The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-05-16

"Wherc are your keysY" demands Mol.
that a just God doth dispose of his
creatures. Thee hast might on thy side,
woman, but whether thee hast right as
well shall yet be proven, not by the
laws of man, which are an invention of
the devil to fatten rogues upon the sub
stance of fools, but by the law of heav-
en-, to which l do appeal with all my
SOUL" lifting high his shaking hands.
Morning and night I will pray that
God shall smite with heavy hand which
Of us two hath most wronged the other.
Offer the same prayer, if thee darest.
do confess that this parting shot
went home to my conscience and trou-
bled my mind considerably, for, feeling
that he was in the right Of it as regard
ed our relative honesty, was con-
strained to think that his prophecy
might come true also to our shame and
unloing. But Moll was afflicted with
no such qualms, her spirit being very
combative and high, and her conscience,
such as it was, being hardened by our
late discussion to resist sharper slaps
than this. Nay, maintaining that ST.
mon must be dishonest by the proof we
had of his hypocrisy and double dealing,
she would have me enter upon my Office
at once by sending letters to all her ten
ants, warning them to pay no rent to
any one lately in her service, but only
to me, and these letters, which kept my
pen going all that afternoon, she signed
with the name Of Judith Goodwin, which
seemed to me very bold, dangerous
piece of business, but she would have it
so and did her signature with strong
hand and a flourish of loops beneath
like any queen.
Nor was this all, for the next morn.
ing she would have me go to that Mr.
Goodman who had offered to buy her
farm for ready money and get what l
could from him, seeing that she must
furnish herself with her gowns and
make other outlay for her coming mar.
riage So to him go, and after much
haggling, having learned from Simon
that the land was worth more than he
offered for it, 1 brought him to give
60, 900 instead of $4,000, and this was
better business on his side than on mine
at that, for that the bargain might not
slip from his hands he would have me
take Go, 900 down as a handsell, leaving
the rest to be paid when the decd Of
transference was drawn up.
And now as l logged home with ali
this gold blinking in my pockets l did
feel that l had thrust my head fairly
into halter and no chance left of
drawing it out. Look at it how might,
this business wore most evil aspect, to
be sure. Nor could regard myself as
anything but thorough faced rogue.
For" thinks /, "if old Simon s
prayer be answered, what will become
of this poor Mr.. Goodman? His title
deeds will be wrested from him, for
they are but stolen goods he is paying
for, and thus an innocent, honest man
will be utterly ruined. And for doing
this villainy may count myself lucky
if my heels save my neck. "
With this weight ON my mind re-.
solved to be very watchful and careful of
my safety, and before / fell asleep that
night l had devised dozen schemes for
making good my escape as soon as per
ceived danger Nevertheless l could
dream of nothing but prisons, scourg,
ings, etc, and in every vision perceiv.
ed old Simon in his leather skullcap sit
ting on the top of Tyburn tree, with his
handkerchief Arranging down ready to
strangle me.