The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-12-21
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Nuuanu Valley. 1t was sheltered from
the noon-day sun by a far-spreading
Danyan tree, and on one of the lower
branches of this Kaomao was resting.
Her white cotton muumuu revealed
soft rounding curves and long slender
lines; her eyes were Swallowed by her
dusky hair, and her fingers idly plait-
ed a lei Of heavily perfumed, heavily
petaled jasmine. From her lips fell
cadence of tones softer than the
wind that rustled the tattered banana
leaves, sweeter than the ripping brook
that hurried by. But Kaomao was not
happy, and her song was more plain
+ tive than the note of the mourning
dove
Umanunu, the girls grandmother,
thrust her wrinkled face between the
leaves; with her skinny arm and hand
she snatched the jasmine wreath.
Is it your wedding wreath, Kao-
mao?" The tone was mocking and the
girl did not answer.
And you sing a funeral dirge!" the
old woman jeered.
ut may be my wedding wreath"
The girls voice was still soft and
sweet, still full of mournful music.
"The perfume of the jasmine last long
after the flower dies
All! But even it's perfume will not
last until the coming of a faithless
lover," croaked Umanunu.
"Paliopaleke is not faithless!" cried
kaOmao. II will believe in him for
ever. l will believe in him until he
himself tells me that he is false"
The old crone laughed, but her mer-
riment was cracked and discordant.
"Paliopaleke is beautiful" she
tainted. land the girls in the town
have eyes. He is strong, but the girls
down there will not let him leave
them. His voice is sweet, and the
women have ears"
He is strong for met" Kaomao's
voice was passionate. "He is beautiful
for me, and he sings only for me. !
know that he would come If he could.
We are far-far out of the world, and
he has been detained He can net
come to me know And there Is some
good reason"
Far out of the world" echoed the
woman Three hours to the coast! If
I were a girl, and my lover deserted
me, would find him. would 50 80
him, and if he were faithless l would
The sinister laugh conveyed her
meaning quite as we'll as words would
have done.
And would not have Paliopaleke
Imagine for an instant that l doubted
him, that thought him faithless, .
answered Kaomao "He will come in
his own good time, and his time will
be my time.
Umanunu angered by the girls OBJ
stinacy. hobbled back to the hut, NUT
tering her scorn for the girl who
trusted. her maledictions on the lover
who fingered. For many weeks no
word had come to Kaomao from her
betrothed, although the day for the
wedding was drawing near, and the
old womans heart burned with vicar
ious vengeance for the grandchild
she loved
Kaomao, left alone in the banyan
tree, lay silent now, her fingers rest
ing on the heap of blossoms in her
lap. The MONDAY sun, high above
her sheltering leaves, dropped warm
patches of gold on her white gown, on
her black veil Of hair, on her small
brown hands. So motionless she lay
that brilliant iridescent lizard crept
cautiously at first, then carelessly
along the twisting root. across her
breast, and nestled in the warm flow
ers in her lap. She was not asleep
but her thoughts were far away from
her surroundings. They were with
Paliopaleke, searching for him, follow
ing. him, calling for him, assuring him
of her love that would last forever,
of her love that would believe in him
forever.
When she opened her eyes at last It
was to see Paliopaleke sitting on the
ground at little distance from her
his eyes intent upon her, his hands sc
tightly clasped about the gnarled root
of the tree that the veins stood out in
ridges.
The girls first impulse was to rush
to him, throw her arms about him but
pride held her back. Umanunu's sin
lister laugh. Umanunu's jeering words
were still ringing in her ears. Why
had Paliopaleke been SO long away
8 Why did he sit there so far from her?
Why had he not taken her into his
arms as he had so often done when
he found her asleep in the banyan
tree? Why had he not aroused her
with loves murmured words, with
loves impassioned kisses? All these
questions held her, and beyond the
half-spoken name she uttered nc
sound.
The man sat still, looking eloomily
at her, hungrily drinking in the
lovely dusty face. the half-veiled eyes
the slender lines, and soft rounding
curves.
81 have been long away-a long
time away" His voice was hoarse and
rough and low. w-I could moi
come T"
KaOmao's only answer was a SLOW