The Black Pearl

ito, who sat, as usual, upon the porch of his home, smoking innumerable cigarrettes. He was his composed and i

rection she was riding; but when Flick expressed regret that this had been permitted, he merely lifted his shaggy brows. "What is done is done," h

ily. "I'd have done something." But his tone

mpt to tame the whirlwind. But cheer up, my friend. Although she rode

s when her head is s

her clothes, especially her dancing dresses and slippers, if she went with him. And her jewels, oh, certainly, not without her jewels!" he smiled wisely. "There are, as

st wish she had," he said gloomily. "If she do

, 'because there is this combination of circumstances, these results will certainly follow,'" he emphasized his words by tapping on the table with his long, gnarled forefinger. "The wise man never predicts, because he is always aware of that interfering something which we call the unexpected." He blew great wreaths of smoke from his mouth and watched them float ou

ople can not be thrown much together and not show to each other what is in them," he continued. "You know that my daughter is proud," he lifted his own

ight came into his heavy eyes, a dull flush ro

to me there was something I said which made him forget himself

lingly soft, but there was a quality in them, an elect

thought about her. If he said it to me when he

You let him go away safe after say

u think I want my daughter's tears and reproaches for the rest of my life? No, I wish to spend my old age free of women and their

ration still lingered in his voice. "

to this and silence fell be

not particularly interested, but which would serve as a topic of conversation du

orous smile crept from Gal

ted if Flick was not. "W

little, I guess, and to hunt and fish some, I guess, particularly hunt

he says so," returne

to José right away." Flic

"Well, she's safe, and she'll keep him in order if anybody can." Again that g

own, and she got tangled up in some fool love affair that her friends didn't approve of, so wh

ing a match to his cigarette, remained motionless, the flame of the match flared up and then wen

desert. "By George!" he whispered huskily; "

his lip, "that she has done nothi

ets into no trouble. It'll be as silent as the grave. Just another case

abruptly, slipped down from the saddle, threw the bridle over the fence paling and ran toward the two men on the porch. Her face had changed but little

om her and sank down on the porch as if suddenly exhausted. Bob Flick quickly poured out a glass

e been living that I wouldn't know about them. Fanny Estrel! I went to see her once in vaudeville, and, before I'd hardly got my seat, someone next me began to whisper that she used to be one of Hanson's head-liners and that he w

ather, speaking more quickly than

," meeting his eye and catching his unspoke

have much chance with me, you know. I'll get him in Pete's pl

rl!" she broke out presently. "My name's an awful good advertisement. It gives me a reputation for

e more Flick spoke softly, persuasively, and

ms crossed on her knees, she fell into wild and tempestuous weeping. "No," she cried, "no, promise me

ooked at the two men. "I want to go awa

said her fathe

her with abhorrence. "No, I can't dance and I won't. I never

h will soon pass away, my d

safe from Ru-from him, that way. He would follow me

t her with uplifted head. "Afr

repression which she usually erected between herself and everyone about her. "I'm afraid of myself, because I love him. Yes, I do. I love him just as much as ever-and I hate him, hate him, hate hi

aid Bob Flick suddenly. "He'll nev

had reached her, and that she was thinking it over. Her father,

g hand to touch his knee. "To-morrow? No, to-day. You said yesterday, father, that you would be

lick. "You can go as well t

so, then," he said. "The train leaves this afternoon. Go, Pearl, and pack your things. I promised Hughie that he should go back

nd then Flick lifted his relieved face to the sky. "If there's any God up there,

any religions. More than once when I have been in a tight place I have

've got a lot to do at the mines here, but I can

I will make a special offering to the church if you come often," he sai

erhaps; but she will be ready to sign up with Sweeney before f

and had hoped that Flick would relieve him of that duty, but, since that was not to be, he accepted the situation with what philosophy and fortit

an. Yet he felt that, even admitting that, he could not justly blame himself. The Pearl had not only surprised but frightened him by the way she had taken a fact which he thought she fully understood-that marriage was out of the question for him. He was so crazy about her that he had lost his head, that was the long and short of the matter, and had made a fool of himself and hash of the situation; but temporarily, only temporarily. For, and to this belief he clung more and more hopefully, the Pearl was too deeply in love with him definitely to close the affair between them for just one break. He would not, could not believe that. It was true enough that he had aroused her passionate and violent anger, but the more violent the anger the sooner it will evaporate, and strange and complex as the Pearl was, she was yet a woman; and no woman on earth could long hold resentment against the man she loved. She had, he was able to convince himself, regretted her mad action in fir

able, in fact, to face not only a woman who had left him in hot anger that morning, but a gnarled and thorny fathe

a busy and important bird, hopping about on a bo

been keeping yourself, and why

t he resisted the inclination. Resolutely, he held himself in check, and, although the hand with

ho went beside-" he paused invi

e for Pearl going up to make a visit to the old man. But shucks!" he broke off, "what am I telling you this for, when you know m

just as you say. Well, I got to go up and see Mrs. Gallito. I'm off

dge, his unsuspected knowledge of the whereabouts of Crop-eared José. Then his next biggest trump-and here his heart lifted with a thrill-was the fact that Pearl loved him. Yes, in spite of her anger, in spite of the fact that she had rushed off to Colina, where she knew he could not follow her, she loved him; and his desire for her was but increased by the dangers and difficulties with which she surrounded herself. But he must keep in touch with her, and the question as to how this might best be accomplished rose in his mind. Mrs. Gallito was th

ing, as she told him, gone to spend the evening with some friends. She had, before his arrival, been reading the Sunday supplement of an eastern newspaper, gazing with longing ey

of him. "I thought you'd gone sure, and Oh, mercy!"

hing much, Mrs. Gallito, I got a lot on my mind." He sighed unfeignedly and she noticed tha

id, the very last thing he said, was that if you come around-Oh, Mr. Hanson," she sat down weakly in her chair and began to cry. "I thought you

ard. You're not that kind of a lady. I knew that the first minute I set eyes on you. Now understand I'm not trying to persuade you that I'm any better t

d and yet still a little doubtful. "But you never gave

ets that he's still in a legal tie-up, when the only way he can remember it himself is by coming across his marriag

ver Mrs. Gallito. "'Course not," she agreed, although

Gallito, it was all up with me then, right from the first minute, and I was so plumb crazy about her that I guess I lost my head. I knew all the time that I ought to tell you and her just how I was fixed, I knew it, but, someways

y live. We saw right from the first that she was awful smart and awful pretty, and her Pop he had the knack of making money and holding on to it. Well, when he saw that she had her head set on the stage and we couldn't keep her off it, it's in her blood, you see, why her Pop says: 'Well, there's one thing, till she's of age, legal, on or off the stage, she's going to have a mother's care and a father showing up eve

e don't care beans for him, and take all he'll give her, not money, you know, but awful handsome presents. I've seen her let some poor boy that was crazy about her blow in all the dust that he'd saved for a year.

those mountains, not dancing, anyway,

going," admitted Mrs. Gallit

stay long," put

e out, but I heard her through the door there. 'Where can I go,' she cried, 'where he won't come?' And she kept on saying she'd got to

ulders, the light of an exultant purpose flashing in the steel of his eye. "Pleasant for Bob!" he remarked in vindictive satisfaction; bu

temper and wouldn't let me finish. Now taking all the blame to myself for everything, admitting that I haven't acted right in any particular, still I haven't had a square deal. You've got the sand and the fairness to admit that, Mrs. G

ting pause with a murmur of co

the forefinger of the other, "I'm going back to Los Angeles and I'm going to move heaven and earth to get free; but in the meantime, Mrs. Galli

culate murmurs of fright and prot

u to do is this, just write me now and then and let me know how things are going, and maybe, once in a while, slip a letter of

ill in evident perturb

hat she can't live away from the footlights. She just can't. And you know that I can put her where sh

more persuasion to win her promise of assistance. He further flattered her self-esteem by interlarding his profuse thanks with vague hi

d to remember something. "Oh," halting, his hand on the latch, "wh

arer. "I heard Gallito and Bob talking about him only yesterday and Bob said there was some mischief brewing among José's pals down on the coast, and Gallito said, yes, and if he

oncealing it, but Mrs. Gallito was not an observant person, fortunately, an

ngeles to the regret of his benefa