excite
ment.
The taut trolling line was swapping
and swaying. and far astern something
cleaning in the slant of the sunshine
came springing into view from the
depths of the net and darting to right
and left beneath the heaving waters-a
dolphin, beauty, she knew in an in
slant, and grasping the cord she strove
with all her strength to haul in. For
second or two it came readily enough,
then, with sudden jerk, whizzed taut
again, as the game victim made mag
nificent dash for liberty.
Again she laid hold, and bracing her
slender feet threw her whole weight on
the line and pulled away, again with
only temporary success, for the dolphin
only shook himself and struggled, but
suddenly darting forward he as sudden
ly slackened the line, and Pancha, who
had been pulling for dear life, with set
teeth and straining muscles, fell SUD
denly back and was spared hard tunl-
BILE only by a pair of strong, clasping
arms that quickly righted if they did
not as quickly release her, and Pancha,
furiously blushing, excitedly painting,
could only show her white teeth one in
slant as she futtered out faint ezra
clasp and wriggled out of the gentle
mans embrace, then with the instinct
of her sport loving race grabbed again
for the line, and now there were season
ed muscles behind her, and the dolphin
knew he had met his master.
Hand over hand they pulled away, 5,
10, Is fathoms, and the dripping cord
curled upon the deck, and at last the
cleaning beauty of the Pacific seas
came leaping into view and swinging at
the stern, and then Pancha, with spar
king eyes and eagerly flushing cheeks,
ducked out of the way as Loring skill
fully swung her prize aboard and sent
the magnificent fellow gasping and flap
ping upon the deck.
And so at last the spell was broken.
He had spoken slowly and with grave
kindness in his modulated voice a few
words Of the stately and sonerous tongue
she loved, and now in the fresh sweet
air of morning, in the gladness of the
ocean breeze and the heyday of life and
youth, these two stood there at the taft
rail of the Idaho, she so slender, dark
and willowy, he almost Saxon in his
blue eyed, fair haired, fair skinned
manliness, alone with each other and
their prize. The child who had tainted
at sight of him less than week agOne
was peeping shyly up at him now and
thinking how good face was that, SO
fresh and fair and strong, with its
smooth shaven chin and cheeks, its