Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-10-12
7ISlSIS~ISSISSIS~IS~ISsIS

Il n
Nuuanu Valley. 1t was sheltered from
the MONDAY sun by far-spreading
banyan 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 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 hooking and the
girl did not answer.
"And you sing funeral dirge!" the
Did woman jeered.
1T 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"
"Ah! 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. I 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
them. His voice is sweet, and the
women have ears"
''He is strong for mel" Kaomao's
eoice 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 not
come to me know. And there is some
good reason"
al Jul VI LAS WOIIU, 6CnO6Q the
woman. Three hours to the coast! If
/ were a girl, and my lover deserted
me, | would find him. l would go %
him, and if he were faithless | 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 I doubted
him, that l 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 nc
word had come to Kaomao from hel
betrothed, although the day for the
wedding was drawing near, and the
old woman's heart burned with vicar
ious vengeance for the grandchilG
she loved.
Kaomao, left alone in the banyar
tree, lay silent now, her fingers rest
ing on the heap of blossoms in hel
lap. The MONDAY sun, high above
her sheltering leaves, dropped warm
patches of gold on her white gown, or
her black veil of hair, on her small
brown hands. So motionless she la
that brilliant iridescent lizard crept
cautiously at first, then carelessly
along the twisting root, across hel
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 hin
Of her love that would last forever
Of her love that would believe in hin
forever.
When she opened her eyes at last i
was to see Paliopaleke sitting on The
ground at little distance froR her
his eyes intent upon her, his hands Sc
tightly clasped about the gnarled roo
of the tree that the veins stood out IL
ridges.
"Paliop-"
The girls first impulse was to rusl
to him, throw her arms about him blu
PAAOC AOi0 hCi Sill
lister laugh, Umanunu's jeering words
we're still ringing in her ears. VIII!
had Paliopaleke been so long away
Why did he sit there so far from her
Why had he not taken her into hi
arms as he had so often done whel
ne found her asleep in the banyal
tree? Why had he not aroused he
with loves murmured words, witt
loves impassioned kisses? All thes
questions held her, and beyond tn
half-spoken name she uttered 1t
sound
The man sat still, looking gloomil,
at her, hungrily drinking in tn
lovely dusky face, the half-veiled eyes
the slender lines, and soft roundup
curves.
81 have been long away-a lon
time away" His voice was hoarse an