The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 13, 1903, Page 13

iB tropicay Twr- light bad fallen and the air was heavy with the strong odor of the flowers of Hopolulu. In an cid native house the laughter was The sound of eucalalies patches uld be heard sc- ing the voices singing the Kua no ordinary feast, or “luau.” was Kaipo's thday feast and 8 enveloped In ti leaves and filled aking In the T sod bad been t of the long lani or d each neighbor had brought calabash to decorate the table >ughout the islands, from the called Kaual on the north to n the south, no native girl was pular thap Kaipo. With those great brown eyes she had turned the head of many a lad of her own race end after seeing her dance, for she B b: nes had beex as & H aiden, many a haole or ad begged her to be his no thought save for Kil- her Jad from the isle of hough of late he had grown mc to studiously avoid her. And no more @14 he touch her hand or beg & kiss at ng, as in the days that were gone. of music increased and Kaipo's eyes were bright as she grace- to the sound; but not udits of the whole company away the dull pain at her art as she glanced et Kilawea lean- y against the tapa cloth by ainly she searched her brain for change in her lover a st f madness entering her beart; she smiled at his rival and beck- r t d forth and finish the Ehe saw her lover's face with pain and he turned to anger put his hand upon »d something to ess pain deep- last yous danc- = e out, accompanied by the »amAE ng after the dance dawned ty of a morn- . e isiands of the Pacific is past rinks deep of the nday heat ment of ely. The - ‘ forgetting the no the bliesful ke with a load upon her h t first she thought it must be effect of some hideous dream. Then 4 Kilawea's face her mother’s as she bent cver her) W you can easily bear - ve to tell you, for you and Kilawea have not seemed good friends of iete. The news has just come. He kel Kilawea is a 51 A leper!” screamed Kaipo, bounding from her bed, her eyes wide with hor- ror Yes,” said her mother sadly, “and they say he has known it for a long time. d they take him away at 5 to-night.” The girl sank back upon the bed pearly speechless At last her lips moved “At § to-night,” she mechanically re- pented There is on the beautiful IHawalian ands but one serpent. Giides he along so softly in the tall grass that he is not seen or heard. He has no warn- ing rattle nor does he coll before he springs. His fang carries with it no paln until the poison reaches the heart. Black turns the blood and the rush of it stupefies the brain and kills the strength of life—hope. For this wound there is no cure. Natives old and un- able to cope with the rush of clviliza- tion welcome the sting of this serpent and call it the “happy death.” But to the young and strong who see far ahead of them long years of hopeless- separated from all that makes life ble—what? Those bitten by this insidious reptile are carried away to an island of their own. On one side of their settlement stretcl the cold sea, on the other side rises an insurmountable cliff guarded by unsieeping watchers. No escape seems possible. N The leper boat rocked idly from side to side walting for the stricken. A woman frantic and ungovernable plead- ed with the stolid officers to allow her to accompany her lover. She clung to him tenaciously and kissed him pas- i tely in spite of the efforts of the men to tear her away. “No, Kaipo,” sald an officer gently, “you know it is impossible for us to al- low you to sacrifice your life and spend it with him. Kilwea here himsclf would not allow it, even if he could.” She glanced at her lover's hopeless face and finding that all persuasion was wasted upon the hardened men she snatched the cigarette from the leper's mouth and, placing it in her own, smoked it in utter deflance of the officers. At last it was over. The little steam- er pulled out—pulled out with only a eper on bo; Only a leper. Yet he ked so strong, so young! If she d only know that he was going to take that long, long, last mysterious sleep she would bear it. But that—oh God! She clenched her hands and lean- ed against a post for support. And the 1 one on deck watghed with streaming eyes until her farm faded away and then he turned his eves to the city and the green hills beyond Paradise of the Pacific! Yes, for it held his Eve, and he was leaving it for hell! The curling smoke rose from the chimneys, the flags fluttered from the steamers in the harbor. One large transport returning to San .'rancisco from Yar away Manila was fiyiny a long, narrow pennant, the penpant meaning “Homeward bound.” The hot scalding tears rushed for the first time to his eyes. A flood of self pity swept over him. What did those two words mean to the hundreds of tired soldiers on board? He thought of the ones left behind, sleeping neath a tropical sun and envied even them. Yet he had - Milly’s Fortune -3 By Martha M. Williams HOBO cravenly files mere discomfort oft- entimes rums into éanger. John Hardy proved the fact when, in an effort to escape the bustle of preparations for his sunt’s (Mrs. Graham) big party, he took & tempting wood path and came all unawares upon two very pretty girls stood, the moral and pattern of impatience; the other, half bent, was eageriy searching through the grass and tangle of the pathside, now part- ing its greenery with two slim white bancs, ne etting the hands fall at her side, wh 1e stooped lower, peer- ing at some all, bare space I ca come, Betty!” he heard the searcher say plaintively. “You know the bracelet’s my mascot—Aunt Helen said 80 when she gave it to me—" “4 wnighty poor mascot,” Betty re- torte 'd throw it away rather than went rubbish thing. It's ten years since it, and we are just the poi ok 1= church mice, yet bound ¢ Morris name. Besides ck could hang about igly cameo.” sack embarrassed. Evi- he was hearing things not mear: for stranger ears. He was on the f running away when a cry of t ing quickly to terror, arresied him. Instantly he darted for- ward see the mascot's owner up- right snd rigid, staring at a twig where her brecelet hung just above the head of & coiled and hissing snake. “How cver shall 1 get it?” the girl demanded. laying her hand appealingly on his & while Betty looked on aghsst Har@y smiled down at her, made stroke or two with his stout cane g away the writhing reptlle, then picked the bracelet out of its green ambush and held it toward its owner, saying easily, “There, Miss Morris. Now I claim = reward. You are to give me the first three waltzes to- night.” “Why! How do you know?" Milicent Morris began, amazed. Hardy looked at ber with twinkling eyes. “You forget there Is a speaking likeness of you over Billy Graham's mantel at Yale,” he said. “That re- minds me—Billy's my cousin—I'm John Hardy et your service—and just now sceking asylum from my natural or unnatural protectors. ““Then come home with us. Ask him, Betty—Betty's head of the-house,” Milly returned promptly. Hardy look- ed entreaty at Betty, who answered it hospitably enough. Thus flve minutes later he found himself walking be- twee the two Into an adorable old gar- den, and on to a big, white silent house, the very picture of restfulness. “Yes, it is nice. I love it all—every stick and stone and blade of grass,” Milly sald when he exclalmed over the charm of everything. “That's the trouble,” she went on. “I want to live here always, and Bllly says when we are married and settled down It will have to be over there. He ought to have Betty, not me. B8he Illkes things new and gorgeous and well kept. If I had my fortune I wouldn't change much here—only gut sound posts to the gates and plant orchards and—yes, and have a brand-new rose garden that shouldn’t put our old flowers out of countenance—" “Don’t talk so, Milly. Mr. Hardy will think you're out of your head. She does get a little that way when you start her on her fortune,” Betty s2id, half severely, half apologetically, the lest words of course to Hardy. For a minute he did not answer—he was staring intently at the cameo in the recovered bracelet. “Let me look at that, please,” he said, holding out his hand for it. “The carving is— peculiar—still 1 seem to have seen it before.” THE SUNDAY The Madonna of Alaska By REV, FATHER SEBASTIAN Sunshine in the Moonshine Country By REV. ERNEST L. WALZ Besides all this there are pages on pages of other bright Christmas features in the ..CHRISTMAS CALL—NEXT SUNDAY.. 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 =nd pound It to powder. Suddenly, CALL. veen wld tnat it took a brave man to face death. It seemed to him just then that it took a brave man to face life—his life. The vessel rounded Diamond Head, and unable longer to bear the sight he went below. * s e Two years had passed since the mo6n smiled gayly down upon the crowd of dancers in the old natlve house, and to-night it looked upon a similar scene. Only” Kaipo was not among the dan- cers. She stood in bridal robes leaning agulnst the tapa cloth by the door. ORISR Did she think of one who leaned there two years ago filled with woe and mis- ery? And to-night she was to marry his rival. On the southern end of the island of Oahu lived a vative man, and on Kal- po’'s wedding night he was walking on the shore, when he stumbled over an inanimate form. Stooping hastily, he rajsed the body and dragged it into his hut. “When the light fell upon the fea- tures he gave a scream: “Kllawea! Holy mother, how came you here?"” Recovering from the shock, yet shrihking not, he forced some whisky between the cold lips of the leper, and as the man opened his eyes he waited in stupefled amazement for Kilawea's explanation. “Likia you,” gasped the thoroughly exhausted man. “Oh, God is good when he sends to me a friend. I have es- caped.” he muttered, looking around fearfully; “escaped from Molokal.” “But, God, man, how? There are miles on miles of ocean and you had but a surf board!"” “True, but what is that to a Hawa- flan? And besides,” he said In a chok- ing voice, “it was Kaipo's wedding night. They told me so two weeks ago, BESIIE ~ - Courson ~ 13 and one keeper, he knew, and h! was not quite stone. He helped ratter how, to reach the water a night. Once in the cean, a sart e, a0 night, a strong heart, Hawalian b & surt board, what more did [ wa The native nodded. He knew Kilawea had been In no danger sharks as long as his b tien, and b it might se surf board cn whic vals and a probab'e as knew g star he cou swim throu e night. By the island of Oahu could be seen and by night re With a mighty effort the lad pu 1 himseif together. in spit £ the entrea tles of his friend. and begged for a s of clothes. Heaping a tho bless- Ings upon tbe head of his del set out for the wedding. As he haatened forward the familiar scenes sent a twingeing pain to his heart verything here was un changed, at T im a8 altered The very trees seemed 7 fiight. The garden was reache: luxurious strains of sounded in his ears in madd She was within attraction, and soon happy music forever to his rivs What if he shouid be too late? The stars blinked « as inscrutable as ev Suddenly a figure in spotless whits stepped full into the moonlight. He was about to run like a detected thief, when, taking another look, he recog- nized and was in turn recog Kaipo. He felt the hot blood his head and in that wild pulsation forgot that binod was tainted He took a step forward expecting his former sweetheart to raise hue and cry, but she merely advanced slowly meet him with dreamy, fascinated ey “I knew you would come to save me,” she murmu softly, as he, forgetful of those long burning days on Molokai, clasped her in his worthless, though stiil powerful arms. Love is mightler than death. One hour passed and then anot and the guests grew curious, then alarmed. A search was Instituted for the bride, but though they searched diligently and long no trace of her could be found. The report that Kilawea was missing reached Honolulu. But it was generally supposed that he had drowned himself on Kalpo's wedding night, though his body was never washed ashore. A year passed and Honolulu was \filled with strangers. The story of Kalpo was remembered only by a few natives. One day an American of a curious turn of mind. poking around In some old caves, stumbled upon two skeletons, one a male, one a female. Also he found a strange old ring. En- graved upon It was the one word “Kalpo.” The story spread broadcast of the escape of the leper and how he had set out to take one last look at his sweetheart. On old grass mats to-day the story of devotion is told and young native boys think with envy of a man who could swim those miles with only a surf board on which to rest: and maidens ponder deeply If ever there will be one with whom they would go away to die of love and starvation and that ome a Leper Leander. harm of a Mascof Brécelet' A Fascinating Half-Hour Storiette o “No, you haven’t,” Milly said con- fidently, but handing over the bauble. “There is just one more like it, and Aunt Helen had that. Her ship went down, with 21l on board—that's why I haven't got my fortune. It's some- where, all in gold and jewels, but just where nobody knows or can find out. I'm named for her daughter that died. The bracelets were carved for poor Cousin Milly. She made the design herself. See, it's a star, and a new moon, with a flower dropping down. To think of having everything you want and dying at 20.” “It is rather tragic,” Hardy ad- mitted. Then for five minutes he studied the cameo closely, and at last gave.it back with a face pale and pre- oceupled. Rallying, gallantly, he talked brightly through half an hour. But once again in the woodpath he sat down for a sturdy wrestle with his own soul. He lived over again the day when the sea had cast up treasure at his feet. He was alone—it was seven years back, after a phenomenal storm. He had stood at the very edge of the hungry breakers, watching them rave and roar, when IT swept tumbling in—the brass-bound oaken chest, full of gold and bank notes and precious stones, unset, many uncut. There had been no name, no mark anywhere—only at the very bottom of all, wrapped in silk, a bracelet, a slender hoop of gold set with a fanci- SEE THE BEAUTIFUL PICTURES Eight Pages of Christmas Fiction by Eight of San Frandsco’s Most Prominent Divines JUST READ SOME OF THE FASCINATING TITLES A Yuletide Beatitude By JOHN DE P. TELLER 7 An Allegorical Romance By RABBI MYERS A Ciscuit Rider’s Christmas By REV. GEO. L. WHITE ful cameo. He had half smiled over the pattern of it, even though he knew some heart tragedy lay back of it. He had not told of his find— search for owners of such treasure- trove seemed so hopeless. He had meant to ask his uncle’'s advice, and be governed by it. Then that very night came the dispatch—the good uncle was dead, and Hardy his sole heir. Altogether Fate seemed bent on forcing him to keep what he had found. He had kept it, accounting for his change of estate by a true story of inheritance greater than he had had the right to expect. Now, he knew where the bulk of his fortune belonged. Often in mind he had contemplated the contingency, and al- ways had told himself there would be nothing for It but cheerful surrender. In actuality it would be far from cheer- ful. He had no vulgar greed, nor wor- ship of money, still it.would be hard to get back into the old w: of spare 1tving. Besides, if Milly married Billy Graham, the fortune would be only an embarrassment. Billy was safe to come into a million. Why spoil his pretty romance by making the girl of his heart an heiress? Betty, blonde and stately and beautiful, would also doubtless find in her face her fortune. Might not he himself—Hardy broke off there, conscious of a sudden rising in the region of the heart, Milly. If only Milly were free. But he could not think of supplanting Billy—even supposing it lay in his power. Should he speak out —with the chance of making himself and those other two unhappy ever after, or hold his peace and enjoy the riches fickle fate had provided! After all, he did not really know—the stone- cutter might easily have carved a hun- dred cameos. Then, too, was it certain sweet Milly was the heir? There might be others with a stronger claim of blond. It she were in poverty, in pri- vation even, he could not hesitate. But that could not be poverty which had all the ease and delight of gentlewom- anly existence, to say nothing of Billy Graham and his prospects. Almost he persuaded himself to hurry back to the city, take out the accusing graven stone - somewhere high above his head, a robin sang clear and gay. The sound brought back to him a country church—himself a restle: little boy, sitting at his mother’s side, and m denly growing calm as together they got to their feet and repeated in uni son with the rest the Lord's Prayer Lead us not Into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” It rang in his ears like the voice of a friend. He had flung himself face down upon mossy turf. Instantly he was up, and racing back toward the Morris house fast as his feet could go. There he & upon Milly and Betty, wild-eyed and white-faced, but joyous Indsed. to'd them everything—making no reserve even over his temptation and how he had been saved from it and wound up with: “Now my soul is at peace 1 can dance and be happy. Let things stand until to-morrow, please! It would be cruel, almost inhuman, to spring a sensation such as this, and eclipse Aunt Harriet's party." “We would never, never do that™ Milly said joyously. “She hates me enough as it is—because Billy likes me. She thinks as I do, he is quite wasted on me. Indeed she said to him when he told her we were engaged: ‘Oh idiot! Why didn’t you take Bett Bllly asked himself that question be- fore the party was over. He got home an bour before the guests assembled Betty was easily far and away the star of them. All in filmy white, with strands of dull red coral at her throat and twined in her golden hair, she was 8o ravishing it small wonder Billy's callow heart wavered. In the third waltz he capitulated—!lost his head entirely, and was only saved from making himse!f a pretty spectacle by Betty’'s superfor poise. Betty was shrewdly observant—she had read Hardy's face like an open book while he waltzed with Milly. So she man- aged it that the four of them, should meet in a shrubby nock outside the dancing tent. There i straight- ened themselves, with hardly a word spoken. But next day with the great news of Milly's fortune, the world heard that she had lost a lover and gained a brother in Billy Graham. rst in you