The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-24


den, down over the rocks and out across
the sand to the south. queer Jones, with
rickety haste eyes ablaze, went toddling.
And Hatcher sat down on the rocks and
shook with laughter, but later followed
Jones.
Jennie. making flying leaps over incredi-
Die CUFFS between rocks was finding guam
titles Of abalones.
That shameless old codger. cried she.
and stood gazing round at the wild spot
wherein she found herself, or sticking
her toe into sea anemones to see them
shut up around it and squirt Then she
felt a chill, and turned quickly to look up.
over a rock that hung above her project
ed the hogged head of Jones. twelve feet
distant against the unfathomable Califor-
MIA sky.
Mercy Get away" said Mrs. Hatcher
Say, come out" rustled old Jones. His
countenance had a dreadful look. Come
onrth, along of me, to where your hus-
band is I'll tell you about Dana
About WHAT
Il sailed with Dana cried the old man.
hoarsely, over the rock. With Richard
Henry Dana, in the Pilgrim. away back
in the thirties You read Two Years
Before the MAST?
"Oh. surely cried Mrs. Hatcher. MAX
ing such a jump to the shore that Jones
rubbed his eyes
Come away; I'll show you where we
threw the hides down. he said.
'Hurrahr' cred Mrs. Hatcher and
sprinted on the sands TO meet Hatcher.
What do you think, This old exhibit
was with Dana"
The exhibit came toddi ngalong
Here" he mumbled. excited pulling
them by the clothes. You can't see the
place unless you come away to the north"
Hatcher was laughing, TO Jennies dis
gust, and she hit him on the back But
it was all tragic to Jones The sweat
stood out on his brow.
When they came to the summit of the
northern rocks he stood wind shaken and
under the circling gulls, and
pointed to d distant cliff.
''Yonder he said, we threw them
down. The ship was gathering hides
from the MeXicans to sell in Boston. To
every old mission UP and down the coast
we went. Oh. me. Queer days The cap
tain was a tough one. At San Juan Cap
istrano behind that mountain they col
lected many, and brought en- yonder. We
climbed up there ana threw them to the
beach. Oh, how they would skim and fly
like birds. Oh. me. And right in the
middle of that cliff they let Dana down by
a rope for one that stuck Seems yes
terday Dana was a brave striplin, but
he had a mean streak
What Grief Jennie. rebelliug
Yes said Jones. He done me dirt
The old man would say no more
Watchful, feeble. he chung to Hatcher
and wife all day like a leech. They
agreed to go south no more till they
could do it secretly. They felt sorry for
the webbing old codger
At night Mrs. Hatcher ate dozens of
slices of bacon. not to mention eggs.
oh. Mrs. Migss!' she whispered. Il
know we can pay for our vacation with
abalones. The sea is so good for Harri-
son, In three years he will be out Of
debt, and maybe build a house Of our
own"
And Mrs. Miggs rattlef a new kind of
clans that she had in her pocket. and
laughed her easy laugh.
Jennie slept like top, an extraordinary,
a miraculous slumber, till a. m. And
then up she awoke of a sudde mas though
she meant business for certain. She
heard a rustling outside her door. All
to be sure. But two things in the world
rustled like that-old Jones feet. She
was going to see. was Mrs Hatcher. and
creeping to the dor opened it a crack.
At the end of "A CORR Tor was a gable
window over the sea, and through il
moonshne fell. She came close. and she
found Jones with his head sticking out
in the moonshine staring at the Pacific.
He seemed to be crazy and in pain. He
wept piteOusly.
Il will not live 20 find it," he said. Il
am dead. Oh. the tides, You white lun-
attic moon, you make them. l see the
Pilgrim now. Captain, we'll get them
down Oh. captain don't fog me no more,
/ mold. / never done no harm to you.
Don't beat me no more / can't see where
the place is in the rocks; it was in that
direction These modern houses bother
me. But it will be low enough. Why
couldn't it have been tonight?"
He put his head down and sobbed Jen-
ME Hatcher picked him right up and
bundled him to bed; just hustled him
right along. Then she slept like q top till
ten minutes OF S. and Mrs Migss' ham
rose through the whole house on the
breezy wings of the morning.
This day Jones was too feeble to get
up. a fact which crazed him the more.
when they went out to hunt for abaloncs
they left him raving Mrs Miggs scared,
was sending off for the doctor
I'm going right where he said not to
go. said Jennie There's some mystery
about that. Anyhow. there are coolies Of
abalones
They went, free of old Jones and his
eye at last Everybody in Laguna had re-
marked O nthe tide today. lowest in six
ty-tvo years. when Ms. Hatcher plunged
into the sea under the southern rocks.
1t enabled one TO hunt abalones to the
best advantage. and the sea was rs
smooth as a new Los Angeles cement
walk
Mercy me" cried she. What's this"
Hatcher fioundered there and saw hole
in Their ock which the falling It'd chad
partially disclosed.
a cave" caroled Mrs hatcher. and
wadcd in water nearly to her neck. only
to return in elee and send Hatcher for a
candle Hatcher was back in q minute
with that article.
old Jones i in a horrible way, said
hatcher. yelling at the top Of his voice
that he viii die. Just sc-eceh'ng it
Il don't believe him. said Jennie; here