The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1904-11-25

WORDS Forever, kaOmao.
Kaomao's brown hands were crushing
the jasmine petals they helu. Her eyes
we're intent on his eyes.
"Paiiupaleke," She breathcd the
name questioningly brokenly,
II have been detained for three
wecks---" There was long pause
his voice grew roughcr, harsher, lower
For three weeks at the Kalihi hos
pital. | go tonight on the kilauca
H0u-to-night at sundown'" PABLO.
palekcs slow words ended in long
hcartbroken sob. His eyes were swept
by torrent of tears.
For an instant KaOmaos eyes grew
wild" with horror. Kalih--the leper
hosaital! Kilauca Hou-the MolokaI
boat. A single shrek like no human
sound burst from her lips Then
stretching her arms toward him, she
5prang forward to fling herself on
his breast. but she stumbled heavily
Owe" an obstacle that had been thrust
in front of her, and fell outstrctched
on the ground
tmannnn, who had thrown her down
crouchod low over her. wildly waving
her hands, warding off the man who
now bent over the girl, but made no
move 10 touch her.
"A leper' A lepcr! How dare You,
lcpcr. come near hcr," the old har
screamed. I've killed her. perhaps,
hut better Thousand times that she
should be dead SO than that you should
touch her" Shrielis and uaths and
curses filled the air, but Kaomao, stun
ned hy her fall, lay inert and still
and PalIopalekc bent lower, lower over
the PROSTATE form. Not even the outer
hem Of her garment did he touch with
hand or lip
Farewell. farewell forever" The
words were brerthed not spoken.
Crashing through the underground, h.
rushed down the hill. out into tho
sunlit valley. on and on, with mover
a backward glance until he found him
self IN the boat that would carry him
10 the land of the living death,
tmlnunu knew wcll enough how to
TrOiDng KaOmaO's swoon. and not
until the afternoon was well advanced
did the girl move. The shadows
stretched far, The sun sank low, It's rcd
disk lowering over the blue sea. At
shutdown, The Ki!lnca Hou, with n
wild shrek kaomaO sprang 10 her feet
and rushed down the hin along the path
her lover had trayc:scd She was fol
lowed only by the cackling chuclle Of
the old woman who. mOtinnlcss and
spccchlcss. waited where she was for
the girls return.
The uphraidings she expected were
never spoken Like slender white
ghost Kaomao traycrscd the mOOnllt
grove, passed the woman silently. and
silently entered the hut. Never again
In fact did lmanunu hear Knomao'e
voice. Mu.cly the girl listened TO the
reports that I'manunu brought to her
from the town, With dnwncast eyes
and firmly closed lips she heard how
the attention Of the health officers had
been attracted to 'alippaiclJc working
on tho whnrvcs; how he had been sem
TO tho Kalihi hospital; how. although
he had but the faintest faint Of the
dread disease he had been ordered to
Nolokai for the safety of the islands
how h" had broken from the guards
for his farewell visit to Nuuanu.
Tn" days passed and, curiousIy
.HnIfYt.b tlt ttitI fi4,,tnI al ,lat,,tf
parontly nothing. apparently seeing
nothing but the curves of her red lips
grew straightcr, and in the depths OF
hor luminous brown eyes was the
shadow OF definite resolve
Heavily rcrfumcd, heavily pcalrd
Jasmine blossoms everywhere, pink
ana whit" bcEonlas shook their petals
al her scarlet and crimson and yellow
flowers poured themselves profusely
at her feet, but KaomaO ignored them
all When she did anything she work
ed automatically, fashiOning some leIs
Of soft white feathers It was Il
month after Paliopalekes departure
when she stood one day In the door
way of her hut. wreath of the SOFT
plumcs on her dark hair. another
about her neck, hanging far below her
waist
IF could but see yOu thus, n bride.
my Kaomao!" cried her grandmother.
and she held a small mirror before the
girls eyes.
Kaomao, taking the glass in both
hands looked long at her own rcfec-
ton and then she smiled for the first
time in all that month That night
.'manunu slept profoundly. and In the
when she awukc she was
alone in the grass hut under the ban
van tree.
Down on the beach, on the other |
side of the hill. Kaomao, gowned IN |
he clinrtnB white muumGu that Pal |
opaleke loved. was pushing light |
'anoe out into the water The sea
md the sky CLEANED Ike soft gray |
,earl. The pearl faded slowly, def |
litely, and grew milky white. The
Ky blushed rose and red, and the sea
tolc its color The coral reef flashed |
link, then pearl. then white, and
traight toward the rising disk of the
nm KaomaO pointed the prov OF her
anoe She padded steadily out
through the reef, and as she padded.
he sang. Her voice was softer than
he morning breeze that rustled in the
ringing palms behind the beach. II
ias sweeter than the tapping water
hat crept about the coral reefs. Her
lelody rlppled gayly with the waves
hat caressed her boat, for its was of
we, of loves triumph, that she sang.
NEE she looked back at the land she
'as leaving, but only once, and then
he saw the island stretching itself
osy and flushed with light up from
he sea to greet the sun. After tina
ne backward glance, Kaomao kepi
err eyes and her boat steadily towart
ne east, and gave no further heed, N
irther thought to the home she wa
'aving forever.
She was as familiar with the Sc.
with the banyan tree that Shelter
err matched hut She had suept IA, |