The Heart's Secret; Or, the Fortunes of a Soldier: a Story of Love and the Low Latitudes.

e shores and plains of the beautiful Queen of the Antilles. The noise and bustle of the day had given place to the quiet and gentle influences of the hour; the slave had laid by h

heavy spurs, more like a bandit than an honest husbandman. The evening gun had long since boomed over the waters of the land-locked harbor from the grim, walls of Moro Castle, the guard had been relieved

prisoners, to those gallants who paused to address them. And now a steady line of pedestrians turned their way to the garden t

Moro, and known as the Plato. It is the only hour in which a lady can appear outside the walls of her dwelling on foot in this queer and picturesque

he lady's brother, and a couple of gentlemen in undress military attire, yet bearing sufficient tokens of rank to show them to be high in command. The party was a gay though

, there was a careless, not to say heartless, accent in her tones, that betrayed her indifference to the devoted attentions of her companions. Apparently too much accus

ere, with their stems to the quay, and now his fine blue eye wandered off over the swift running waters of the Gulf Stream, watching for a moment the long, heavy swoop of some distant seafowl, or the white sail of some clipper craft bound up the Gulf to New Orleans, or down the nar

oy, pointing to a rakish craft that seemed to be

? the southern shore is her ground, and the Isle of P

y she didn't fall in with those Florida wreckers, for though the Americans don't carry on the Afr

ers?" asked the old don, tur

on the south side only last month," continued the boy. "There were thre

the officers, "a little out

e lady, earnestly; "can it b

them," said the old don. "Launch

blest in rank of all the residents of the island, being of the old Castilian stock, who had come from Spain many years before, and after holding high office, both civil and militar

f age, Senorita Isabella was a confirmed coquette. It was her passion to command and enjoy a devotion, but as to ever having in the least degree cherished or known what it was to love, the l

t sensitive, and at times thoughtful and serious; but this was in her closet, and when alone. Those who thought that the sunshine of that face was never clouded, were mistaken. She hardly receive

the walk, over which they looked down upon the glancing waves of the bay far beneath them. The moon was stealing slowly but steadily up from behind the lofty tower of Moro Castle, casting a dash of silvery light athwart its dark b

th delight at the view now presented to her gaze, and for a moment she

whispered the boy, wh

iful," echoed Isabella

whole party gazed for some minutes in silence, apparently charmed by the scene. There was a hallowing and chastening influence in the very air, and the gay coquette was softened into

rnor of the island; and his companion, a fine military figure, apparently some years the count's junior, was General Harero

as no new thing to her, and with just sufficient archness to puzzle them, she waived and replied to their conversation with most provoking indifference, lavishing a vast deal more kindness and attention upon a noble wolf-hound that crouched close to her fe

sted General Harero, stoopi

es

uld he, with no powers of utterance, have done that f

?" asked Isabella, ar

ispered the officer, dr

ather's calling the attention of the party to some object on t

ound, leaving his mistress's side, put his fore paws upon the top of the parapet and his nose into one of the boy's hands, causing him to turn round suddenly to see what it was that touched him; in doing which he lost his balance, and with a faint cry fell from the parapet far down to t

w the parapet, and a dark form was traced making its way through the water with t

" said Don Gonzales, springing swiftly down the Plato steps, followed by Is

asten!" exclaimed Is

for dear Ruez," was the hasty reply of the old

" exclaimed Isabe

ible boy with one arm, while with the other he was struggling with almost superhuman effort against the steady set of the tide to seaward. Already were a couple of seamen lowering a quarter-boat from an American barque

the seamen. "Give me the bight

d and then throwing it towards the barque. But the coil fe

ruggle with the swift tide, that his panting might be distinctly heard on the quay. He was evidently conscious of the efforts now making for his succor and tha

f between the animal and the water, it would run back and forth again with a most piteous howling cry; but at this moment it came bounding down the street to the quay, as tho

s and Isabella, for they knew the hound to have sav

save the mere point of his nose, worked as steadily and as calmly as though he was merely following his young master on shore. The momentary relief was of the utmost importance to the swimmer, who being thus partially relieved of Ruez's weight,

e both drowned!" almo

Gonzales, with uplifted

n board the barque, and had cut the davit ropes with his sword, and thu

above himself. And now it was that the noble instinct of the hound stood his young master in such importance, and led him to seize with his teeth the boy's clothes, while the swimmer once more fairly gai

g out from twenty voices th

soon regained his strength, and when the boat reached the quay, he lifted the boy from it himself. It was a most striking picture t

handsome features of the soldier who had saved Ruez's life at such imminent risk. The coat which he had hastily thrown upon the quay when he

away from the spot with all speed, that the necessary care and attention

g in style while he gazed after the volante that contained the party named, nor did he move for some moments, seeming to be exercised by some peculiar spell; still gazing in the direction in which t

be dreaming; has the ba

r, hastening to put on his coat once more; "I h

hom you have thus serv

w their name, general

" said the general, carelessly, as he walked up the

greeable communion with himself mentally. He too now walked up the quay, also, receiving the salute of the sentinel, and not forgetting either, as did the superior officer, to touch his cap in acknowledgement, a sign that an observant man w