The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-04-26

the moonlight imposes, and instead OF
shadows Pat began to see things clearly.
he cast his ewes about him IA II TO reas-
sure himself and get his bearings Ev-
erything in his meager apartment seemed
to bold some association with the child
Car,otta. Hanging upon the wall were
the little worn red shoes, his first gift TO
her. bearing yet the impress Of her baby
feet Within the lid Of his big trunk
open before him swung the tiny brass
hook he had placed there SO that she
might safely fasten herself within, and
hiding here until the storm was over she
hal escaped many a whipping from her
mo. ler 4 row Of anger holes along the
bac running the trunk. had further fit
ted C for her safe retreat. And she had
ney told She had always been rare
chi
L cry picture summoned by the assoc
ciat ons was charmingly pretty, and when
fint ly he cast his eyes down upon him
self upon his toll stained garments, his
rou II Hands, his one untidy shoe-he felt
as he were blushiug at a sense of his
ute unhtuess for her.
5, tzing his mirror, a triangular frag-
mel o. lie closely scrutinized his unshav-
EN- + Lace and unkempt hair, and as he laid
the glass down he turned his vision in
ward and backward upon the years Of
his lire at the Di Carlos and before. He
thought of Carlotta when first he saw
her and of the years since. She had
sweetened and cheered his life ever since
he had known her.
She and this sacred love that had come
to him were holy things, but what should
he do with them-he, poor, miserable,
penniless, clumsy old cripple? 1t was a
terrible terrible folly, this love, and yet,
despite the hopelessness of it, despite the
wildly ludicrous view of it which his Irish
perception afforded, he felt transported
by it into state of painful ecstasy.
What should he do with himself? Where
go?
For one thing he must battle and shave
and cast off these ugly, dusty garments.
The sacred thing that had come to him
required this much of him.
1t was late in the morning before his
toilet was complete. His ordinary hur-
ried additions for dacencys sake were
performed with reference to the world.
Today his own consciousness demanded
that he should be clean. Even his old
wooden leg received its first baptism, the
rite being applied with soft soap and a
scrubbing brush. The hard old oak, pol
ished from long use, shone like the Di
Carlo biscuit board, and it must be I'M
derstood that the signOra was of the clean
sort, unfortunately i'll the minority
among her class.
Pat had just readjusted his peg with
new leather straps when two little black
eyes appeared above the stairway.
Mr.. Pat, dey got a colored lady down
stairs what want her shoes mend" 1t
was the boy Pasquale, and he was all the
way up now.
Tell 'er I'm not worrkin today, Pas
quale, me by. I'm very sick"
"Oh, Mr.. Pat, you scared me awful! !
thought you was man up here"
IAN did we rally? Sure an we made a
terrible mishtake, for there's northin up
heer but three-quarrters av an ould divil
of fool"
"Oh, you look awful white, Mr.. Pat
You sick 70 true? Mus call my mawi
Is they got anybody dead, Mr.. PatF'
Pats only previous rigorous toilets had
been made to attend an occasional funer
al of some former comrade.
81 axe God, there's fraction of loaf
er d, ID, sonny, an I'm dthressed for the
bury n. Call nobody, but go now, don't
be d, layin, and tell the lady below I'm
tuck suddintly i'll an I'm not worrkin."
1t was with manifest reluctance that
the tile fellow at last withdrew his eyes
from the gentleman in the attic to deliver
his message.
In moment the signora's voice wa:
hear at the foot of the stairs:
"Ci, Meester Padl Pasquale say god
n soAetheen the matther weeth-a you
Fyou feel-a sig, mus-a shore Gala some
body"
Much obliged, ma'am, but sure I'm
takin a day off, jist, an I'm in made o
northin but a broom, if yell lind me the
loan av one"
Pat was not an artist, and his hands
were clumsy, yet the result of singl,
effort in the direction of responsibility
wrought transformation in his apart
ment After he had swept, busted ant
rearranged his shabby belongings he tool
from his box little old fashioned da
guerreotype of his mother and gazet
upon it in silence for some minutes
When finally he spoke, his voice wal
tremulous and tender.
''Indade an yer b'y's in great throuble
nanny, dear. Ye always said l wal
the biggest fool O the dozen, an sure
want to take back me sassy contradic
tion."
He drew his sleeve clumsily over it
wiping q tear from the face of the pic
ture, and hobbling across the room place,
it open upon the shelf that served for
mantel.
He did not go down stairs that day
Though cleansed and clothed, he was no
assured of being in his right mind. II
dreaded to meet Carlotta lest she shoul
detect the insanity that possessed hin
and despise him as he despised himsel
for it. OF course this nonsense woulC
die out in time, and he would be just tn
same old Woona to her as of yore, ant
when the time and the right man shout,
come he would do his best to have he
suitably married. 1t was absurd tina
right here at the onset he should be hav
ing trouble with himself.
For three days he felt constrained t
put OF It'll tomorrow' his going dow
stairs. While he could not treat wit
this delicate thing without publication
of himself and surroundings it was We
only something to be surely overcome
A few days Punishment and fastin
would restore him to himself. The fast
ing, it is true, he practiced only becaus
he could not eat, and the Punishment o
a similar principle, yet he counted o
this discipline, with time and resolution
TO quell a passion which could bring hir
only ignominy and to the girl, shout
she suspect it, but embarrassment an