The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-01-30
MISS LANIER
By MARTHA MoULLoOH WILLIAMS


two strangers bein here. First off Oar
ra III was afraid the bank had sent you
to buy an take possession. When she
found out better-ma's o'er here every
little spell-why, we concluded ons Of
you must be after her. OH l can tell
you that speuula ions been + lied before
l d "a been back 70 see about it six weeks
ago only | Yves out dru1lnin for our
g. Co. --an di int get
word of things til just yesterday. Now,
I'm n square man. I've showed you all
my hand. II you mean anything, say SO,
an do your best to win. Eff you don't
why, it's no more II fair, l should ask
you to get out. l amt vain. You're q
heap better to look at, an l don't want
Darragh to have too much chance to
compare us. y
"Sol You have no thought of giving
up your-suit3"
mot till death or matrimony. But
say, is it go or stay with you?'
flaming yawned though his eyes
were blazing. Really, Mr.. Reid, you
must excuse me until tomorrow, he
said, turning upon his heel and vanish
ing Trough an open window.
Night fell ere he came back, and all
day through there ragged in him the
battle of love and pride Lovel At last
he owned it squarely. Hamilton Fan
ning-rich, fastidious, distinguished,
master of arts and hearts-found him
self captive to this dull, quiet woman
O., 10
who had no claim of youth, of wit, OF
wealth, to excuse his inthrallment.
How he would have laughed to even
have thought-nay, how had he repealed
Bertram's insinuation of such posi-
bility the day he first set eyes ON her.
Now, he told himself over and over, he
had come to the parting of the ways.
On one hand lay the great world, his
world of fame and riches and freedom
and the highest place among his fellows.
Art he held jealous mistress, brook
ing no rivalry of wife or child. She
could give him much-so much-all
that hitherto had seemed to him worth
winning. Now it looked poor and taw-
dry, lacking the illumination of OAR
ragh Lanier's eyes, of her trembling
smile, her tender, patient face. If only
! life could go on to the end at the pace
of these last weeks, he would know well
which to choose. In the wide bare
house, amid the silence Of leaves and
sky, she could never lose her charm
How would it be, though, if she were
borne away-transplanted to the Haunt
ing garden of his world - set over
against the brilliant beauties, trained
from birth to all the fine arts of fascina-
ton and masking i'll wreathed smiles
whatever of dark or bitter fate might
set in their hearts?
He could never dare such contrast.
Choosing her, he must choose also the
way of life she led. And could he ell
dure that year i'll and year out? Now il
seemed easy, the one thing worth liv-
ing for. Yet he had an inner sense that,
after use had dimmed the glamours OF
her presence, he might find him bitterly
discomfort With his choice
As he set foot on the iazza her voice
came out of its gloom. Evidently she
was awaiting bin, proceeding alto
gether strange. AS he went toward hel
she stood up, saying, with little un.
dertone Of trenor, "Please forgive me,
Mr.. flaming, for-tor-what you were
| forced to endure today
What do You know about it," Fan
ming asked, letting his hand steal
| through the dark to the two olasped so
moekly in front of her.
For a minute she made no answer be-
| yond the nervous tremor of her fingers.
Then she drew them gently away and
said, half under her breath: Nothing
that is, only that Joe came with the
purpose to be disagreeable. / ought not
to have left you at the mercy of his
tongue"
do you know what he asked me?'
mo. | am afraid''-
"Have no fear 1t was only what /
have been asking myself inarticulately
these ten days past-that is, dare / ask
you to trust yourself in my keeping?"
Through the sweet, still dark he
heard low, half sobbing sigh, felt her
sway and shrink away from him into
the doorway's deeper murk. Again he
put out his hand, seized, held hers
hard and fast, saying thickly: Il do
dare. The rest is as you will "
She drew him impetuously within,
down the long hall ON to the doorway
through which she had first dawned
upon his vision. The room within was
garishly alight with big homemade
Wax candles. In the yellow Pickering
of them the old mans sleeping face took
on the hue of death itself. He sat with
head thrown back, propped easily
among his cushions, one wasted waxen
hand grasping, even in slumber, the
folds of his dear flag.
For long minute the two outside
looked at him in silence. Then Darragh
said, paling to the lips: "You must see
where my place is. If-if-it were pos
sible that l should leave it, the tempta-
ton passed me by 90 years ago, when l
had a heart, not the husk of one, for
everything but-him.
And you have been faithful to q
memory all that timer" Tanning said,
bending to look into her eyes, Half
shyly, half proudly, she drew little
away and answered: mo; have been
i"iehiui w q hcoosslty, ouo tuaI Cldllu-
ed both love and duty"
Lightly, swiftly she crossed the light
ed space. dropped to her knees and laid
her checks softly against her fathers
hand. The next breath saw her rigidly
upright, staring hard at him, with wide
eyes full of heartbreak. Tanning sprang
to her side, flung an arm about her. In.
stantly she writhed from his hold,
clasped the dead face to her breast and
sobbed aloud: Father, father, take me
with you. did not leave you. 1t was
only wicked thought. Surely you have
not gone away from me forever"
Tanning began to say, "God know,
you did all "A daughter could do" But
she shrank, shuddering, from his words
to bury her face, with heavy sobbing
on the poor breast eased now forever o.
racking pain. For minute he looked
2 ST her with tnnapr nil ful .ves tben ci