The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-04

! lips
Beside herself with fury, she drew
away, and. forgetting all her fear.
Kissed through her clenched teeth, IF
| there is justice in heaven you will be
in prison on the first of May" and
Nita fed quickly up the peath, closed
the door and bolted it;
The winter which followed had been
a happy one in Provincetown. Fish
had been plentiful, the boats had all
\ done we'll and all the men who went
forth had returned to it safe and
sound.
Nita, however, had been most unhap-
| py. Don had been so busy that she
had seen little or nothing of him.
whereas Felipe was constantly at her
| fathers house.
According to Felipe's reading of the
partnership ii was Dons duty to mend
the nets and keep the boat in order
while he had nothing to do but go to
sea and help to fish.
Don was satisfied, however. The
| season had been so good that he felt
confident of obtaining handsome sum
| in addition to the $500, and he looked
| forward to sitting in his own home in
May.
But all the same the winter was one
| long anxiety to Nita. She grew thin
| and pale and none ever saw the bright
| blood mantling her cheek unless it
was Felipe who would follow her into
| quiet corners around the house and
| call her his little bride. Then the an
cry flush BODIED little good for Felipe.
Every fishing trip was a fresh tor
ture to her. The neighbors grew ac-
! customed to seeing Capt. Rodrig's
| daughter, with Louis little Joe at her
| side, watching for the boats to come,
and slipping away as soon as Don's
| 70
| two men We're in it. They wondered
sometimes whether it was Don or Fee
! lipe she was watching for, but Nita
| kept her own counsel and told her
business to no one.
| Well, not quite to no one-Louis, lit
tie Joe's father-was the confidant of
her fears. but he could be reckoned as
nobody's for all he would tell.
Louis was a widower. His wife had
died in the summer and all that winter
he used to take Joe, his only child and
| away; so the friendship between them
| seemed natural
To Louis she confided her suspicious
| and showed him the veritable boots
| which were supposed to have drowned
| Diego, and all that season Louis boat
| would follow Don's and he would fish
close to the strangely assorted part
ners.
Louis had no partner. and pretended
| to Don that he wanted to stay close to
him in case of a big haul which he
could not manage.
Don was willing, but Felipe thought
it spoiled their chances. However as
the season was good the plan was car
| ried out and Nita felt that to this fact
she owed the safety of her lover.
1t was the 14th of April. The wealth
boats could venture out, but in the
forenoon of the 14th the conditions be-
came so favorable for fishing that all
the men were preparing to go.
During the morning, Don having
| mended his nets and made his boat
| ready to go out with the tide, went-up
to see old Cap Rodrigs. and, showing
him the order on Felipe for $500, made
a formal demand for Nita's hand.
The old man appeared to be puzzled.
II WISH" he said, testify, "yu'd not
come a worriting me with these here
matters"
He was seated by the stove smoking
his pipe and reading his paper With
| sudden determination he laid down his
pipe and journal and went to the door
and called into the yard.
'Nita! Felipe"
Nita came in quickly, a flush on her
face and an angry CLEAN in her eye.
Felipe lounged behind her.
what are you doing here?" she
asked fearfully.
Don had not time to answer. Old Can
| Rodrigs was on his feet.
"See here" he said, I'm bout tired
of this hull tarnation business. Daugh-
ter. here's these two fellers pecking
me. Ye can't marry 'em both SO take
one and be done with it. They'll either
one 'em suit me-" And with this the
old gentleman marched back to the
stove corner and resumed his pipe and
| paper as if no one else was present.
Nita looked from one to the other.
/ but Felipe was the first to find voice.
so you've asked for herr" he said
to Dom
'I have said Don.
Don't you know that she belongs TO
me?"
"She have promise to marry with
me the first of May" Don was stand
ing at the kitchen table, looking
straight across it into the other mans
face.
"And 1 have promised her that she
shall marry me on the first of May"
said Felipe, his beady eyes glistening,
! his voice sinking into a Kissing whis-
per
Nita, frightened to death. supported
| herself by the table and looked from
one to the other.
Each seized one of her hands.
'Nita!" both said appealingly to her.
For moment they stood thus; then
the stiffness was broken by the u
o'clock whistle from the fish factory
across the road.
Cap Rodrigs broke the silence.
Its high tide in ten minutes, boys.
| Amt you a-goin' out with the food ?"
Without a word the two men turned
and strobe out of the door. Don first,
Felipe following.
Nita, who had remained speechless
| throughout the whole scene, watched
them as they kept up their silent walk
to the dock where their boat was
| moored.
When they were out of sight she
sank down trembling and helpless on
| her doorstep.
Nita never knew how long she sat
thus. She was reused from her dumb
misery by touch on her shoulder. She
looked up; the shadows were already
beginning 10 fall and in the gathering
darkness Louis, little Joe's father,
stood beside her
Louis! Louisl" she cried. have
you not gone fishing? Then they are
! alone!"