The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-10-24
CHAPTER X111.-(Continued.)


people might be safe away up there
IN the Morne d'Orange,' she said, fear
fully, 'but you must pass to and fro
through the city,
Gently he turned her face from the hid
den city. Look yonder into the splendid
night ~ he whispered Feel the sting
of the spray. Hear the bows sing! It's
all for us, Lara, the gilded track to the
moon, the loveliest of earth's distances
and the sky afterward! We can't leave
this great thing undone. Listen, dearest !;
when the dawn comes up the Madame
will be lying seven or eight miles Off
shore. I'll take the launch into the har-
Dor, and climb the morne once more to the
big plantation house, bringing your love
and mine to the mother-bird whom
owe for all things good. If she will not
come with me, 1 shall command Uncle
joey to take her to Fort de France.
After that
She was clinging to him and sobbing.
AFTER that?" she repeated.
1--WE steam for Fort de France then,"
he said, "and Father Damien must spare
us an hour from his labors. After that,
beloved, you and l and the honeymoon
out on the swinging seasv'
Just now Denny Macready appeared on
the bridge.
Lara, 1 want you to- know this Den
n.y." said Constable. II found him in a
stoke-hold, and haven't been able to get
rid of him since. He's my steward at
sea, my butler ashore. and Yours solid
anywhere. Denny, I'm going ashore at
"'Tis crool t. hear, sorr."
THAT point is pretty well covered, Den
ny. l want yQu-that is, I'm leaving
Miss Stansbury in your hands"
''Sh-sh-wait till 1 putt on me gloves"
'How are your charges faring, Denny"
Constable asked.
us ut tn little vans, you mane?"
Eyes, the natives"
eff l on'y had SOME goats, sorr!'
"Why goats?"
"Sure, I've been potherin' with lime
wather an sea wather an wather straight
an sugar av milk-whin goats could do
ut all, an betther."
Macready went below, leaving laugh
on the bridge which was no little thing.
u AC ~AdudAdC NiCpS III W IhO SN6S "a eAS
smoke. The gray ghost of morning was
stealing into the hateful haze. The ship
found anchorage. The launch was in
readiness below. 1t was six in the morn
ing. Pugh, the new third officer, was
just leaving the bridge. Constable and
Lara were standing at the door of his
cabin.
II know that you could do no greater
thing than this-for me-" she told him:
"but when a woman comes into her own
as l have-it is terrible to be left alone
so soon. There are warnings in the wind,
menaces in the silence, dangers in every
thing. 1t cannot be that l have found
you, my lover, only to lose you again. Oh,
come back to me quickly, dear"
"Three hours shall see us on our way
to Fort de France" he answered blithely.
Trust me to hurry back to you. Pelee
is still now. 1t may be that the pressure
is eased@"
"There, kiss me, and don't wait! The
very name of Pelee is horrible!" She
moved with him to the ladder. Il thought
l would be drawer than this, Pierre Va
leur!'
He whispered last word and descend
ed. Ernst had been relieved, and another
sailor was in the launch, one for whom
preparations had been made in the dim
hall. Constable was happy. He waved
kiss at the pale, mute face leaning over
side, and the fog rushed in between:
CHAPTER XIV.
The launch gained the inner harbor,
and the white ships at anchor were seen
vague phantoms in the vapor-French
steamers, Italian barques, and the small
er West Indian craft-all with their work
to do and their way to win. Constable
heard one officer shout to another, in
curing if Saint Pierre was in the usual
place, or had switched sites with Hades.
The day was clearing rapidly, however,
and before the launch reached shore the
haze was so lifted that Pelee could be
seen, floating a pennant of black out to
sea. In the city a large frame ware
house was ablaze. The tinder-dry struc-
ture was being destroyed with almost ex-
plosive speed.
"Wait for me here" Constable said to
the sailor, as the launch scraped the
Sugar Landing.
A blistering heat rushed down from the
expiring building to the edge of the land.
Crowds watched the destruction Many
of the people were in holiday attire. This
was the Day of Ascension, and Saint
Pierre would shortly pray and praise at
the cathedral. Even now the bells were
calling, and there was low laughter from
asgroup of maidens. Was it not good to
live, since the sun shone again and the
mountain did not answer the sainted
bells? 1t was true that Pelee poured
forth a black streamer with lightning in
its folds; true that the people trod upon
the hot gray dust of the volcanoes waste ::
that the heat was such as no man had
ever felt before and many sat in misery
upon the ground; true, indeed that voices
of hysteria came from the novels, and the
breath of uncovered death from the by
ways-but the gala spirit was not dead.
The bells were calling; the mountain
was still; bright dresses were abroad
for the torrid children of France must
laugh.
Constable fell in with the procession
on the way to the cathedral. Reaching
there he climbed RI a hure n,<.St nf c<rro