Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1899-09-08


We stopped and darted through o
low archway that led into a large and
elegantly furnished chamber.
This large room was hung with tap
estries and contained every article of
comfort.
There were easy-chairs, similar TO
a make l had seen frequently in Homo
lulu.
The stone floor was covered with
soft rugs.
A mirror hung at one side.
At the end OF the chamber, in a
small Al, we, hidden by curtains, was
the bed Of she priestess.
When we entered, she threw herself
in large chair, painting and flushed
from her rapid fight.
"You are safe for the time," she
said. ''No priest, high or common,
ever comes here"
was puzzled how to act. l was in
the presence of n strange priestess,
who had the lives of Winnie aud my
self absolutely in her power and the
cruelty to crush out those lives at the
bidding Of her senseless religion. But
l was also in the presence of beauti-
fal woman, rarely lovely, who had
about her, as she sank wearily into
her chair, none Of the austere priest
ess. Rather, she was the loyeIiest,
fairest, most fascinating being l had
ever seen, and scarcely more than
girl
Beautiful Kaumai," / said, kneel-
ing on a rug at her feet, explain the
mystery OF your presence here and
the awful religion that calls for the
murder of a girl like yourself. "
She looked at me dreamily mo-
ment.
81 do not think 1 an able to OK
plain it," she said. ''But do not
kneel before me. 1t is for those 9th
ers to kneel, not you"
I drew chair near her and sat
down.
''You have really seen Pele," she
said. "Tell me about her. "
fThere is nothing to tell, II re-
piled, resolved to test the belief Of
the priestess. "There is no Pele."
Kaumai sat erect and gazed at me
wonderingly.
you do not speak the TRUTH" she
said. 'Pele lives, else why am I
here?p
That's what want to know. Why
are you here, and where did You come
from? Who taught you this belief in
Pele?"
Her gaze wandered from me to
distant parts OF tho room. A vacant,
faraway look came into the beautiful
eyes.
Il do not know; but never mind
me. Tell me about Pele.'
Il have told you all there is to tell
about her. When you assert the non
existence Of thing there is nothing
else left to be told"
Il don't believe you"
'Did you ever hear of God?"
'tPele is q goddess"
'Do You know my nationality?"
"No. know you are not a native
Of Hawaii You must be either Eng
lish or American. When your sister
was brought here, I now recolleet, il
was said she was an American. So
you must be one, too"
''And what are you? You are not a
native. You are winter than am.
81 am priestess of Pele. We are
immortal"
Nonsense. You are no more i'm
mortal than l am"
You blaspheme."
"Call it what you will. Let me tell
you what you are, and you may punish
me if anger you.
A beautiful smile illuminated her
face.
Proceed" she said. 'sYou may
tsll me anything without fear Of my
anger"
"You are the most beautiful womaa
in the world, and have been taught
this nonsense in your early youth, by
some one who is either a lunatic, like
these priests, Or who fosters their
crazy order for some parpose Of polit-
ieal power or other selfish motive.
These eranks you have around you
are worthless people. They do you |
and everybody else great harm in liY-
ing as they do and worshiping the un-
known goddess they call Pele. Your
imaginary goddess is cruel and blood |
thirsty. She would make-or belief |
in her would make-you cruel and |
bloodthirsty, whereas, woman so |
rarely beautiful as you should be a |
power for good in the world, and |
should sit in the charmed home circle
Df loving friends, instead OF living
amid this solitude and waste, listening |
10 lot Of driveling idiots who would |
murder you or me, to excite their so.
called religious ardor. There is but |
one God, Kaumai, a Just God, who |
ong, long ago sent His Son to die for
Is, and ia that great sacrifice all other |
sacrifices were embraced, so that nov |
,ur God requires no sacrifices such as
Pele demands. There is but one |
being, and that is Col. |
There is but one power over these
Tolcanoes, aud that is Gods power. |
Pele does not live. But if she lived. |
Ihe could not control one inch of ali |
his vast mountain. The fires under |
he volcanoes are not stirred by dev- |
Is, as you think. The center Of the
,arth is mass of fire, burning on and |
On through the ages. From this great |
fire masses of molten stuff and hot
gases are sent out and must, in some |
way, make their escape. So they fol !,
low the hollow places through the
earth and burst through where the
1uter crust is thinnest."
Kaumai was now bending eagerly |
her hands elasped over her
knees, and her face showing the in
.erest she took in what I said.
''If that is so" she said, "why does
his molten mass come from the tops
If high mountains2"
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