SUDDEN FLIGHT.
As Percy ran down the stairs to the street door one day, his mind was in
a very contented state.
This unfettered life with a thoroughly congenial companion, who lived
wholly for him, and yet laid not one restriction upon his liberty--what
could be more delightful?
He had all the comforts and benefits of a home, with none of the care or
monotony of domestic life.
"I am the most fortunate of men," he mused, as he stopped on the lower
landing to light his cigar. "Among the thousands in this city who have
their agreeable companions hidden away like choice gems from the eyes of
the world, I doubt if there is another Dolores. So beautiful, so true,
so sensible, and so perfectly satisfied with her situation. Surely I am
an ungrateful dog to ever feel discontented and restless, as I do so
often."
He opened the street door, and came face to face with Homer Orton.
They greeted each other cordially, and passed down the street together.
One of the first remarks the journalist made, put to flight all Percy's
sense of happy security and seclusion, and rendered him miserable during
the entire day.
"By the way," Homer said, "do you know if Miss King, at whose rooms we
met in Paris, is in New York? I was almost positive I saw her on
Broadway, recently."
Percy's heart fairly chilled with fear. Not for the world would he have
Homer Orton know, that Dolores was living in the very block from which
he had just emerged. For her sake, for both their sakes, this must not
be.
"It does not seem possible, that it could have been Miss King:" he
answered, evasively. "I gave her my address in Europe, and she promised
faithfully to inform me at once, if she returned to America at any
time, even for a brief visit."
"Well, I might have been mistaken," Homer continued, unsuspectingly.
"But it certainly was a striking resemblance. What a beautiful creature
she was! Too bad she was so carried away with her hobbies, though. I
used to think you might be able to talk her out of them, if any one
could, and overcome her objections to marriage."
"I am not a marrying man," Percy answered, coldly, "and I respected the
lady's views too much to wish her to change them. Good morning."
He felt annoyed and irritated all day, at the recollection of his
morning encounter with Homer Orton.
But his annoyance settled into absolute alarm, when, two days later, he
met the journalist again, precisely at the same place.
"Are your rooms in this block?" asked Homer, in some surprise, as he
greeted his friend. "If so, we are near neighbors. I am boarding in the
block above."
"No I have been calling on a friend," Percy answered, boldly. "He is
ill, and I drop in often to see him." And then he hastened to change
the conversation.
He pondered on the situation all that day. Something evidently must be
done. With the journalist so near, Dolores was liable to be seen by him
any day, and then, who could say, that the story might not appear with
large head lines in the morning papers. It would make an excellent
sensation article. But even if the journalist should not make it public,
the very fact that he knew of Dolores' presence in America would destroy
all their comfort.
Before night, he resolved upon an expedient. Recently he had been making
some investments in South America. He had intended to visit Valparaiso
to look after his affairs, sometime in the future. Why not go at once,
and take Dolores with him? She was the most charming of traveling
companions, and the journey, which might occupy two or three months, if
they chose to make it, would be one more delightful experience to add to
their many adventures.
And the journalist would no doubt have changed his location ere their
return. Newspaper men never remained long in one place, he knew.
Before another week had elapsed the two comrades set forth upon their
journey.
* * * * *
It was nearly sunset. Two Americans, with native guides, who had been
leisurely making the wonderful trip from Arequipa to Santiago, in
Spanish saddles, were approaching a canyon, nine thousand feet above the
sea level. All day their gentle mules had carefully picked their way on
mere shelves of rock, twisting back and forth through fissures and
crevices that presented a kaleidoscopic scene to their wondering eyes.
Suddenly emerging from the narrow mountain pass, a valley burst upon
their view, like some beautifully-set stage scene when the curtain
rises. The area of the valley was not more than three acres: but all
around it were the giant steeples of Andean granite rising in tapering
lines to the very clouds: every crevice, every seam, covered with a
magnificent verdure of trailing vines, hundreds of feet in length, and
heavy with delicate-leaved blossoms. At the base of these mountains the
cactus grows to perfection; such gorgeousness of bloom bewilders the
credulity of travelers. Ferns that are indescribable in their
sensitiveness of texture, interlaced this marvelous floral display: and
from various directions out from the fissured rocks, flashed and
sparkled bright rivulets, as they leaped from point to point until lost
in some underground cavern.
The guides swung the hammocks; the mules were unloaded and allowed the
freedom of the plateau. Off under a young palm the kettles were
swinging, while supper was prepared for the tired and hungry travelers.
As they arose from their repast of boiled yam, fried plantain, smoked
fish, and cocoa milk, with dessert of mangoes and pines, Dolores noticed
the guides busily setting fire to a quantity of shrubs they had gathered
during the day. This shrub was heavily charged with capsicum qualities,
and at once filled the air with a stifling cayenne odor.
"What in the world are those men doing?" asked Dolores, with her
handkerchief to her mouth. "Do you suppose they are observing some
religious rite?"
Percy laughed as he assisted Dolores into her hammock, and swung himself
into his own close beside her.
"I fancy the ceremony you see will be of more practical benefit to us,
than any religious rite;" he said. "The guides are burning the potéké--a
native shrub, which brings sure deliverance from insects; lizards,
gnats, bugs and reptiles of all descriptions take an unceremonious
departure when that peppery perfume fills the air. We shall be insured
of a good night's rest by that means."
"Yes, if we are not choked to death by the odor," Dolores mumbled from
the folds of her handkerchief.
"Oh, Percy, look!"
Percy looked in the direction indicated by Dolores, and his eyes were
greeted by a phenomenon seen only in the plateaus of the Andes. It was
the duplicating lines of the departing sun, upon the castellated rocks,
as they pierced between the apexes and the basin. They reached in like
silver threads, then flushed to gold and amber, as they fell deeper and
deeper into the valley and rested in a trinity of colors upon the
wonderful foliage, or hung like rainbows above the glittering brooks.
Percy and Dolores gazed, silent and almost breathless, while the long
lines of glory changed to softest amethyst and gray. The guides were
sleeping soundly; the tired mules were knee-deep in wild clover; in
among the leaves of the india-rubber trees, a bright-plumaged arajojo
sang out his saucy Ta-ha-ha--Ta-ha-ha.
Dolores reached out her hand and clasped Percy's, in the fading glory of
the wonderful sunset.
"Oh, love!" she sighed, "I wish God would let us die to-night, life is
so perfect. And something tells me we are never to be so happy on earth
again."