The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1900-05-17

II
The Hawaiian national band, in spotless
white, forming huge and melodious cir
Gle OF the wharf, We'd with the must
clans from the states in the spirit and
swing of their stirring airs "Aloha
De! Aloha Del" chorused the surging
throng, afioat and ashore, as wreaths
and garlands-the leis of the islanders
were twined or hung about some fa-
vorite officer or favored The.
troops still held to service in Hawaii
shouted goodwill and good-by to those
ordered on to the Philippines. The
Dudes of the Queen, and the lads from
the prairies and the mountains on other
transports anchored in the deep but
narrow harbor, yelled soldierly con-
dolence to those condemned to stay.
The steam of the 'scape pipe roared
loudly and belched dense white clouds
on high, swelling the uproar. Dusky
little Kanaka boys, diving for nickels
and padding t~ireless about the ship,
added their shrill cries to the clamor.
The captain, in his natty uniform of
blue and gold, stepped forth upon the
bridge to take command, and raised his
banded cap in recognition of the con-
slant cheer from the host ashore and
the throng of blue shirts on the fore
castle head. Then arose another shout,
as a veteran officer, in the undress uni
form of a general, appeared upon that
sacred bound, and, bowling to the
crowd, was escorted by the captain to
<lo arl orar1oo1ys,, ~ tho q rsroofol eoara
below; and then the signal was given,
the heavy lines were cast off and hauled
swiftly in, the massive screw began
slowly to churn the waters at the stern,
and gently, almost imperceptibly at
first, the Queen slid noiselessly along
the edge of the dock, to the accompani-
ment of a little volley Of flowers and
garlands tossed from eager hands, and
a cheer of godspeed from the swarm of
upturned faces. And then there up
rose another shout, a shout of mingled
merriment, surprise and applause;
for all on a sudden there darted up the
stairway from the crowded promenade
deck to the sacred perch above, defiant
of the lettered warning: Passengers
r not allowed upon the BRIDGE a
dainty vision in filmy white, and all in
the next moment there appeared at the
generals side, smiling, bowling, blow
ing kisses, waving adieux, all sparkle,
animation, radiance and rejoicing, a be-
witching little figure, in the ARREST,
Cross nurses on the deck below looked
at one another and gasped. Two brave
army girls, wives of wounded officers in
the Philippines, who by special dispen-
sation were making the voyage on the
Queen, glanced quickly at each other
and said-nothing audible. The gen
eral, lifting his cap, but looking both
depreciation and embarrassment, fell
back and gave his place at the white
rail to the new arrival, and colored high
when she suddenly turned and took his
arm. The captain, trying not to see her
IL to appear conscious of this infrac-
ton of a stringent rule and invasion of
his dignity, grew redder as he shouted
rapid orders and swung his big, beauti-
full ship well out into the stream. The
guns of the Bennington doomed a deaf
ening salute as the Queen turned her
sharp nose toward the open sea and al
most the last thing Honolulu saw of
her human freight was the tiny, dainty,
winsome little figure in white, waving a
spotless kerchief in fond farewell.
Once clear of the narrow entrance the
big troopship headed westward toward
the setting sun, shook free the reins, as
it were, and, followed by less favored
craft, sped swiftly on her way, Witchie
Garrison, the latest addition to the
passenger list, entirely at home, if not
actually in command.
Leaning on the generals arm an hour
later and deity plotting that bewil-
dered veteran up and down the breezy
deck, she came, just as she had planned
to come, face to face once more with
Stanley Armstrong. Well she knew
that under the escort of that exalted
rank she was safe from any possibility
of cross question or interference. Well
she knew that had he heard of her sud-
den determination to go to Honolulu
she could not have escaped stern inter-
rogation, possibly something worse;
and her heart failed her when she real
lied that the man who had gagged her
shallow nature years before, now held
a lash over her head in the shape of the
paper that mad vanity had prompted
her to write and send to the officer of
the guard the day that Stewart sailed.
What madness it was, indeed, yet how
could she have dreamed it would fall
into the hands of the man of all others
she feared and respected-the one man
who, had he but cared, could years ago
have had her love, the man who, be-
cause he cared not, had won her hate!
And, now that he held or had held this
paper-nothing less than a forged order
in her husbands name as aide-de-camp
to Gen. Drayton, she could have cow
cred at his feet in her terror of him,
yet braved him with smiles, sweetness
and gayety, with arch merriment and
joyous words, quitting for the moment
the generals arm that she might ex-
tend to him both her little white
gloved hands. Gravely he took the left
in his left while with the right he raised
his forage cap in combined salute to the
woman and to his superior officer.
Gravely and almost instantly he re-
leased it, and listened in helpless pa
thence to her torrent of playful words;
but his eyes were on the generals face
as though he would ask could he, the
general, know the true character of the
woman he had honored above all her
s%isterhood OF board, in thus taking her
to the bridge wherein neither officer
nor man 0 nurse o army wife had
presumed to set foot in all the six days
run from San Francisco; as though he
would ask if the generalknew just what
she was, this blithe, dainty, winsome
little thing that nestled so confidingly