The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-03-13
IDad6 HdrkinS' Wedding
By VIOLA PosEB0R0.


1t was no thanks TO Harry's wisdom
that be had not made decided blunder
in his selection of confidant, for Mrs.
Peytce, like many better woman, was
all but sure to find q man in love an
odious and tiresome or noble and graf
flying spectacle, according as he was not
or was in lovo with herself, but now
she was moved to an unusual patience
with Harry, because she was sure that
the colonel's eligibility for marriage
and i'll all probability his inclination to-
ward that state would be much increas
ed Ivy Charley's entrance upon it,
II want to measure your finger, Miss
Kate, said Harry, standing in front of
her.
Mercy on us, what for?" said Mrs. .
Peytee leaning back and looking up at
him with brilliant black eyes.
Because heard Miss Charley say
that you and she wore the same sized
gloves"
He was looking down upon her with
a pleased fatuous sense of being rather
neat in his way of introducing his sub
ject and of shining a little in this early
scene of the lovely happy drama he had
in his mind.
Charley in turn was looking down up
OH them both from the garnet window.
I Sho now saw him sit down on Mrs. Pey
tees right hand, decidedly close to her,
take string from his pocket and begin
what proved to be the troublesome and
lengthy task of measuring the forefinger
of her left hand. OF course it was Mrs
Peytee who took care that the little task
should be amusingly difficult, and Of
course Harry was so innocent-in the
masculine way-that he was all unwarn-
ed by his conscience of the coquettish
character of these delays.
From her window Charley could even
SEQ the shy, happy embarrassment on his
face and the quizzical, half languishing
glance of the widow.
Naturally flom all this she drew con-
illusions, and inevitably, like most hui
man conclusions, they were erroneous.
How natural and assured her mistake
was, however, how little it resembled
the conduct so often displayed in the
first act of play by heroine who sac
rifices all ordinary intelligence to the
interests of the playwright, probably
only those can fully understand who
have some knowledge of the curious and
complicated code that governs Irritation
and lovemaking in large sections Of
southern society. An exposition of this
code would be interesting, it seems to
me, but my present mission will be bet
ter met by simply saying that Charley,
according to the ideas in which she was
bred, had good grounds for feeling that
she had looked upon a more significant
scene than any that had passed between
her and Harry, or that, if he were only
flirting with the naughty Mrs. Peytee
it was only the more probable that he
was only flirting with her-a form Of
amusement, this, by the way, in which
up to some rather indefinite point be
was encouraged by society-that is to
say, by the women generally. Such
things are mainly regulated by women
in any society in the world. and it is
perhaps not aside from my story to say
that Harry Williams was exactly the
sort of young male creature who never
has any clear idea of what are the sub.
|
he lives.
The measurement for that fatal ring
was hardly finished when Charley turn
ed and flung herself face down upon
! the hard floor. She had no conscious
ness of a right to blame any one. She
was conscious only of pain and the de
termination to hide it.
, Now, poor Charley was blessed OF
cursed. as you choose, with an unusual
command of feminine powers of dis
stimulation, and her natural pride, which
was great, WAS re-enforced by social
training favorable to its strongest devel-
: opment. Now, it put her upon course
of self control and play acting that foi
the time seemed like to cost her cruelty,
t although, according to her lights, she
9 was behaving with just that virtue ano
] discretion which, if southern womeI
are to be believed, should most endure
happiness. She treated Cousin Kat,
with deferential cordially and me
: Harry, when escape would have beer
noticeable, with pleasant, elusive, mock
ing gayety. He felt and could not un
derstand saddening change in the TEN
, perature, argue against the fact witt
h himself as he would.
: Life i'll such place as this is as i
tho whole world had taken hasheesl
a and the ordinary measurements of tim
4 were lost. The long hours in such
household are more than weeks ami,
|. lite's ordinary routine.
d By evening the day after she had de
% voted herself to this purpose Charlie
Q had contrived to spread subtle impress
y sion of slight but growing wearines
with Mr.. Williams society and of al
n awakening disposition to be intereste
e in that of another young man. The OF
fees Of the mining company gave al
3 unusual proportion of young men to tn
small circle of summer visitors at Over
/ tonia. That was its one great recommen
dalton.
!, In the meantime Charley was begging
her father to let her 20 for visit acros
d the mountain to the Alpine House,
+. much larger and more fashionable cara
vansary. He paid small attention to he
!, and put her Off with saying he'd sc
:, about it after the weddiug thar ho mus
,. take her to that,
Harry cursed himself for fool an
carried himself bravely, with sinkin
heart, but quito without that self seek
e ing, domineering spirit of pursuit tina
: women love in lovers He had heard,
is true of coquetries, retreats and fenC
ing on the part of women in love affairs
and on these traditions he tried to han
=, slender hope,
-. Al. 4 4 II