La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1898-10-12
ANNEXATION.


ton ~ he came up the path She had not
heard him, and her brown head was bciit
over . book Shc looked up with u smile
a. he sprnng across tho grnSs and Ap
proachcd the bench
'Hawniiy" shc qucried doubtfully. smil
ting because he was smiling
Yes, don't you know thnt Uncle .Iohn
had coffee plantation near I.onoluluf"
No. said Laura
'Of course I remember oow that J
did not tell you about 1t, lauavss ! had
very little idea that IL would DsAs. nny
thing IN us You sec. mothers brother.
my Uncle John. went out to Honolulu
over 20 years ago He did not stay long
but while he was there bc befricntieti some
rich native We never did understand Just
how 1t was. but when the man died he left
will by which Uncle John was to inherit
. certain tract Of land In the Cnuanu val.
ley provided there were no direct heirs
or course we did not think anything OF 1t
because Uncle John used to laugh about
his Hawaiian estate ard say that thero
was no danger but that there would be
plenty OF heirs to keep him out Of 1t.
However the interesting part is this,
and that Is why ! am so happy, dear. Tho
land Is ours now since the United States
have nnpexcd the islands tho property In.
creascs In value and nil question about the
validity Of the title will be settled salts
factorily
DO you know what that means, little
grip And Tom leaned tendcrly toward
Laurn " ho Sat looking at him with wide
open. surprised eyes
rherc was quick gieain In her eyes a.
she looked into his Then her head droop
ed. and blush mounted to her checks
Yes. dear, exclaimed Tom. pressing
.,,xlu
marry very soon We will not have to
work and wait. as we thought The path
Is plaln bcfore us Won't you tell me TINT
you arc Elady' And he drew her within
the circle Of his arm
1t seems too good to be true. e sighcd
the happy girl
Tom was too happy to remain silent
He WAS excited and exultant How much
this news from the capital meant to him
and Laura could not be estimated at once
Tell ne about II whispered Laura
You sss, Ne knew several months ago
that the Inst cs tho Hawaiian heirs W1s
g6p9Ethat ts, that hc Ia NJ good as dead
jusS think. lAurn. he had ieprosy and
was sent to the Icper colony You SEQ, tho
estate should have been ovrs then. but the
native agents out tbcrc kept tho facts awuy
from us The agitation about the annex
ation however brought all these things
to light The will OF Uncle Johns friend
was plain II his heirs wcro not able to
inherit. IL was to 60 to Uncle John apd
his heirs Mother and nre the heirs, you
know So we come IN for good income.
they tell me
And we get this blessing because Of
the curse of icprosy upon those poor people
out thcref" said Laurn In o tender yoiCe.
Yes, dear, said Tom, sobered sud
denly He looked up into the swayipg
branches above him He saw tho July
flowers nodsling In the breeze. and then DO
looked at Laura, fair queen of his heart
His hnppipcss had been purchased II .
dear price indeed Hideous leprosy hed
robbed another man Of all that was dear
to him-hone and wife and friends and
the enjoyment Of the coinmonest things Of
life
1t seems that the old native who was
Uncle Johns friend had horror Of iep.
rosy. said Tom In explanation Of tho sin
guiar will In fact, he had II himself
when Uncle John was there. but he kept
IL secret There was a curse upon his
family. he often said He hoped much,
however. OF this youngest son-the one
who has Just bccn taken into the leper
colony
Tom was silent for . few moments and
then went on
The old fellow explained TO Uncls
John that " the leprosy carried of his en-
tire family. the property would go to some
collateral relative IL was to prevent their
obtaining possession that he made the
will He hated them Their grandmother
had CURSED his father and his fathers
children You know how queer and su-
perstitious those people are. Leprosy has
taken tho entire family Of these cousins,
too m that there In no one but one lcpeI