The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-27
KLOHAHA LEAGUE HEARS SUCCESSFUL
Contribution IN LITERARY CONTEST

about four years after his marriage
Frank came around to my office at the
plantation. We had planned to go shoot
ing the next day, so we got ready, and.
to save time. we had our supper at the
boarding house. All the lunaS were there
-kamaainas with us-and among them
Il German called Lemmich. who was
sugar-boiler there. He was an educated
chap, and quite a friend of Franks, be-
ing one of the few who had ever been
up to his place mauka. Lemmich asked
us quite particularly what our plans
were, and we told him how we were go
ing straight up to old Kekofs grass
house and stay there over night, so as to
be right by the pigs in the morning.
Lemmich left soon after, butts of course
neither of us thought anything of it.
After supper we cleaned our rifles and
fused around a bit, and it took US about
an hour before we got started frank
was in fine spirits-there was a weeks
work behind him, you know, and a sood
days sport before him, so he was sing
ing and laughing and filled with the hap
p;ness of being alive. And, funny enough
during that trip / could not help think
ing that it was deuced good thing, any
how, that he had married and become
common mortal instead of a priest.
When we came up where the side-rnaj
turns UP to his kuleana, Frank wanted
to kiss Pua and the boy goodnight be-
fore he went maulla, So, as I knew how
didn't raise an objection, as it was only
a couple of miles out of the way, any
how, and so we rode up there.
You know the road to Franks place.
of course, but I don't think you know
the little trail that branches off aboi1
mile before you come to the house. It's
nothing but bride path, but by that
you go through the gulch instead OF
around it, and land right back of the
house, and it saves nearly half a mile, so
we took 1t. When we arrived, Frank
went in the back door, while 1 stayed in
a bit of commotion inside, but thought
nothing of it, but moment after, bang,
bang, I heard four or five shots from the
front porch, coming with the intervals of
the trigger. OF course, / rode to the
front Immediately. There was Frank on
the porch, with his smoking rifle in his
hand. and far down the road was a man,
riding as fast as his horse could make
It. Frank jumped on his horse and off
we went. Our horses were bit tired,
and didn't go as fast as we wanted to,
put mile after mile we chased. He didn't
say word of explanation and none was
needed / would have shot that internal
of course 1t was Lem
mich, you know-as quick as Frank
would. My brain was in a whirl. That
Pua, whom 1 had thought the paragon
IF virtue-for you know. I could never
make myself look upon that first affair
IS anything wrong. though i suppose 1t
she should have gone wrong.
{ didn't puzzle me, it just upset ray
,ntire mental system. and all my Ideas
women, wives, virtue ana all
hat.
Well, we chased until the morning
Iawned Out at we saw the smoke
# n steamer, and then we know that the
'east had slipped us. We had turned
outh, when we had struck the govern
nent road, thinking that he would make
or the regular steamer. but the beggar
ad known that deuced tramp was fin
shing her load of sugar and would start
hat night, and had ridden straight
nakai And why Providence holds its
ands over that kind of beast beats my
So we rode home wearily
o my place. There was no talk Of go
1g to bed, of course, so we sat 10 on
he lanai and watched the moon face
way and the sun rise-and far ont at
ca rose the dim. hazy smoke of the
teamer.
Up to this Frank had borne up splen-
idly during the wild ride with the
bought of getting at the beggar ana
egging him full of A, but now the re-
ction came and he broke down Hour
fter hour he paced up and down the
mai. only stopping short. at times.
ometmes to look at that faint streak
E smoke away out in the sky line, but
lore often over the tree tops to where
is house was, and then he would talk
very now and then. jerking out sem
ences. directed not to me and not to
imself either ] think, but mostly to
lat clump of trees up mauka, and
emember him saying this: II failed as
priest and / failed as a man, all
trough you. Pualeilani, and 1 can't I
anne you either, for 1 showed you the
lad myself, and what am I anyhow but {
failure so failure let it be- and then ,
rank-ersstwhile Father F'rancis-syRore
lie first oath / ever heard him swear,
lough il wasn't the last by a long sho.. !
After a while ne seemed to grow calm {
. he stopped talking and paced silently /
, and down Then all at once he turn !
to me and spoke so suddenly that Il /
lite startled me-for ] was working out s
mental problem of two myself: Phil 5
:" he said. II must sleep, for Coos s
Ike give me some morphine
1t is a thing 1 hate to do, and only
il in extreme cases, but l gave him {
bit of a squirt and watched him tn !
: was gone, then I turned in myself
Id slept till evening. {
When I awoke he was gone, and i was (
70 tired to follow him, and besides | /
dn't know where he had gone. but art 8
wards ] found out that he had ridden c
'wn to the plantation, and there the {
,ys in the innocence Of their hearts, !
ID given him whiskey, which was just e
lie worst thing they could do. The next c
me / saw Frank he was drunk, and G
Tough 1 could see he felt mortally f
'harned of himself, he told ma with c
-unkeu explicitness that the devil did u
= care about Pua, there Were plenty OF L
city lbs in the district that wanted h
ssiu@ and now he had taken the CON
oct to take care of that. Then he sail +
ca !;
re was on q spree for a week. OF }
,rrse that does not astonish you who =
I'VE only known him as he was these ;,
st years. but then 1 shouldn't have .
en- more astonished if I had met the a
Gabr1ei on a pat with Moses o