The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-04-04

To my strumming sings a Moorish song
and sometimes, affecting to have forgot
her own tongue, she would stumble at a
word, and turning to Don Sanchez ask
him the English of some Moorish
phrase Then one day, there being quite
a dozen visitors in her stateroom, she
brings down her Moorish dress and those
baubles given her by friends at Elche, to
show the ladies, much to the general as
constituent and wonder; then, being
prayed to dress herself in these clothes,
she, with some hesitation Of modesty,
consents, and after a short absence from
the room returns in this costume, look
ing lovelier than ever had before seen,
with the rings about her shapely bare
arms and ON her ankles, and thus array
ed she brings me guitar, and to my
stunning sings Moorish song, sway
ing her arms above her head and turn
ing gracefully in their fashion, so that
all were i'll an ecstasy with this strange
performance And the talk spreading,
the number of visitors grew apace--as
bees will flock to honey-and yielding
to their urgent entreaties she would Of
ten repeat this piece of business, and al
ways with most winning grace that
charmed every one. But she was most
favorite of gentlemen and elderly ladies;
for the younger ones she did certainly
put their noses out of joint, since none
could at all compare with her in beauty
nor in manner either, for she had mel,
Their the awkward shyness of some nor
the boldness Of others, but contrived
ever to steer neatly betwixt the two ex-
tremes by her natural self possession
and fearlessness.
OF all her new friends, the most eager
in counting her were Sir Harry Upton
and his lady diving in the Crays>. and
they, being about to go to London for
the winter, did press Moll very hard to
go with them that she might be present
| ed to the king, and, truth to tell, they
would not have had to ask her twice had
| she been governed only by her own in
clination. She was mad to go-that au
dacious spirit of adventure still working
very strong i'll her-and she, like Il win
ming gamester, must forever be playing
for higher and higher stakes. But we
|
but lawless majesty's court to fear the
fate of any impulsive, beauteous young
woman that came within his sway, were
quite against this. Even Don Sanchez,
who was no innocent, did persuade her
from it with good, strong arguments,
showing that, despite his worldliness,
he did really love her as much as twas
in his withered heart to love any one.
As for Dawson, he declared he would
sooner see his Mol in her winding sheet
than in the kings company, adding
that 'twould be time enough for her tc
think Of going to court when she had Il
husband 60 keep her cat of mischief,
And SO she refused this offer (but with
secret tears, helieve). but, says she
to her father, "if I'm not to have my
own way till I'm married, shall get
me husband as soon as l can.
And it seemed that she would moi
have to Look far or wait long for one
, either. Before month was passed al
least half a dozen young sparks were
counting her, they being attracted not
only by her wit and beauty, but by the
report Of her wealth, it being known tt
all how Simon had enriched the estate.
And twas this abundance of suitori
which prevented Moll from choosing any
one in particular, else had there beef
but one 1 believe the business would
have been settled very quickly. For now
she was in the very flush of life, ant
the blood that flowed in her veins wa
of no lukewarm kind.
But here Chat I may keep all m,
strings in harmony 1 must quit Mol
for space to tell of her father. Tha
first hint Of the don's bringing him t,
his senses somewhat, like a dash of colt
water, and the exuberance of his jo.
subsiding, he quickly became more cir
l cumspect in his behavior and fell int,
the part he had to play, and the hard
trying, sorrowful part that was neithe
he nor had foreseen, for now was b.
compelled for the first time in his life
at any length, to live apart from hi
daughter, to refrain from embracing he
when they met in the morning, to speal
to her in 0 rough, churlish sort whel
his heart maybe was overlooking witt
r love and to reconcile himself to cool
Indifferent behavior ON her side whel
his very soul was yearning for gentle
tender warmth, and these natural crav
Z ings Of affection were rather strengthen
! ed than stilled by repression, as one
4 hunger by starving To add to this, h
now saw his Moll more bewitching thai
ever she was before, the evidence of he
wit and understanding stimulating tina
admiration which he dared not express
He beheld her loved and courted openl
by all, while he who had deeper feelin
for her than any and more right to ca
ress her must at each moment stifle hi
desires and lay letters on his inclina
tions, which constraint, like chain
binding down a stout, thriving oak, di
eat and corrode into his being, SO tina
ne did live most of these days in
yeritable torment, yet for Moll's SAX
was he very stubborn in his II pollution
N and when he could no longer endure
stand indifferently by while others wer
enjoying her in sprightly conversation
u he would go up to his chamber and pac
: to and fro, like some she lion parte
from her cub.
These sufferings were not unpel
h ceived by Mol, who also had stron
1 feeling to repress and therefore coul
comprehend her fathers torture, an
she would often seize an opportunity
nay, run great risk of discovery-toh hi
her secretly to his room, there to thro'
p herself in his arms and strain him I
her heart covering his great face wit
|, tender kisses and whispering words {
4 hope and good cheer, with the tears o
her cheek. And one day when JAG
seemed more than usual downhearte
she offered him to give up everythin
and return to her old ways, if he would
But, this squirting his courage, he d,
clared he would live in hell rather tina
she should fall from her high estate an
become mere vagabond wench again
4 adding that twas but the first effol
gave him SO much pain that with pra'
tice twould all be as nothing; that sue
sweet kisses as hers once a week di
amply compensate him for his fast, etc
Then, her tears being brushed away, 81
would quiz him with noiseless step an
all precautions, and maybe five minute
afterward while Jack was sitting pei
sive at his window bordering her swee
ness and love he would hear her lau0l