Horace Chase

t upon these children of the plains. Mrs. Kip had invited the whole band, but the captain had sent only a carefully selected half-dozen in charge of the interpreter. And he had al

nless the young ladies get hold of them," a further detachment of men had arrived from St. Francis Barracks; for the colonel was aware that the

bled tunnels through a glossy-green foliage, the daylight at each end looking like a far-away yellow spot. All this superb vegetation rose, strangely enough to Northern eyes, from a silver-white soil. It was a beautiful day, warm and bright. Above, the sky seemed very near; it closed down over the flat land like

r for the Indians at one o'clock; Mr. and Mrs. Chase arrived at half-past two. Dressed in white, Mrs. Kip was hovering round her dark-skinned guests. When she could not think of anything else to do, she shook hands with them; she had already been through this ceremony eight times. "If I could only speak to them in their own tongue!"

t you have had enough to eat, and more than enough; and she hopes that you won'

d a capital room for dancing. The room was, in fact, an old gymnasium-a one-story building near the house. Mrs. Kip was in the habit of lending this gymnasium for tableaux and Sunday-school festivals; to-day it had served as a dining-room for the India

Mrs. Chase, must be struck with her dress. I shall simply make love to her. And let me se

nswered. "I'd rather

ns on their feet, and their black hair carefully anointed, they walked, stood, or sat in a straight row all together, according to the strongly emphasized instructions which they had received b

upon entering, returned to his fair hostess. "I hear you

through the first orange-walk

mber. Take me there yours

ming, you know," answered the lady. Then, as he did n

absent twe

ly pleased, partly deprecatory expression. Another young man in

Chase. "It's all right," he said to Ruth. "The

e got cheek!"

ly to stay a short time? My gymnasium has a capital floor; what do you say to an impr

, when their hostess, after a few minutes more of conversation, had returned to her duties. "It

ter of a minute after a thing has happened, a woman can often succeed in convincing herself that

about enough of this fool business?" he sa

allowed her to arrange their days as she pleased, she, on her

have come," he suggested, and h

ery nice character," R

sions and nothing more; who never exaggerates or is tempted to exaggerate, by even a hair's-breadth-who is never conscious that she is coloring things too rosily-such a woman is somehow a very uninteresting person to men! I can't explain it, and it doesn't seem just. But it's so. Women o

e much by making him, nominally at least, a junior partner in this new (comparatively new) firm-a firm which was, however, but one of their interests. The very first time that Walter had met the Chase of Willoughby & Chase he had made up his mind that this was the person he needed, the person to give him a lift. Richard and Nicholas were too cautious, too conservative, for daring enterprises, for outside speculations; in addition, they had no need to turn to things of that sort. Their nephew, however, was in a hurry, and here, ready to his hand, appeared a man of resources; a man who had made one fortune in a baking-powder, another by the bold purchase of three-quarters of an uncertain silver mine, a third by speculation on a large scale in lumber, while a fourth was now in progress, founded (more regularly) in steamers. At present also there was a rumor that he had something new on foot, something in California; Walter had an ardent desire to be admitted to a part in this Californian enterprise, whatever it might be. But Chase's trip to Europe had delayed any progress he might have hoped for in this direction, just as it had delayed the carrying out of the Asheville speculation. The Chases had returned to New York in November. But immediately (for it had seemed imme

hese moods predominated, now the other. As soon, therefore, as Mr. and Mrs. Chase were established in their St. Augustine house, he let himself go. Whenever the young wife's mood for activity appeared to be uppermost, he opened a door for it; he proposed an excursion, an entertainment of some sort. Already, under his leadership, they had sailed down the Matanzas River (as the inlet is called) to see the old Spanish lookout; they had rowed up Moultrie Creek; they had sent horses across to Anastasia Island and had galloped for miles southward down the hard o

out unobserved and finish the afternoon with a sail. "I noticed the Owl and the Pussycat moored at the pier as

afraid, too, of that Evangeline Taylor! She has asked me three times, with suc

t girl make such awful

her deep sense of duty. She thinks that she ought to look earnest, or intelligent,

ellow's collar for fifteen minutes ste

did!" pro

llar. And every now and the

s upon a point in space, as less embarrassing than looking about.

ce! My collar!"

n as close a row as though they had been handcuffed together; the serious spinsters had failed entirely in their attempts to break the rank, and have a gentle word with one or two of them, apart. The Rev. Mr. Harrison, who was to make an address,

hen that interpreter begins," said

ery good speech. It was, perhaps,

"lady's quiet home," nor the Sunday-school teachers, nor the cabinet-organ, nor even the dinner; it was t

d gone to the Florida House to call upon some friends. Commodore Etheridge was in the club-room; he was forcing himself to stay away from Andalusia, for he had an alarming vision of its mistress, dr

ouse at once. In the meanwhile Mr. and Mrs. Chase can wait here. Not a bad place to wait in, Mrs. Chase

g the little Plaza, across whose grassy space the old Spanish cathedral and the more modern Episcopal church eyed each other wit

came in. Etheridge had already introduced Horace Chase to everybody at the club, and Chase, in his turn, had introduced almost everybody to his wife. The club, to a man, a

en a note, as I suggested. Capital fellow, our porter; I never come South, Mr. Chase, without being struck

ase answered. "But not to force 'em, you k

ength skeleton hanging by its neck in an iron cage in the underground dungeon at the fort-if they're not true, they ought to be; that's what people appear to think! 'Si non ee veero, ee ben trovatoro,'

, she's pretty,

. Do you know the real reason why I didn't marry? I couldn't endure, sir, the prospect of

e devil did the fellow mean by not answering naturally, "Yes, you told me?" Could it be possible that he, Anthony Etheridge, had fallen into a habit of repeating?-So that peop

almost immediately he threw it down, sayin

Chase, and they talked together for a while. Then Chase crossed the room, and, smiling a little as he noted the semicircle r

man you saw come in just now. I'm not very keen ab

care about goin

Take the ancient swell in my place. He will be delighted to go, for it will make h

f an owl and pussycat confounded the practically minded, while to the initiated-the admirers of those immortal honey-mooners who

ompanions to everybody on the sea-wall; when he had dashed past the old fort; and then, putting about, had gone beating across the inlet to the

arly to go in," she declared. As they passed the second pier, a dilapidated construction with its flooring gone, she espied a

d, covered prow and one large sail. Ruth knew it well, for Mr. Kean was an old

r," Walter said to himself. "But she

oat, and presently

the old light-hou

back will be another matter," Walter

upon the light-house," M

; then turned towards the sea. For the old light-house, an

t this far enough?" Walt

y door; I've made a vow

o, your husband, powerfully hungry for his delayed dinne

He is sure to be late himself; in fact, he told me so; for

s some ordinary acquaintance; he had no idea that it was the Chicago man whose name he had heard mentioned in

ning, I believe," replied Ru

remained at the club, perhaps Chase would have introduced me; perhaps I might even

ow gave a second daylight of deep gold. Down in the south the dark line of the dense forest ro

nce that little rush we had together in the dugout-do you remember? the night we arrived?

one hand, while with the other he managed the sail, and Ruth leaning back against the minia

he lark at heav

us 'gins

k already?"

slow; the Shearwater crossed and recrossed, crossed

se! a

sweet,

g R

companion, indicating a fishing-boat at a little distance. "Perhaps th

urned, and the wind is dying down; we can float slowly i

minute or two afterwards, her phrase returned to him, and he smiled; it seemed so na?ve. "It's delightful, in a discontented world

ever I want them to do. Why, you yourself, Mr. Willoughby! Because I love to dance, you have arranged that ball

d dark lashes, you little know why!"

er dark. He took her to her door, and left her; she must explain her late

e was no

in his turn. "You didn't have dinner, Rut

ate myself,"

m going up to Savannah with Patterson for three or four days, on business. We are to have a special-a mul

To-m

me to-night,

n out to-night. With seven servants in th

ght you migh

my songs to Pet

ed and k

me back soon

hen the maid had gone, she read a little, leaning back in an easy-chair, with a shaded lamp beside her; then, letting the novel slip down on her lap, she sat there, looking about the room. Miss Billy Breeze had marvelled over the luxurious toilet table at L'Hommedieu; here the whole room was like that table. Presently its occupant put out her hand, and drew towards her a small stand which held her jewel-box. For she already had jewels, as Chase liked to buy them for her. He would have covered his wife with diamonds if Mrs. Franklin had not said (during that first visit at Asheville after the marriage), "Ruth is too young to wear diamonds, Mr. Chase; don't you think so?" Chase did not think so; but he had deferred to her opinion-at least, he supposed himself to be deferring to it when he bought only rubies and sapphires and pearls. His wife now turned over these ornaments. She put on the pearl necklace; then she took it off,