hat till long after midnight the child lay wide-eyed
and awake, listening to that steady, measured tread upon the upper deck.
Strange and sad and eventful had been that young life thus far. What
strange new thing had Fate in store for her now?

The Idaho dropped anchor at San Lucas and put off a passenger and took
on the mails--two bags with flanks as flat as the sandy strand on which
the long white line of breakers beat in ceaseless, soothing melody. The
broad blue ocean glistened under the sunshine of another day, and late
in the afternoon one or two pallid and attenuated shapes were aided to
the deck, where Pancha had been reclining ever since noon, and the
captain had come and rallied her upon her big, pathetic eyes and hollow
cheeks, and coaxed her to promise to play her guitar that evening, and
the purser had been polite and the stewardess had brought up an
appetizing lunch, and Colonel Turnbull put in an appearance toward
sundown (a grewsome face was his) and all this time Mr. Loring was
either briskly pacing the deck or reading in a sheltered nook back of
the purser's cabin, but never once did he address her or intrude upon
her meditations, and Pancha's spirits and courage--or was it innate
coquetry?--began to ferment. That evening no less than five passengers
appeared at table, though all five did not remain through the several
courses. That evening Pancha was again tucked in her chair, and Cousin
Inez was aided from her room and placed beside her, and very attentive
was Mr. Traynor, the purser, though fair Inez was but languid and
unresponsive still, and kept her veil about her face, and Colonel
Turnbull came and poured champagne for both with lavish hand, and vowed
it was specific against further assaults of the salty seas, and still
Mr. Loring never spoke a word. With the sparkling sunshine of yet
another day, the little maid was early on the shining deck, fresh from
its matutinal ablutions, and there was Loring taking his early exercise,
striding up and down, up and down, and drinking in the glorious,
invigorating sea air; but even now he came no nearer, and she who feared
at first to venture to her accustomed seat, lest he might take advantage
of her solitude and come and ask things or say things she could not bear
to hear, finally sidled along one side while he was patrolling the
other, made her timid way to the stern and stood there clinging to the
flagstaff, and became absorbed in the rush of the foaming