The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-01-24
MISS LANIER
By MARTHA M'oJLLoOH WILLIAMS,
Copyright, 1894, by the Author.l
Continued.

would do well to mention likewise
that the yard is tufted over with coarse,
tussocky grass; that it has big magno-
liza tree for ornaments; also an abortive
privet hedge; that it is set in squares
with black locust trees and much beat
Ell with shod hoofs, hence must be used
as grazing ground"
Really, Fanning''-
"Really, Bertram, those are the most
salient points so far. Now for the rest
of it. Come on and fear not"
'"Try one more knock. find it hard
to disregard the appeal Of this so con-
fidently open door,"
There seems to be nothing except the
house. As it is not portable, the owner
has probably nothing to fear"
THAT is what puzzles me. The house
is SO big and wide, with such deep
rooms and this handsome hall. / can
not reconcile the build of it with its ut
ter emptiness.
1--WE shall soon solve its riddle Here
goes for last knock.
The sound was unanswered, yet not
quite without fruit. The droning voice
grew louder-loud enough, in fact, for
the listeners to catch here and there a
word of one of Patrick Henry famous
Revolutionary orations.
MY faith, we have stumbled on u
rural Demosthenes in training for con-
gress. Think how he will welcome an
audience" Tanning said, stepping in
side and moving toward the sound
The other held up warning hand.
"Wait That is womans voice." he
said, speaking low. Tanning went on
AS though he had not heard. His COM
rade, reluctantly following at his heels,
| was more and more impressed with the
clean emptiness of all the wide, dusk
interior. There was no stick of furni-
ture in the halls length or the big
rooms opening out from it. Footsteps
echoed vaultwise on the bare, polished
floor. Nowhere hint or trace of hui
man occupancy relieved the somber des-
olation.
Presently, at the halls southern ex-
tremity, the two men found themselves
at an open door, through which came
the readers voice. AT sight of her both
were near to crying out. Surely human
eyes seldom rested upon aught so pitt
full. The room had two occupants. 1t
was light and lofty, windowed to south,
with a high walnut wainscot and big
open fireplace. An old, much worn
Turkey carpet covered the floor. In one
corner huge mahogany bedstead was
heaped high with soft pillows. A claw
foot table, black and shining with age,
stood out in the clear space, sparsely
laden with very massive old silver. On
one hand there was q tall secretary, on
the other bookcase very nearly empty.
Two or three worn easy chairs stood
about There was neither blind nor
drapery to break up the strong light
that fell upon the two figures in the
middle of the room.
One, a man, old, blind, helpless, half
sat, half reclined in big wheel chair,
his white hair shining like floss silk
against the dark cushion pillowing his
head. He was clothed in gray, the
worn, threadbare uniform of major
in the Confederate service. From an
upright staff fast to the back of his
chair magnificent Confederate flag
fell down in soft folds that his white
shrunken fingers now and again thread.
ed with soft, caressing touch. A major {
commission, framed in ebony, hung oveI
the mantel, with two crossed swords
above it. Sword belt and spurs hung
just below, with fattened bullet
pendent from silver curb chain drop
ping lower still Half way to the cell
| i'm faf
one that had come out of the hell Of
fire and steel with colors triumphantly
in ribbons.
Against the background, close at the
old mans ear, woman stood shouting
out the periods Of the great commoner.
There was a book in her hand Now
and again she turned leaf as though
reading, but Fanning's trained vision
saw easily that it was upside down.
Evidently she had no need Of it. Doubt
less her lesson had been too long and
painfully learned for her to miss WORD
or syllable OF it.
She was tall and slim, even pathet
ically meager of outline. Her face, il
careworn, had a soft transparence. Ii
was lit with deep, dark eyes set under
arched brows, above which masses OF
nearly white hair made a ripping
crown. The features were not regular,
but well cut and fine of line. If the
lips were thought tremulous, there
was strength to endure writ plain i'll the
poise of head and shoulder, the firm for.
ward planting of the small, i'll shod
foot.
All in silk attire she stood, q pitiful
figure indeed. The gown seemed to
have been made for her-a child of lC
and as it was outgrown to have been
pieced out with whatever was at hand.
The original skirt of pink and green
brocade had eight inches of gray MORE
below it, and that was in turn sup.
plemented by deep flounce of black.
Waist and sleeves were even more q
matter of continuance, their shreds and
patches made yet more glaring by ruffles
and fuckers of old much monded lace.
A strong race likeness said the pair
were father and daughter. The man, as
you might learn from a glance at his
commission, was Darragh Lanier, Esq.
This. his one child, was also his name
sake The intruders, pausing outside
AIS door, heard him say: ''Darragh, /
Lave surely heard knocking at the front
door these last ten minutes. Step out
into the hall, please, and see if Isaac is
awake, or if he, like the rest, has run
away from his duty"
Very well, father, l will CO." the
daughter said, turning obediently to
the door. At sight of the two men she
flushed hot red, but signed them in
swift pantomime to go back whence
they came. Then she laid hold of tho
wheel chair, saying: But first let me
put you at the window. There is a lit
tie breeze now, and you are overspent
with the heat"
Under cover of the movement Fan
hing and Bertram got away undiscov-
cred. As Miss Lanier came out to them
the artist was saying: "Hoavensl What