Sketches by the Yarn Spinner.

Hastings Standard, Issue 375, 17 July 1897, Page 4

Sketches by the Yarn Spinner.

JULIETTE. [Specially V/kitten fok the Hastings Standard.] (By Fabian DeLisle.) Lot me tell you the story ! I was yachting m the South Seas I when met her. She was a charming girl—fresh, tiny and piquant. Her auburn hair ■was a mass of graceful untidyness ; her complexion like a pink rosebud ; her blue eyes like the cleep ftater of the Southern Pacific ; and her sticky chocolate-stained little mouth like nothing more beautiful out of Paradise. And there, as she sucked her pink finger-tips and raised her eyebrows as she laughed, I felt as if transported—like a departed spirit. Heaven opened to the spell-bound Mahatma and I stood before my affinity. " Why have you brought me here ?" she said, placing her hands behind her, and standing on tiptoes to look up into my face. We stood on the yellow beach skirting the harbor of Jokoits in Ascension island. The pebbles higher up the beach glittered like topaz ; the sea was one huge quivering turquoise girdled with a band of snow out there where the breakers surged lazily over the bar, and round the whole edge of the bay. Behind us in the distance the emerald landscape sloped up to the very summit of a volcanic crater. Above us the sky was a dazzling blue —the blue of Venice, of Sienna, of Turin. Around us wild orange trees, mangoes, sassafras and sandalwood shed a tropical perfume, and the air was heavy with the incense of nutmeg and massoy. I looked down from the pink atoll on which we stood, and saw the dainty form of the French child reflected in the clear blue of fifty fathoms. " W T ere you not afraid to trust yourself so far with me Juliette?" I replied. Once more her eyebrows lifted, and I saw her pure eyes circled with the sweeping brown fringe of long lashes. " No," she replied. " A quoi lon ? You asked me to come ; I had nothing to do. I love the water ; I love your beautiful yacht, Dainty ; and above all, <>h! man Dien J'aime les marrow iflact's(l love the iced almonds). " And me, Juliette ?" I asked. " Ah ! you !" she murmured as her tender eyes grew dark as night. " You will go away in your beautiful yacht Dainty; and I shall be left alone. The Pearl of Ponppe is not a fit mate for you. I am only the child of the captain, Hayes of Hogoleu, called " the British Bulldog." He came in a big warship from England, and with their big guns they caught and sunk the pirate ship Carl. And old Jennings of Quiros, whom I call father, gave them a big dinner, and the bulldog saw Estelle and married her. I came here with old Jennings, when he left Quiros after Estelle died. But I knew not what life was till Dainty came! " Her bosom rose and fell rapidly, and her delicate fingers trembled. She stood stiffly before me with pathetic eyes. " And who was Estelle ? " I asked. " Ala mere," in one breath. "After the big vessel went away she went to Yap, and I was born at Palao she was killed ; mamere at Rouan Kiti. Keru of Strong Island came there trading, he saw her and wanted her. So did Captain Rugg who cruised round the Paumotus, trading iu pearls. But Jennings sent Estelle on board the Dolphin, an American warship. Captain Rugg opened fire on her, but was chased by the Porpoise of the same squadron and finally sunk. But Keru was cunning and he waited till the Americans were gone, and one night, mon Dieu twenty fast sailing proas dashed into Rouan Kiti, and Ke: u's msn set fire to the settlement. Old Jennings fought splendidly and with his Samoans and Manilla men beat them back to their boats. But mam ere was stabbed in the dark by some cowardly pirate. She is buried under the big sandal wood cross at Rouan Kiti." " Yes. But of Estelle ? Who were her parents?" I asked. '• Ma me re !" she said. Her father was a Frenchman who was ojfieicr on M. Dumont D'Urville's vessel, when he was surveying the Carolines." " And her mother ?" I continued asking, " Je crois la femmc de Jennings. Ask him. He won't positively tell me." " So you've French blood on your mother's side, and good British blood on your father's side in you Juliette." I said. " And yet not good enough for you, Dainty." She clasped my hand as she spoke. " I asked Eli about it, and he said the English are a peculiar race. That their aristocrats are proud. My blood is like yours, Dainty, is it not ?" " Quite as red and clear, Juliette, I doubt not. You may noble blood in your veins for aught I know." " And yet not good enough for you, Dainty ?" "Too good, Juliette. I am a commoner on my mother's side," I answered. " Why have you brought me here, Dainty ?" she asked quickly. " Because the weather was beautiful, because you are beautiful, and because existence is beautiful when I am with you." "Ah toi qiir j'aiine bien aime," she sighed as she sank into my arms. The waves murmured and flashed against the red atoll of the cay, the perfume of sandalwood filled the air, and how cool it was under the clump oifara trees. Juliette lay nestled in my arms, falling to sleep, and I heard her murmur brokenly, " in a is encore—une—en fant — pour aimer." While she slept I thought—thought of home and all it meant for me. If I wedded Juliette I should be ostracised. Who would receive the daughter of an unknown adventuress. For that is Tvhat Estelle must surely have been.

I pondered deeply whether I could bear the ration froa-j parents, relnm-fT*, friends, i jovf-d Juliette ami cr-ri.i »ios to lose her. Dai —all ! well I wjuifl rem:\in another month and ?co. Meanwhile, Carps <!k-w. * =:= # What was that that moved in the sar.rafras to the right ? Then the beetlenut palm trembled. Something was moving there. Before I had made up my mind to get up and see I was struck on the head by a sandalwood paddle. Hard wood, sandalwood ! The jar awoke Juliette. She looked up with a scream as I fell backwards. Standing over me was a lawless ruffian I had seen in Metallanien and Jokoits. He was a Portugese half-breed who had the reputation of being abeachcomber from Guam. His yellow eyes gleamed savagely as he raised a long dagger preparatory to plunging it into me. I felt my head swim round and my eyes closed involuntarily, but the blow did not come. I heard an agonised scream as I strove to combat the stunning effects of the blow. Juliette had flung herself upon the beachcomber, and was fighting like a'tigress for the dagger. Was it possible that frail creature could possess such strength ? He dropped the knife and seized Juliette. I saw her faint in his arms. W T ith long strides he plunged down the rocks to where bis boat lay hidden. He had come to kidnap her. Thank God my strength was returning. I rose and staggered after them. At the end of the coral reef lay the beachcomber's boat. He was a hundred yards ahead of me. I could not overtake him. He reached the canoe and laying the inanimate form of Juliette in the bottom, shoved hurriedly off. Then my intense agony turned to joy as I saw that he had left his paddle up above. And they lay there drifting slowly out wirh the tide. He laughed at me, and cursed me. I offered him money to come back. He cursed me more. He swore he would take her to Guam with him. He wanted a white wife. I had my revolver in my pocket, but I did not dare to use it. If I shot him the canoe would go to pieces on the bar, and Juliette would be drowned. Awful thought, in any case the canoe would drift on to the bar. I saw the half breed look darkly across to it. " You fiend," I exclaimed. " You are going to certain death 1" He cursed me again and laughed loud. He gloated over my torture. Ha! why did he start, and mutter Diavolo between his set teeth. I looked round. Great Providence ! there out in the open, coming round the headland, like a snow white gull flitting over the water, was the yacht's gig. I had forgotten that I had ordered it to take us across the lagoon that afternoon. My stalwart lads were sending her along with a will. I blew shrilly on my whistle as they cleared the bar, and pointed to the drifting canoe. They saw it and turned quickly making the the gig leap towards her. The Portugee rose in the canoe. He was barely fifty yards from ine, scarcely so much from the bar. " You shall never have her," he yelled." I would rather sacrifice my life todeprive you, you Britisher! " He stooped to raise Juliette. Horror! the bay was alive with sharks. I drew my revolver and covered him. God ! If I should miss ! How my hand shook! It was child's pla,y to me to cut single tamarinds from their branches at other times. But now it trembled at a six foot target of human flesh. Before he could raise her I shouted, " You're a dead man if j'ou do ! " He paused. I wanted that. I was playing for time—time for the boat to get up. For when I shot him it was odds on the canoe upsetting ; and my fair darling would feed the sharks whose huge fins swarmed round the drifting boat. Twenty yards more and the boat would reach them. The half-breed yelled a curse at me and half raised my Juliette. Then if ever was my time. The canoe was perfectly balanced. I became rigid. Ping ! smash ! I hit him clean through the heart. He fell inside, thank Heavens ! The gig dashed up to the canoe and Juliette was saved. The Portugese was dead as Queen Anne. Queer adventure, eh! Let me introduce you to my wife. Lady Juliette, my reader, and rice versa. Yes, the yacht is our home, Mr Doane, the American missionary, married us the day after. Had I no scruples ? None. " A simple maiden in her flower is worth a hundred coats of arms." Well, no, I don't—think—we—shall return home—just yet. You see Juliette loves the yacht, and the sea, and " Mon Dieu, les marrons f/laces" also. And I feel happier every day. Good - bye ! We shall be in Sydney Harbor in a week. Come and lunch with us.