The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-29

cion and Valparaiso and Lima. Inc cap
tain of the subsidized ferryboat told us
there was some good picking around here
in silver mines. So We got off. Now
where is that cafe. Merriam OH In this
portable soda water pavilion?"
Leaving Quinby at the bar, Hedges
drew Merriam aside.
NOW, what does this mean?" he said,
with gruff kindness. Are you sulking
about that fool row we had?"
"I thought" stammered Merriam
heard-they told me you were-that
had"
"Wen, you didn't, and I'm not" said
Hedges. THAT fool young ambulance
surgeon told Wade was candidate for
a coffin just because I'd got tired and
quit breathing. I lay up in a private hos
pital for a month; but here am, kicking
as hard as ever. Wade and L tried TO
find you, but couldn't. Now, Merriam
shake hands and forget 1t all. l was as
much to blame as you were; and the shot
really did me good-I came out OF the hos
pital as healthy and fit as cab horse.
Come on; that drinks waiting"
"Old man." said Merriam, brokenly,
'I don't know how to thank you-I-well,
you know"
, ooh, forget itl' doomed Hedges. "Quin-
by'll die Of thirst if we don'tsjoin him."
Bibb was sitting on the shady side of
the gallery waiting for the IL o'clock
breakfast Presently Merriam came out
and Joined him. His eye was strangely
bright.
"Bibb, my boy" said he. slowly waving
his hand, "do you see those mountains
and that sea and sky and sunshine?
| They're mine, Bibbsy-all mine"
you go in" said Bib, land take eight
grains of quinine right away. 1t won't
do in this climate for man to get to
thinking he's Rockefeller, nor James
O'Neill, either"
Inside the purser was untying a great
roll of newspapers. many of them weeks
old, gathered in the lower ports by the
Paiaro to be distributed at casual stop
ping places.
Tic Pancho, the hotel proprietor. set his
great silver-rimmed anteoJos upon his
nose and divided the papers into num-
Der of smaller rolls. A bare-footed mu-
chacho dashed in, desiring the post of
messenger.
'.Bien venido," said Tic Pancho. "This
to Sonora Conant: that to ell Doctor SIS
Schlegel-Dios! what a name to say!-
that to Senior Davis-one for Don Alberto.
These two for the Casa de Huespedes,
numero 6, en- la Gale de las Buenas Gra-
cias. And say to them all, muchacho,
! that the Pajaro sails for Panama at this
afternoon. If any have letters to send by
the post let them come quickly that they
may first pass through the correo."
Mrs. Conant received her roll of news
papers at clock. The boy was late in
Delivering them, because ne mad been de-
Elected from his duty by an fguana that
crossed his path and to which he imme-
diately gave chase. But 1t made no hard
ship. for she had no letters to send
She was idling In a hammock in the pa
ito of the house she occupied, half awake,
half happily dreaming of the paradise
that she and Merriam had created ont of
' the wrecks of their past. She was con-
tent now for the horizon of that simmer
ing sea to be the horizon OF her life. They
had shut out the world and closed the
. door,
| Merriam was coming to her house at T.,
after his dinner at the hotel. She would
nut on a white dress and an apricot
! co1ored lace mantilla, and they would
walk an hour under the cocoanut palms
| nv the lagoon She smiled contentedly
and chose Il paper at random from the
roll the boy had brought,
A. first the words of certain headline
of a Sunday newspaper meant nothing to
J her; they conveyed only visualized sense