Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-03-11


face. There was infinite sympathy in
! her manner when she presently met and
led in to him pallid little maid, who
put long, slim hand in Loring's as he
smiled upon her downcast, red trimmed
eyes.
! Struggle as she might for composure
and strength, Pancha had evidently been
sorely disturbed over something through
I the long watches of the night. Loring's
! heart reproached him as he realized
! how selishly he had been engrossed for
weeks, how little he had thought for
her, of her who must be so lonely and
! homesiok in her new sphere. He was al
most shocked now at the pallor of her
! face, the drOOp and languor of the slen
/ der figure that was so buoyant and elias
! tic those bright days aboard ship just
preceding the catastrophe. What friends
! and chums they had become! How ia
mously he was getting on with his
Spanish What charming teacher she
was with her lovely shining eyes, her
! laughing lips, her glistening white
teeth She seemed happy as queen
then, and now what had come over the
! child?
"They are going to let me write to
you, Paucha," he had told her, land I
shall write every month"; but you will
write to me long letters, won't you?'
"Si." And the dusky little head bow
ed lower and Pancha was withdrawing
her hand.
''You know have no little sister,"
| he went on.
She did. She had learned all this and
- i
every word he had told her, very much
more than he remem bered. She knew
far more about him than he did about
her, but he looked far more interested
now The good gray sister was more
than good. She was very busy at some
thing away across the room, and Loring
had drawn his little friend to the win
COW.
Chow I wish had known you there
at-at the ella, Pancha!'' he managed
to say in slow, STUN milling Spanish.
"Do you know we made a great mis-
take, Mr.. Blake and I?''
She did not wish to know. Two little
hands went up imploringly, the dark
head dropped lower STILL the slender,
girlish form was surely trembling.
What allied the child? It was time to
go, yet he fingered. He felt longing
to take her hands again, clasped in each
other now and hanging listless as she
leaned against the window casing. He
meant to bend and kiss her goodby, just
as he would have kissed a younger sis
ter he said to himself, not as he had
kissed Geraldine Allyn. But somehow
he faltered, and that was something I'M
usual to Walter Loring. Even at risk Of
being abrupt he felt it time to go, but
after the manner of weaker men took
out his watch
eyes, L muS5 go, Pancha. We won't
say goodby, will we? It is until tomor-
rOw-hasta Ia manana. You know we
always come again to California. You'll
be quite woman then, though. He
who was so brief and reticent with men
found himself prattling with this child,
unable to break off. At last, with sud
den effort, he seized both her hands in
his. where they lay limp and passive.
"Adios, little onei Dear little
friend'' he said, bent swiftly, and his
curling brown mustaCho was crushed
one instant against the top Of her dusky
head. Then he hurried to the lady su-
perior and took his leave, Pancba stand
ing silent at the window until the door
had closed behind him.
Another day and he was looking back
along the sparkling wake of the crowd
ed steamer, thinking how beautiful the
ocean seemed to him only few weeks
earlier. Another week and he was at
the isthmus, homeward bound, yet
clinging with strange interest to the
scenes Of so much trial. Another month |
and he was spinning along old, familiar
shores, Ell route for the distant field of /
new and stirring duty. Without days /
delay he was hurried on the trail of a
party of officials, designated to select .
the site for the new post far up in the I
heart of the Sioux hunting grounds For |
associates he found veteran quarter I
master, with a keen eye for business, |
and an aidde-camp of his new general
commanding, and recent experiences
with such coEi bined to render him more
reticent than ever. Major Burleigh con-
fded to Captain Stone that if that was
specimen of West Point brains and |
brilliancy it only confirmed his previous
notions.
The site for the new post was decided
upon after brief but pointed argument,
and vote of two to one, the engineer
being accorded the privilege of minor
ity report if he saw fit to make it.
Commanding their escort was a young
officer, whom Loring had known when
as cadets they had together worn the
gray, and though there had been no in
timacy there was respect and the two
subalterns, engineer and dragon, agreed
that the board might better have staid
at home and left the selection to the In
dams, but Lieutenant Dean had no vote,