The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-10-06
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few. and then he asked her II she would
| not like 20 walk When Turnbull clam
! bered up the stairway just rs tht break
fast gong was banging, he was amazed 70
find the engineer and Pancha. arm In
| arm. pacing swiftly up and down the
deck in perfect step and apparently In
| as perfect accord. the girls delicate face
lighted up with glow that was not all OF
! exercise her wonderful eyes looking
| frankly into Loring's fine, thoughtful
face, her free hand gesticulating eagerly
as she chattered blithely. almost cease
! lessly. for Loring was a fattering listener
| 10 men or women. old or young.
II was a transfigured maiden that met
| the sisters De la Cruz as they ventured
| from their state rooms 10 the table. Even
! Inez. their boasted beauty, looked sallow
| and wan beside her radiant cousin, and
| the fat duenna, their aunt, gazed In
| mingled astonishment and disapproval at
| the sight.
But Pancha was the heroine of the day.
Pancha's hand had caught the dolphin,
and the captain showered his loud con-
gratulations, the purser handed her TO
her seat and would gladly have sided
into the chair OF Senior Sepulvida, who
had come aboard with them at Guayinas
and kept his berth until the previous
evening yet now came forth TO face the
gathering company at breakfast. The
SklDDer nau placed the tttuA Stilpid dh 'ho
own right with Turnbull just beyond her
To Senorita Inez he had given the left
hand seat. with Loring on the other side
and SenoTta Carmen just beyond him
So there was the engineer 1anked by
damsels said 10 enjoy no little wealth
and social station, yet his blue eyes never
wandered over across and farther down
the table than where sat Pancha with
a stuffy old cigar merchant between her
A.f~ xtxy nd
Sepulvida. ogling on the other hand. Two
at least of that reassembling company
deserved their appetites at breakfast.
But Turnbull had no zest for anything.
and the women generally only feebly
toyed with their forks. The colonel had
found time 10 seize Loring by the arm
and whisper on the stairs
"By Jove, young man, you're playing
n deep game! d you expect to find out
anything7"
II have-already." said Loring.
THE devil you have! What?'
She's innocent-utterly!
And that bright morning was follow
ed by a cloudless afternoon and sweet
ill-starlit- evening -by-this--time
all men and all women were on Deck
and the Idaho was foaming swiftly on
through the summer seas, and people
went below reluctantly at night and
woke TO new and brighter life on the
morrow and Loring was up with the
sun and drinking deep drafts OF old
oceans ozone as he paced the decks TIL
Pancha came.
And one day followed another. and
Turnbull read and yawned and dozed and
tried TO talk to the charming senoritas,
but couldn't muster enough Castilian and
Traynor chalked the decks for horse
billiards. and Switchboard and every
body took a hand at times and one even
ing. despite the havoc moist salt air
plays with catgut. Pancha's guitar and
that OF the purser were brought into re-
Quisition, and Pancha was made to sing.
thing she didn't do too we'll as yet,
and Pancha knew II without asking when
she looked into Lorings eyes. and no
power or persuasion could make her try
again until long. long after.
They were having now an ideal yoy-
age so far as wind and wave and wealth
| er were concerned. but the Senoritas de
| la Cruz declared IL the stupidest they d
canos--the least attentive or attractive o'
| those with whom they had ever sailed
| And everybody seemed to long for tnt
| sight of the green headlands OF the Gold
| en- Gate and terraced slopes OF San Fran
| cisco; oil save two-Pancha. to whom the
ending of that voyage ment the ending o.
| the sweetest days her life had evel
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drudgery she dreaded, and Loring. l,
| whom the return TO San Francisco
| meant the taking up anew Of
tangled case that had become hatefu
10 him. TO whom there was the prospec
OF a meeting that he would gladly AVOID
TO whom there was coming an inevita
BILE parting, the thought of which op
pressed him strangely. and he could no
tell why.
The marvellous green of the Californi
bluffs spanned the horizon for miles o
| the starboard hand one radiant after
noon as they went below to the captain
dinner. thelast before reaching por'
The sunshine -had-henn- brilliant all "a
day. yet there came n chilly. shlverin
air toward 2 o'clock and the first of
Ger shrugged his shoulders and locke