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

U0hSpplneSR, sAl0 Laura V0fy uTNiy.
"We have no right TO that property away
out there In the Pacific. It belongs u the
islanders. We would be lsurperA can
not do 1t, Tom. You mustn't ask me"
Not ask yoa to shnro what "a mine with
mel exclaimed Tom. That plantation
is ours because it does not belong to any
one else. According to Hawaiian custom,
lepcrs have no legal rights. II Is impossible
for them to have, shut up in that colony
- thcy are. Besides in the clause Of tho
win there Ia paragraph which mentions
the conditions under which Uncle John
was to inherit It. In case Of death or lep-
rosy removing his heirs the old fellow left
the plantation to Uncle John. told you
that he had dread Of leprosy. That is
why he put that clause In tho will He
did not want tho property to be enjoyed by
Q native He wanted Uncle John to have
It."
.'Granting all that" returned Laura,
''you cannot get around the fact that if it
had not been for the leprosy we should not
have got tho property The rightful own.
O. is that poor fellow on the plague strck-
en- island think the income should he
used in making him comfortable for tho
rest OF his unhappy life. Thnt plantation
is an inheritance from his ancestors We
would be intcrlopers-"
Trust q woman to have all tho scruplcs
In the woridl'' exclaimed Tom in disgust
"Can't you be reasonable for ono minute,
Laura, The property Il there 1t must
DO used by somebody II 1t docs not bc-
long to us. It will be confiscated by some
one with no right TO It, while We have a
right there Haven't ! been explaining
and explaining that the old native wanted
Uncle John to have IL in Caso his own
heirs had leprusyf can't make II plain
er. Iwish you would be reasonable p"
II can't be reasonable enough to do
what think is wrong" said Laura with
great Armness and dignity Il do not say
anything about your taking the property
do say, however, that will have moth
inR TO do with It. -
well, Laura. that means that you will
have nothing to do with me. said Tom in
a voice as hard as her own H0 could be
quite as dignificd as she
.'Thnt Is what IL means. " assonteti Laura
coldly
.Oh. very well, {" said Tom Rising, he
strobe toward tho gate He turned as hc
opened tho gate, lifted his hat and said
"Good morning. Miss Glenn.
The annexation Of Hawaii had prccipi
tatet q lovers quarrel Tom walked down
the street, viciousiy biting his mnstaThc
and swearing under his breath He anath
cmatizcd woinen's c0nscicnccs. scruples
and unreasonahleness This wns pretty
mess. to be sure. and he thought his trnu
hles wcre over
Ind u bad headache Her eyes were 50 red
and swollen that she had 70 keep away
from tho family On the whole. Tom and
Laura were miserable enough on that
warm July day, not so many weeks ago
ToIa i,lce was set In hard Inca all that
afternoon. He was very angry with
Laura, and the whole world scesned to he
wrong.
When he went homo thas evening, he
told his mother that Laura thought the
poor lcpcr ought to have tho mofey He
would not tell her that they Ind qunrrclcd.
but hs allowed himself to show his impa
tiencc with his swcetheart's scruples
Laura II right" said his mother "A
part Of tho money Rt least ought to he
spent In providing comforts for that poor
fellow nm glad tho woman ~ ho will
bc my sons wife has shown tho right
spirit
Tom was silent. He had not thought
much about Puoa Human lcforr The fact
that his financial difficulties were to he TO
moved from his path was all that had In
tercstcd him Now he saw the bitterness
Of the poor natives lot To face q slow
death on the hateful leper island was q
hard fate indeed But what could ho dor
Suddenly he sprang to his fcct Soc
Laura he must
Mother" he exclaimed. u an going
to ask Laura to marry me right away
Then We can go out to Honolulu right
away, look after tho plantation and zee
what can bc done for poor Puoa. :
Catching up his hnt, he almost ran from
the house In his eagerncss Fifteen min
utes later he was standing mt the Glenn
front door asking brpathlessly for Laura,
Laura is up stairs with u headachc.'
said the small brother who had opened the
door
Tom drew q card from his pocket and
wrote: Won't you $50 me for few min
utes, dearf I want you to tell me how 70
help Puoa.
When Laura came dOwn-ard she made
haste to obey her lovers sumnons-she
found Tom sitting ON tho bench under the
old tree which had 20 often shaded them.
II was hers that they had guarrcled that
morning. Az Laura approached. her white
drcsa cleaning In the moonlight, Tom
went to meet her Taking her into his
arms impulsively, he said;
Laura, you are tho best woman In the
world am not half good enough for
you.
why. Toni said Laura in SURPRISE
Toms only reply was kiss Releasing
her and holding her away from him 80
that be could see her face. he asked snx.
iously:
'.Won't you 60 ont TO Honolulu with
me and help me to do what is right for
that poor lcper? We will divide with him."
Laura's face frightened. but she Wa too
astopished to speak.
I'VE must 60 at once. said this I'm
perious lover Then be spoke ttmidly:
sYou will marry mo next week, wont
you, Laurat We oan sail from San Fran
disco on the next boat.
He waited for the answer.
'sOh, Toni said Laura at last, and
there was consent in her rvoicc.-ExchAnGe
Net Rspeated.
Johnny Smith 10 bright boy and = In
- a. T. lt.,I,t fxvsr& r&ua =