Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-12-06

veanda \ few minutes later that young man
made fourth al the strange gaming Of which
| write.
And against those stakes will
YOU wager lhousandlh parts Of yom own souR
Lrt Us assume that It represents 800 parts
We arc liberal please note"
The Young man was my TALL slender, keen
featured student hiend he who had.tald me
ot the DEVILS ptessnee who in the agony Of
uncomfortable solf repression had given the cue
which made this narration ? sable.
It wasa guay night Down from the pail
swept ihe robust uadcs, scarce checked even
Tor moment by the masae, u intereeptng
trees, that ta.sad high towards The tagged
cloud, their csfrad ams stood under q
window in the wing Of my pouy acquain,
anees residence. II lacked an hour Qf mid.
night and ,hc night wa, Christmas eve,
Befate ire reared The mast like trunk Of .
tall papiio IT, glossy eotonhl rose above q
narrow window from which Nteamed faint
yellowi,h light, that played ghoslly prank.
among ihe papiia leaves and gliotcd upon tn,
yelloviug fruit
had been . telegraph climber in my youth
and know that my heels bad not forgot theit
cunning I had carefully spiked my shoe
and received to attempt the pefous climb. al
any risk Slowly and uoiselcssly aseeudet
until my eyes were almost ON level with tn,
window sill. and then cut, with my suunt
clasp knife. deep notch in the sill ,tou
tunk, firmly stood there, lifting my body 1,
the desired level, and then peefcd into N,
room. shall never forget that scene. Tn,
young girl faced the window to her right, my
friend, hcf lo5er TO her irft, her In from
Of the window snt -.a-. On the table brlor
him were three little heaps OF paper cout
not sec his face,
saw him make rapid calculation, pencil
ling on one white corner Of IN imperial bower
on which was smear as Il Of blood The
he turned to each and asked, in tone who's
/ jeviish depth Of righteousness hope ncve
to hear repeated "Are YOU satisfied witt
, the count
/ "Ycs"
| "Nes,"
"Yes."
" THIN pay me uhaf yen orr -"
A sudden gusty swirl came up from thu
south. The trades had yielded to a kon,
The clouds broke, and the half moon, strangel
bright yet ghasIly.hued as II pale in death
honor, shone full upon the quiverng papai
and into that awful room. The form Of ---
leaned forward The young girls fac
was pressed against her folded arms that la
upon the table. Her glossy trcsscs lay, nu
brown shadow, upon the shining kou. In
IS hand was glttering knife. On the face ,
the young girl's----a look of stony horror OF
that of her lover, unutterablc agony.
Jus, then another and a hsrcer gust shoe
the shivering trunk Of the papaio. ha
cleft it too deeply. 1t .swayed and fel
crashing forward against the window. IL
voluntarily | caught with each hand one {
the brittle stems above my head. The acto
gave the crashing form the rude semblance
a cross. Its shadow fell upon the table
the gli;tering knife Of poised abo,
the young girls head. A cry Of thrlIin
meaning burst from the arch gamblers throa
oh, the Undesirable, baifl:d devilishness c
that cry
"7Ae croJIl Tie yofSi"
Bruised and bleeding, | fell across Il
window SILL The strong arms of my por;
acquaintance dragged me into the room.
The young girl had tainted but the arm
Of my student friend upheld her.
The candles smoked yet.buned no, in the ST
ver candelabrum. Blu, though the strong brigh
ness Of the halt moon flooded the little roo
the uncanny presence Of had Cor
from it forever.
ALFRED HARDiE.
Honolulu, December 2, 1884.