The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-10-20
kkNN YHo goes o. lookoutT
% NV | am tie nan and | cal
Wv out my nzue

IS wv ~ az s.si he g nan sss1s and cal
out my nzue
Watch Ont for 3 fash
ing white light on the port bow- Relieve
the wheel and lookout ThstE do TIE
watch
A nan goes aft to the wheel. the
watch gus beSoE and / Climb 70 the
steers TO the foreeastle deck where nv
predecessor u waiting at the eapstzn-
Keep your eyes peeled for nashlight
ahead and 70 port Pass the word along.
All right 30 b-iow-but what do
they expect il 81
Don't know Some lighthouse: we're
on soundiuEs-'
He Is gone. I rub the sleep from nv
eyes and scan the eiear-cuf horizon
shead There IS no sign of a light. aud
I pace up and down. and back and forth
from eafhead TO cathead. with an occa-
sional glance over the SEA IL Is a beau
rifal night-the kind that brings medi-
tation and retrospection- The full moon
hangs ia the southern sky and depend
ing from il to the horizon Is a darkening
Of the deep blue which can only be liken-
ed TO a shadow. or u curtain OF shade
From point a hundred yards from the
ship 10 the base of this curtain extends q
giittering. narrowing track of liquid FIRE
q
the food OF light there Is wind. a sOugh-
ing breath aloft, just strong enough to
belly the canvas overheard is a tinkling.
musical wash OF water. accentuated 70 q
rythmicaI crash under the bow as the
ship buries her cutwater. and losing vol
ume on the way aft TO revive IN the
swiriing cross currents of the wake. l
can hear the murmur of my watch
mates voices amidships, and the regular
humping of the mates bootheels on the
poop. He is racing up and down like
myself. perhaps from habit. perhaps to
waken himself; for we have all lost
much sleep lately.
But / am wide awake-the moonlight
and It's memories have banished the sleep
and | halt in my walk TO lean over
the capstan. with no fear OF the drowsi-
ness which usually attends the first han
hour of the watch on deck at night 1t
was just such night as this when
once walked through a lane with a girl
and stopped at the gate OF a fiower-tilled
ward. And though my eyes are me-
chanically fixed upon the horizon ahead
and TO port watching for that flashing
white light. NV mental vision is taken up
with the vision of the girl. She is fac.
ing me one small hand resting on the
gate. one small foot peeping from be-
meath her dress. the color gone from her
In the strong moonlight / can see the
womanly pity and regret in her sweet
face. the twitching at the corners of her
mouth and the slow. troubled nodding of
her head She is saying: Mono, i
am not for YOU We are not alike. You
must go your wav and | must go mine.
We cannot even be friends: there is no
middle ground"
And that is why | am back before the
mast this night, hanging over the cap
stan. watching for flashing white light
and thinking of her. The rebellious
heart in nv breast chokes me. and the
rebellious brain in my head throbs in
main while it tries to formulate the rea-
son of it all-why I. who must love her
through life. am debarred on this ac-
cunt alone from her friendship. from
err society-from even her acquaintance.
who would give my all for a smile
or a glance of recognition, must not
know her, speak to her. nor meet her.
The stranger vet unborn is nearer TO
her than am I. and of the millions of hui