The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-04-19
The "UncOmpetent" Oath.
By MARTHA MCULLoCH WILLIAMS.
Copyright, 1895, by the Author.l
Continued.

The provost and his three assistants
stood back of the counter. All wore IA
tigue dress and seemed hardly more at |
ease than the crowd in front. A door |
back of them led to the inner room
Colonel Grice's own Office, where now
he sat at gossip with his chief of staff.
One window of it faced the street.
The two could sec the array outside;
laugh, if so it pleased them, at the wag-
ons disgorging whole families - the
women i'll huge stiff hoops, often with
out riding skirts, clambeling down from
tall, gaunt plow horses or the smart
danes squeezing through narrow car
rage doors, hand each side, an ellipse
of wire and stuff preceding thom by n
yard. The hoop potticoats reign GER
tainly added to the gayety of nations
and of individuals.
Possibly it was Ame's lack of it that
drew to her Colonel Grice's long and
admiring regard. As she came in sight,
he said, without turning his head:
us that the Confederaoy made man
/ ifest in the flesh?"
l. As the words left his lips, a sudden
ruffle of wind blew the ingulfing bonnet
back upon Anno's shoulders. She stood
Just without the entrance, n glory of
spring sunshine sitting down upon her
through the leafing naples that the dead
burgher had thoughtfully set along his
house front
Her eyes, lifted suddenly, beamed
full through the open window upon tho
man in blue sitting back of it, They
fell inssantly-not too quickly, though,
for lightning glance to speak out some
measure Of all that lay behind it.
1t came to Colonel Grice with almost
the scath of thunderbolt He got up,
walked little space about the room,
staid his steps long, irresolute min
ute, then flung wide. the connecting
door and stood stock still just inside
Outside there was fine human com.
edy, with the hint of necessary pathos
writ plain in few wet eyelids and
quivering lips. A big woman in star
ing plaid stuff gown, an impossible bon
net and huge Scotch shawl stood front
ing the provost, holding to her breast q
yearling baby as stout and we'll nour-
ished as herself.
Beside the pair the provost looked ri
diculously thin and small. Pointing q
big red forefinger at him, the woman
said stridently:
Young man, be sho' ye tend ter
this job right Tain't hurtin us none
ter take yer oaths-me an my ole man.
We never owned no black 'uns. He's
busy crossin terbacker land hisself ter.
day, SO | come ter swa'ar fer us both.
Fetch erlong them oaths Make 'em al
irunclad as We please We kin swallel
'em. Jes' you tell me how"
ut is very easy, madam. Sign youl
name here Your husband had better
come himself" the provost said, laying
a printed form before her. The woman
eyed him suspiciously.
"I'd ruther kiss the book. That
whut my ole man done when he takei
oath TO the gran jury, an, I'll let "
know, whatever do goes in my fam
, bly,. He amt got no time ter fool e
! way outen the crap" she said, setting
q her infant upon the edge of the ooun
i. ter, where it set up a terrific squall
r The provost laughed aloud.
). Swear if you like You have to sig
, anyway, he said, holding out the Ri
BILE and hurrying through the formula o
Z allegiance. Before he was half through
the woman broke in impatiently:
"Oh. that's enough! Hold the chile
, will ye, some O. ye over thar, while
sign yer book, git my pass an run.
come from yam side of the river N fetch
ed cyartload er truck-butter N aigs
dried apples, Strawberries, er piece 6
cloth an er bag O. Sang. That I've go
: ter get rid on fore kin start home. {"
, The provost was certainly a brav
man, else he could never have dared t
take in his arms the vociferous lump o
r wrath and flannel that the new loya