The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-10-03
THE NECKLACE.

army, my mother an Italian lady. Inc
latter dying a few months after my birth,
and my fathers regiment being about the
same time ordered off to India, was tax
en- in charge by my paternal grandmother
living on her estate in Somersctshire, Eng
land In this sheltered seclusion l re
manned for IS years when my grandmoth.
or died suddenly Of heart disease, and
was sent out to India under the care Of II
minister's wife who had been home on q
visit.
was u thin slip of girl, with a pau
city Of worldly experience which made me
appear pathetically childlike Physically
and mentally had been about equally en-
dowed by both parents, and in conse
uuence was made up Of strange contradic-
lions and startling contrasts. My golden
bronze hair and fair complexion, inherited
from my father, accentuatcd my classic
features and large dark eyes, which were
like my mother, while my impulsive,
warm hearted Italian temperament was
modified by thin stratum of English re
serve, making my moods as variable as
the wind, which bloweth where 1t listeth,
They gave TO my manners hint OF nckle
ness more apparent than real.
Never shall forget my sensations as we
steamed into the port of Bombay, The
day was heavenly bright, and the purple
waters Of the ocean were broken into
shimmering waves by breeze which was
soft as q caress The wharf seemed en-
fete-s materialized vision of some scene
from the Arabian Nights
There were assembled denizens from ev-
cry quarter OF the globe, dressed in their
national misunderstanding talking
gesticulntinR, chaffering-va varied as the
stones in mosaic, but mingled and fused
into one harmonious whole. Here the
brilliant uniform of an English officer
brushed the striped mantle and silk ka-
feeya OF swarthy son of the desert.
There q stately Parse white robcd and
black mitered. with the naughty air of a
grand seigneur threaded his way through
the crowd, skillfully avoiding contact,
lest he be contaminated by the touch of
one of lower caste. Nautch girls, bcauti-
ful as hours, clad In gold embroidered
vestments, their slender wrists and ankles
adorned with bracelets and bangles, fitted
hither and thither like bright winged
tropic birds. Water carriers, 1.-the and
supple, deity balanced on their heads
their tall copper jars brown turbaned
coolies conveyed strange looking boxes
and bales on shore; whistles were blowing,
bells ringing, tomtoms beating-all was
q confused medley of sight and sound,
with towering cocOanut palms in the back
ground. nOdding and waving their plume
like heads.
had never seen my father nor his fam.
lily and felt fully what l was, a stranger
in o strange land, my heart torn and
bleeding from the wrench given it at part
ing from all l knew or loved. l stood or
deck like one spellbound, when l felt my
self encircled by pair of strong arms
while u deep, sonorous voice was saying il
my ear, My daughter, welcome to In
dia, and swinging round l beheld my
father, a middle aged, soldiery man, witt
iron gray side whiskers and a sun tanned
yisage.
He conducted me to his victoria 9TH,
only familiar looking object / saw, anC
even 1t had native coachman and foot
mani, and we were bowled rapidly alOni
the smooth streets, whose quaint scenes
with Kaleidoscope change, flashed pas
us. Out into the suburbs, along line o
Parsee residences, with their white walls
and brilliant flower beds--up on Malabal
hill, where my fathers bungalow sat in ,
from the road.
on the low, vine draped veranda stooC
my stepmother, with her children, wait
ing to welcome me. She was a WASHED
out looking little woman, INDECENT anC
amiable, evidently victim to the ener
waiting climate, and her three children
all girls and aged respectively 9, 6 and
bore a striking resemblance to her.
Her greeting was not lacking in cordial
ity, but the little ones drew back in rounC
eyed wonder, regarding me as though
were some strange bug or beetle. Tn
look on their faces brought sob to IN,
throat and oppressed me with feeling
OF intrusion and supernuity. 1t seeme'
impossible for me to take the stamp of m
new environments and adjust myself t
an Insignificant role-I, who had been al
my life the central figure and spoiled daI
ling OF my grandmother household
lived almost exclusively on fruits an
boiled eggs, for palate and stomach alik
rebelled at the curried dishes which a
hrst l vainly essayed to eat with the tear
streaming down my cheeks, to the n
small amusement of the children and dis
gust OF the servants, who regarded as
personal insult my inability to appreciat
the native cuisine.
From the soft voiced ayah, who ha
charge Of the nursery, down through til
different grades, to the old punkah pullel
squatting all day In the basement an
jerking the cord which kept in motion tn
fans about the house, was made to fec
AN alien.
Like tho queen Of Sheba before Kin
Solomon, there was no more spirit in me
Send me a cobra stone by Bentley. II
is sick and is coming home on furlough,
my school chum, Caroline Rochester ha
said as she kissed me goodby at parting.
Bentley was her brother-a captain /
the cavalry. On the third day after m
arrival was sitting on the mating COY
cred floor OF the library with Dorothea, tn
youngest child, who evinced CROWN
fondness for me. We were playing wit
her thros Persian kittens, curled up on m,
lap like nuffy white pompons, when Cap
tain Rochester was announced.
He was six and twenty years old Il ha,
learned this from Caroline), tall and slen
der, with languid, thoroughbred, non
chalant manners, very white teeth, a blont
mustache, chestnut hair, and earnest, gra,
eyes, fringed with dark lashes, but he wa
too emaciated to be even moderately gOot
looking.
/ suppose 1t WAS our unconventional in
PRODUCTION and his relationship to Carolin
that took away the constraint Of a frs
meeting Besides he had been in Indi
but few months, and his easy refercnc
70 people and places that knew was lili
. balm TO my aching heart. was sool
babbling 70 him with the familiarity Of al
old acquaintance, while Dorothea and tn
kittens climbed about over our knees
Have you ever taken the walk thrOug
the woods to the beach," he asked whe
we had exhausted home topics
No." replied, all my discomfort surg
Ing back; II have never left the hous
since / entered IL. l am afraid
Afraid Why, Of what are you afraidy
he queried, with an amused look on hi
face.
Tigers and lions and snakes and-an
everything" The ready tears spran
To my eyes as continued hotly: "Oh,