The Irish standard., 1908-05-23
CHAPTER XVI.
Gideon's Story,

Between the social gardens of Sac
ramento and San Francisco Amabel
fitted, gathering the honeydew she
fed upon. When Esther met her she
was as gay with one cavalier as with
another, until Alfred appeared. He
was never her escort; yet if he came
to party or theater she claimed him at
once. Esther became convinced that
the barrier that had once separated
herself from Alfred now existed be.
tween him and Amabel; that for ANA
bells sake he insisted on her perfect
freedom in the eyes of society. This
conviction did not bring tranquility;
and Esther asked herself bitterly, why,
in all the throng that followed her,
there was not some brave and honest
soul that could dislodge Alfred from
her heart. AS the winter waned she
found herself very weary Of the mo-.
notonous round, of the days and nights
that loomed before her, stretching to
blank, gray years. And when the
warm sunshine adorned the hills with
rioting bloom, more and more she
spent solitary hours on the road with
her smart team, her most conspicuous
extravaganza.
valentines day." she unused this
morning, as she leaned out Of the open
window to the brilliant, close-bending
sun of California. Fuchsia and nastur-
tium Wed with perfumed heliotrope
and jasmine in the long climb up the
houseside; but purple and white won
through their fragrance, and she
gathered feathery cluster for her
belt.
She met her housekeeper in the
dining room, and looked over the at.
tractive heap brought by mail and
messenger; valentines of the old lace
paper sort, hiding tiny mirrors and ar
dent poetical requests to look on my
fair;;" flowers, books, gems which she
would never accept-all the what-not
of sentimental Valentines day 40
years ago. One Offering charmed her.
1t was a golden arrow Of delicate Mex
ican filigree, light, graceful, wonder.
fully brilliant, brilliance Esther did
not at first discover as coming from
many tiny diamonds, each hardly
larger than pinpoint, set very close.
ly together.
"How exquisite!" exclaimed Mrs.
Brockett. who was friend as we'll as
housekeeper. Il never saw anything
like it. For your hair, isn't it," She
took it from Esther and shot it through
her big brown coil, the feathered end
standing high, the pointed shaft shin
Ing just back Of her ear Its the most
beautiful ornament you have. Won't
you keep it?"
L see no way to return It," Esther
said, searching wrappers and box for
clew to the sender. There isn't
q word, letter-not even the merch-
ants name on the box. How did 1t
Gomez"
"The Chinaman said small boy
brought it this morning before seven
O'clock" Mrs. Brockett replied, as she
left the room.
The trinkets did not interest Esther.
She took up her paper instead. At
the first glance she cried out.
Gideon Ingram Anthony-His Ro-
mance!" were the first words she saw.
She stared uncomprehendingly for a
moment, then read on feverishly. 1t
was a strange tale, pieced together
from many sources, and confirmed by
appended interviews with several "old-
est settlers:"
"The story Of Gideon Ingram, of the
well-known freighters, Ingram, Finn &
Gould, reads like one of Mrs. South
worth's novels; yet it is only one Of
the many dramas resulting from the
clash of Latin and Anglo-Saxon in
California.
I'm the early '4Os q young New Eng.
land teacher, William Anthony by
name, sea-voyaging for his health,
dropped into Monterey out Of curiosi.
ty, and remained, entranced by the
climate and bewitched by a pair of
beautiful Spanish eyes. influential
letters opened the best doors of the
capital to him; and his own fine per-
sonality soon won him popularity.
Lolita. the spoiled and only child of
Senor fernando Guerrero, heiress to
half a county and the toast Of the
town, fell in love with the young Puri-
tan, love he returned as ardently as
any swain of her own people. Those
who know the Monterey Of that day
say that the blood of prairie princess
mingled with the blue Andalusian OF
the Guerreros in Lolita's veins.
Whether true or not, she had the i'm
periousness Of dozen royal maidens;
and overriding all objections, she set
a wedding day less than two months
after the pair first met.
Meantime the groom's brother, a
lively young officer Of Boston
meschantman, hove into port q week