The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-07-06
Continued from Fourth Page.l

gazing from the leads down the side OF
a house--a wonderful piece of fore.
shortening that made one dizzy to see.
Where had she seen that picture
Memory, that works indifferently on
earth or in vacuo, told her of book
read by stealth in her novtiate, such
book as perils body and soul, and
Sister Ursula blushed redder than the
brick work a foot before her nose.
Everything that she had read in or
thought about that book, raced through
her mind as all his past life races
through the soul of a drowning man.
1t was horrible, most horrible. Then
rose a fierce wave Of rage that she, a
sister of irreproachable life and de
meanor (the book had been an indis-
cretion, long since bitterly repented
o. should be singled out for these
humiliatng exercises. There were
other nuns of her acquaintance, proud,
naughty, and overbearng (her foot
slipped here as a reminder against sin
and hasty judgments, and she felt it
was a small and niggling justice that
counted offences at such a Crlsis), and
and thinking too much of their holl-
ness, to whom this modification, with
all the rust fakes in bosom and ker-
chief would have been salutary and
wholesome. But that she, Sister Ursu-
la, who only desired a quiet life, should
climb fire escapes in the face of the
shameless sun and watching popuIa-
ton 1t was too terrible. None the
less, she did not come down.
Praying to be delivered from evil
thoughts, praying that the swinging
bottle would not smash itself against
the iron ladders, she toled on. The
second and third fats were empty and
she heard a murmur in the street; a
hum of encouraging tumult, cheerful
outcries bidding her go up higher, and
crisp inquiries as to whether this were
the end of the performance. Her
saint - she that had not prevalled
against the would not help Sister
Ursula, and it came over her, as cold
water slides down the spine, that at
her journeys end she would have to
-go-through-the window. There
is no vestibule, .portIco, or robing room
at the upper end Of fire escape, 1t
is designed for such as move in hurry,
unstudious of the graCes, being for the
most part not overdressed, and yet
seeking publcity-that publicity which
came to Sister Ursula unSought She
must 90 through that window in order
to give her invalid his medicine. Her
head must 20 first, and her feet, and
the bursten shoe, must go last. 1t
was the very breaking point in the
strain, and here her saint, installing
the needs of the case, sent her a com
panon Her head was level with the
window of the fourth story, and she
was rejoicing to find that that also was
empty, when the door opened and
there entered a man something elderly,
of prominent figure, and dressed &c,
cording to the most rigid Canons laid
down for afternoon visits. He was
millions of leagues removed from Sister
Ursulas world-this person with the
tall silk hat, the long troCk coat, the
light.gray trousers, the tiny yellow but
tonhoe rose, and the marvellous puff
ed cravat anchored about with black
pearl headed pinS-but an imperative
need for justification was upon her.
Her own mission, the absolute right
ness of her own mission, were 50 clear
to herself that she never doubted any
one might understand, when she point
ed upward to the skies, and the fiat
above.
The man, who was in the act of lay
ing his tall hat absently upon the table,
looked up as the shadow took the
light, saw the gesture, and stared.
Then his jaw dropped, and his face
became ashy gray Sister Ursula had
never seen Terror in the flesh, well
dressed, and fresh from a round OF
calls. She gathered herself up to
climb on, but the man within uttered
a cry that even the double windows
could not stife, and ran round the
room in circles as dog runs seeking
a lost glove.
"He is mad" she thought, ooh,
heavens, and that is what has driven
him mad"
He was STOPPING fondly over some
thing that seemed like the coffin of 8
little child. Then he rushed directly
at the window open-mouthed. Sister
Ursula went upward and onw rd, none
the less swiftly because she heard a
muffled oath, the crash of broken
glass, and the tinkling of the broken
splinterS on the pavestones below.
For the second time only'in her career
she looked downtown between the
ladder and the wall. A silk hat was
bobbing wildly, as fishing feat on a
troubled stream, not a dozen rungs
beneath, and a voice-the voice of feat
cried hoarsely, "Where is it, Where
is it ?" Then went up to the roofs the
roaring and the laughter of a great
crowd: yells, cat calls, ki-yis, and boot
ings many times multiplied. Her saint
had heard her at last, and caused
Sister Ursula to disregard the pains OF
going through the window. Her one
desire now was to reach that haven, to
jump, dive, leap frog through 1t il
necessary, and shut out the unfortunate
maniac. 1t was a short race, but
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