The Black Pearl

ing and panting, before the village of Paloma, not many miles from the Salton Sea. Aft

like an oasis from the irrigation afforded by the artesian wells, rose the mountains, the foothills green and dimpled, the slopes with their massed shadows of pines and oaks climbing upward and gashed w

ith its sentinel hills enfolded and encompassed in color, colors that seemed as if some spinner of the sunset courts wove forever fresh combin

rily. He was hungry, and the station agent, a weedy youth, was making a noisy closing up. Intentionally noisy, for w

g hunger, which the cool purity of the ai

lace to stay

eft side. It's got a sign out, electric," he added with some pride. He looked curiously at Hanson, standing tall and straight w

n if I'd choose to put in a month or so here. This way, you say?" He lifted hi

fter him, "you don't want

, interest amounting almos

he papers. The river got on a tear and cut into a nice little town here on the desert, drowned

perceptibly. "Sounds good to me," he

ssively. "We don't need no more in t

ow his cold eyes were alig

we got a few thousand square miles of desert waiting to be reclaimed, and any amount of moun

trical manager-vaudeville. Got great backing this year and am out for new features. Set my heart on the Black Pearl and got to figuring on her. Sweeney had her on his circuit last winter. Well, Sweeney, let me tell

said t

chances. I learn that Sweeney's trying to coax her back by letter, so I says to myself: 'Rudolf, you just chassez down to Paloma and see what you can do,' but honest, son," he put h

tobacco to the other side of his

es touched with a deep rose soon to be eclipsed by the jealous tyrian purples which were

my hand all right, I'd maybe get her to do a few steps for me in the parlor. Oh, Lordy! And now

on't be any footlights," he said; "and you're mistaken if you th

u ain't on to the shop talk, that's all. But now,

aw Pete's place-saloon. You see," apologetically, "we ain't a very big communi

oked at it-"I've got time to wash the upper crust of sand off anyway, and

what he wants and he usually gets it, I'm thinking, or there's something to pay.

there he speedily got a room and some supper. It might be deemed significant that he gave more time and attention to his toilet than his food, but that may have been because he believed in the value of a pleasing appearance as well as in a winning addres

ght. The air, infinitely pure, infinitely fresh, exhaled from the vast, breathing desert, and the delicious aromatic desert odors touched him like a caress. He drew them in in great draughts. The air seemed to him a wonde

ew of those stars and use them for poker chips." He exulted like a sleek and lordly

n the San Gorgonio. It also was a long, low frame building with some great cottonwood tr

g polished floor. The bar ran along one side, and behind it lounged a short, stout, round-faced man with very black hair and eyes and a perpetual smile. This was the bar-keeper, known familiarly as Jimmy. At the rear of the room, cov

bar talking to Jimmy, and knew from the interested glances

some traces of its former evanescent prettiness. Both lashes and brows of her faded light eyes were heavily blackened, and the rouge which lay thickly on her cheeks only served to accentuate their haggard lines. The hair, dark at the roots, was blondined to a canary color where it r

e turned to answer her, and for a moment his delicate, sad face was outlined against the wall behind him.

hat audience recognized the fact, the boy was a musician by the divine right of gift, a gift bestowed at birth. A wheezy old piano, a

movement of settling and attention. Hanson, who had been careful to secure a se

movement, alluring smiles, twinkling feet and waving arms. This passed with a slight shock as a girl entered the door by the piano, as he had foreseen, and walked indifferently to the center of the room, and then, without a bow to he

portunity to study her, and, in that concentrated attention, the man and the manager were fused. He was at once

traight and supple, with a body of such plasticity, such instant response to the directing will

he was born, almost," was Ha

green stones which fell low on her breast. Her long, brown fingers blazed with rings, and in her ears, swinging against her olive cheeks, were great hoops of dull gold. Her black shining hair was gathered low on her ne

nce a few bars or not, but, Lord! how she has got over!" was Hanson's

isseur, familiar with the best, at least in his part of the world, recognized the artist whose technique is so perfect that it is absorbed, assimi

ards, which were measured by time; and yet, when she finished, she gave one no idea of having exhausted her repertoire. In fact, she could

luded some old Spanish dances, some gypsy ones and others manifestly her own. But dance

wastes of the desert turning to gold under her feet, but still untrammeled and merciless, holding strange secrets close to its savage heart; now, exerting all its magic of illusion in delicate and

it stung too. It was the flame of wine in the blood, the flick of a whip on the raw, which r

e went over and sat down beside the woman, who had placed her violin on the piano, and then fl

t me going!" he said to himself, half dazedly, "hypnotized me sure." T

, it eddied about her, casting banknotes into her lap. These she lifted in handfuls and gave to

the edge of the crowd, leaning against the bar. "So tha

Jimmy equably. "Can't be

tones around her neck look good

lick, up there beside Pearl, counting that money, he gave 'em to her after she found him whe

ive scrutiny of the man whom the bar-keeper had designated as Bob

come natural. His face, with regular, rather aquiline features, was devoid of expression, almost mask-like, wh

. "I'll make a note to look out for you," he thought, "j

trical manager, always looking out for new turns. Heard of this

but it's all in the mood she's in whether she'll let you even talk t

out for big money

d there's her father, old Gallito, he's got more than one good 'prospect,' and is foreman beside of one of the big mines in the mountains. And her mother, there, that

Hanson, looking at the boy, w

blind, but let me tell you, he sees consid

he manager earnestly, "a flower of the deser

Kind of sulky, ain't she? Well, did you say you was waitin' to be introduced? I'll take you up and ask

a search light on my heart and soul. Gee! It felt like the violet rays. Now, look here, friend, I ain't going to take chances on a turn-down, nor of your Mr. Bob Flick having fun all night shooting holes in the floor while this

ng admiration. "You ain't so dumb,"

d the other. "Never drin

to, upon which were two glasses, one of beer fo

d been somewhat thirstily drinking and received Hanson with a perfunctory bo

He had drawn a chair up and seated himself on the other side

Just prospecting?" she asked. "I saw at once that you weren't a 'lunger.' I didn't

r of his real calling. Immediately she relaxed, her smile became ge

n and cordiality. "I'm always glad to meet any of the profession

rtily. "I knew the minute that

back into her face, giving it a transitory appearance of youth, and

Yes, I was born in the sawdust-rode-drove-tight-rope-trapeze-learned dancing on the side-ambitious, you know. Say, you must have heard

o the circus, I was about ten years old-ran off you know. Knew well enough what I'd get when I turned up at home. Pop laying for me with a strap. Goodness! It tak

citedly. "Lord! don't I rememb

was a shrewd kid and meant to get my money's worth. Well-the first one I laid out in a great tall glass of lemonade. Say, that was the first time I came up

ung one at the circus!" Mr

led a lazy, sliding, soft vo

r to her duty. "I forget. You two ain't been introduced, have you? Pe

gth, as it seemed to him, of the upcurling lashes upon her smooth cheeks. But just as he bent fo

lickering now with repressed and delighted laughter over his discomfiture. He recovered himself

t of the profession," deft

ft, sliding voice. "Pop was

ly for Mrs. Gallito's answer. Since his eyes were fixed on the red sp

of a long line of circus people, same as me, but he broke clean away from it, couldn't bear the

culine dominance, "say, what you ladies drinking beer and lemonade for? It's got to be wine to-nigh

's, liquidly southern, gentle, even apologetic. "I'm sorry, stranger"-he leaned forward courteo

nt, was nervously biting her handkerchief and glancing from one man to the other, while

tranger?" he asked pleasantly. "Since we've not been introduced, I can't call your name. But I hold that it is eti

ere, naturally don't understand. It ain't etiquette on a Benefit night, when Miss Pearl Gallito, whose name you have, most unfortun

nd always to apologize my humblest to Miss Gallito, altho

herever you go. You know Bob wouldn't go on so if you

animated. It broke into brilliance, her eyes gle

e flood sufferers. Shake hands, you two," imperiously. "Go on, do what I tell you. That's right," as the two men perfunctorily shook hands. "Bob don't mean a thing, Mr. Hanson. It's just his temper, an