St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-10-29
Of the tree that the vein, .,ooo out IN

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!
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 no
sound.
The man sat still, looking gloomily
at her, hungrily drinking in the
lovely dusky face, the half-veiled eyes,
the slender lines, and soft rounding
curves.
II have been long away-a long
time away" His voice was hoarse and
rough and low. IL could not
come"
Kaomao's only answer was slow
movement of the delicate brows, a
faint CULVER Of the full scarlet lips.
And Kaomao-" He gasped for
breath. ''Kaomao, I am going away
going away tonight at SHUTDOWN"
Going away?" Kaomao sat up
straight, and leaned toward her lover.
He was faithless. then! He had come
to tell her that he was faithless!
II am going away" Again he strug-
gled for the breath that formed the
words. Forever, kaomao."
Kaomao's brown hands were crushing
the jasmine petals they held. Her eyes
were intent on his eyes. %
"Paliopaleke!" She breathed the
name questioningly, brokenly.
II have been detained for three
weeks There was long pause,
his voice grew rougher, harsher, lower.
For three weeks at the Kalihi hos
pital. I go tonight on the Kilauea
Hou-to-night at sundown!" PABLO
paleke's slow words ended in a long
heartbroken sob. His eyes were swept
by torrent of tears.
For an instant Kaomao's eyes grew
wide with horror. Kalihi-the leper
hospital! Kilauea Hou-the Molokai
boat! A single shrek like no human
sound burst from her lips. Then,
stretching her arms toward him, she
sprang forward to fling herself on
his breast, but she stumbled heavily
over an obstacle that had been thrust
In front OF her, and fell outstretched
on the ground.
Umanunu, who had thrown her down,
crouched low over her, wildly waving
her hands, warding off the man who
now bent over the girl, but made no
move to touch her.
"A 1eper! A leper! How dare you,
q leper, come near her!" the old bag
screamed. 1--WE killed her, perhaps,
but better thousand times that she
should be dead so than that you should
touch her!" Shrieks and oaths and
curses filled the air, but KaomaO, stun
ned by her fall, lay inert and still,
and Paliopaleke 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 breathed not spoken.
Crashing through the underground, he
rushed down the hill, out into the
sunlit valley, on and on, with never
q backward glance until he found him
self on the boat that would carry him
to the land OF the living death.
Umanunu knew well enough how to
prolong Kaomao's swoon. and not
until the afternoon was well advanced
did the girl move. The shadows
stretched far. the sun sank low, its red
disk lowering over the blue sea- At
sundown! The Kilauea Hou! With a
Wild shrek Kaomao sprang to her feet,
and rushed down the hill along the path
her lover had traversed. She was fol-
lowed only by the cackling chuckle Of
the old woman who. motiOnless and
speeches.. waited where she was for
the girls return.
The upbraidings she expected were
never spoken. Like slender white
ghost Kaomao traversed the moonlit
grove. passed the woman silently, and
silently entered the hut. Never again.
In fact, cid Umanunu hear kaomao's
voice. Mutely the girl listened to the
reports that Umanunu brought to her
from the town. With downcast eyes
and firmly closed lips she heard how
the attention Of the health officers had
been attracted to Paliopaleke working
on the wharves; how he had been sent
to the Kalihi hospital; how. although
he had but the faintest faint Of the.
dread disease, he had been ordered to
Molokai for the safety of the islands;
how he had broken from the guards
for his farewell visit to Nuuanu.
The days passed and, curiously
enough the girl moved about doing ap-
parently nothing, apparently seeing
nothing, but the curves Of her red lips
grew straighter, and in the depths Of
her luminous brown eyes was the
shadow of q definite resolve.
Heavily rerfumed, heavily petaled
jasmine blossoms everywhere, pink
and white begonias shook their petals
at her, scarlet and crimson and yellow
flowers poured themselves profusely
ct her feet, but Kaomao ignored them
all. When she did anything she work
ed automatically, fashioning some leis
Of soft white feathers. It was o
month after Paliopaleke's departure
when she stood one day in the door
way Of her hut, wreath Of the soft
plumes on her dark hair, another
about her neck, hanging far below her
waist.
''If could but see you thus, bride,
my Kaomao!" cried her grandmother,
and she held small mirror before the