The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-05-19
HEART AND ARROW.

from me- It's great red heart, with
skewer sticking in it. That riprisnts
moinc-thc heart, l name. The skewer"-
"IU's an arrow, Mat.-that's what they
do be- calling it,"
"Wcll, Tim, an there's a good Irish
sound about that same. They can't do
without us anyway, you see"
"Sorra bit, an you want me to be
either giving her thatY"
eyes; I've improved it. I've made it
stiff with red lead an put in few dhrops,
rs if it was the blood of me heart that was
flowing for her, an she's so scornful of me
sutfcrings."
Its illigaEt," said Tim, with great adj
iniration
"An see. here, now. I've written some
varscs to her to the tune of 'O'Shaugh-
nessys Hat. Bedad, an they rowl as
swatcly as jig an as deludhering as the
crayther. F"
He sang them over in his rich voice and
delicious hrogue, and Tim got excited and
promised his most devoted aid.
Next morning Tim started on his mis-
sion. First he sat down on "a cold door
step and reflected
"Takc her II dhirty, painted, twopenny
piece of paper with Il red lead heart on It'll
Bedad an bcgOrra an l WON'T I'll do bet
ter than that, or my names not Tim
Casey. Mats a decent bhoy an u dhivil of
/ poet, but widdcs is practical. 1t takes
| the likes of me to understand the likes of
them"
Within ten minutes after this soliloquy
he was seated in Mrs. Sloloneys disorlered
and unventilatcd room.
There it is, Mrs Aloloney, dear, an it
must go to the heart of you to rade the
hidden m'aning" said he as he pointed to
a large, healthy looking pigs fry on the
table and bottle of whisky which was
standing beside it. He had suppressed the
| paper missive as poor, artificial and mex
pressive, and out of his devoted friendship
and slender purse had bought the ''pluck"
and the spirits which ne presented in Mats
| name
"It's an emblim, honey" continued he
Here's his heart, in manner of sp'ak-
| ing, at your fate-on your dish, l name
The liver shows that he can't live without
you; the lights, that you re the light of his
eyes, an that he longs for you with every
BREATH an the flare, that there'll be all the
fat in the fire an the very dhivil to pay if
you're unkind to him an refuse him. It's
an emblim, my dear-a delicate poetical
emblim, bedadr"
"It's beautiful' said Mrs Moloney,
profoundly touched, as she uncorked the
bottle and filled up two large port glasses.
Then she added: "An I'll cook it, Tell
him to come tonight an help ate it. An
come you too, Tim. an Misthriss Casey"
So it was all understood. Tim had, like
most of his countrymen, the feelings of a
gentleman and the tact of a courtier. That
j was why he and his wife arrived designed
ly late having sent a message that supper
was not to wait
Had they come sooner u slight incident
might have been avoided, though possibly
it all happened for the best For leaving
the tete Il -tete meal and the conversations
to be imagined by the reader, the crumpled
rose leaf arose in this way. Mat had lit his
pipe and had asked the widow how she
liked the card and the verses.
She laughed and replied that she didn Y
know about the verses, except those hi
had been talking for the last hour. But
as for the card, he ought to know, for he
had eaten the hall of it.
Upon this Mat had jumped off his chail
and exclaimed: "Then it's n dead man
am, an it's wake I'll be afther attend
ing, an not u wedding! / thought there
was quare taste about that piece of friz
zled fat.
"What does the crature be IN aiming al
all?' cried she in surprise.
cts poisoned l am. That heart wa.
all over red lead" said he, falling bach
into his seat.
POISONED, you black hearted villainY
screamed Mrs. Moloney. "Then taxi
that" And she broke jug on his head.
1t was at this point that the Caseys ar
rived. Tim promptly knocked Mat down
and then he naturally became curious t.
know what the ambiguity was about.
Hes poisoned me!' said she between
shrek and sob.
Tim seized Mat and threw him on al
incomplete but unmatched dinner service
part of Mrs. Moloney's stock, which stool
in "a corner on the floor.
The widow, hearing the crash, SMASHED
chair on Tins back, whereupon Mrs
Casey took her by the hair, and the tw'
women fell into some miscellaneous lots il
another corner. Then the neighbors cam
in and took indiscriminate sides, and mat
tiers generally hummed for short time.
Eventually Tim got an inkling of tn
difficulty, told them to be quiet and mar
rated all the circumstances, to the grea
relief, joy and amusement of all the par
ties.
A pailful of water and a yard or two o
sticking plaster, with "A few pins for tn
women quickly set things smooth an,
smiling. Mrs. Moloney made them al
welcome, and soon liberal supplies of whs
ky, porter and tobacco were formulated
Additional candles were lit, illuminatin,
ftfully the front shop, whose content
seemed the embodiment of the confuse,
thoughts of the guests-tablcs staoke'
with their legs in the air, cane chairs hang
ing on the walls, blank gaselers suspend
ed from the ceiling, while lighted lam
stood on the floor to prevent stumbling
into the business portion of the establish
ment, and all went merrily. Mrs Molone
for one brief ecstatic moment sat on Mat
knee, but they were sevcrally picked u
and revived, though the chair was pulver
lied, and Mat sang the 'varses" whic
Tim had produced from his pocket alon
with the card.
Tim had applauded, wept and gone t
sleep in the middle of the song. But tn
approval which greeted its conclusion
composed as it was of shouts, shrieks
knockings, tears and free fight in tn