Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1899-09-08
tcopgright. by ROBERT BosSER's soss.
CHAPTER XXI.


about dark hooks aud corners, l, at
least, expecting every moment to be
seized by maniac priest.
'In here" said Kaumai.
We stopped and darted through a
low archway that led into 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
make 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 n
small alcove, hidden by curtains, was
the bed of the priestess.
When we entered, she threw herself
in large chair, painting and flushed
from her rapid flight.
''You are safe for the time" she
said. "No priest, high or common,
ever comes here"
was puzzled how to act. / was in
the presence of strange priestess,
who had the lives of Winnie and my
self absolutely in her power and the
cruelty to crush ont those lives at the
bidding Of her senseless religion. But
was also in the presence of beauti-
full woman, rarely lovely, who had
about her, as she sank YEARLY into
her chair, none of the austere priest
ess. Rather, she was the loyeliest,
fairest, most fascinating being had
ever seen, and scarcely more than a
girl.
Beautiful Kaumai," I said, kneel-
ing on rug at her feet, "explain the
mystery of your presence here and
the awful religion that calls for the
murder of girl like yourself"
She looked at me dreamilya mo-
ment.
81 do not think I am able to ex-
plain it," she said. ''But do not
kneel before me. 1t is for those 9TH
ers to kneel, not You"
1 drew chair near her and sat
down.
''You have really seen Pelo," she
said "Tell me about her"
"rhere is nothing to tell" re-
piled, resolved to test the belief OF
the priestess. "'rhere 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?"
>"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.
81 do not know; but never mind
me. Tell me about Pele."
81 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"
81 don't believe you"
''Did you ever hear of Code"
'Pele Is a goddess.
''Do you know my nationality?"
"No. 1 know you are not native
of Hawaii You must be either Eng
lish or American. When your sister
was brought here, now recollect, it
was said she was an American. So
you must be one, too"
"And what are you? You are not q
native. You are winter than L am "
81 am priestess of Pele. We are
immortal.
Nonsense. You are no more i'm
mortal than 1 am."
"You blaspheme."
"Call it what you will. Let me tell
you what you are, and you may punish
me if anger you"
\ beautiful smile illuminated her
face.
Proceed" she said "You may
tell me anything without fear of my
anger"
"You are the most beautiful woman
in the world, and have been taught
this nonsense in your early youth, by
huulG OuS W NJ 10 Sltl5l h luHHllNi lihH
these priests, Or who fosters their
crazy order for some purpose of polit-
ieal power or other selfish motive.
These crauks 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, a woman so
rarely beautiful as You should be a
power for good in the world, and
should sit in the charmed home circle
of loving friends, instead of living
amid this solitude and waste, listening
to 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
long, long ago sent His Son to die for
US, and il that great sacrifice all otheF
sacrifices were embraced, so that nov
our God requires no sacrifices such as
Pele demands. There is but one
supreme being, and that is Col.
There is but one power over these
volcanoes, and that is Gods power.
Pele does not live. But if she lived,
she could not control one inch OF all
this vast mountain. The fires under
the volcanoes are not stirred by dev-
lis, as you think. The center of the
earth is mass of fire. burning on and
on through the ages. From this gre's
fire masses of molten stuff and ho
gases are sent out and must, in som
way, make their escape. So they fol
low the hollow places through tn
earth and burst through where tn
outer crust is thinnest."
Kaumai was now bending eaSerl,
forward, her hands clasped over he
knees, and her face showing the IN
terest she took in what | said.
''If that is so, she said, "why doe
this molten mass come from the top
of high mountains?"
Because. Kaumai, long, long ago