The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-06-17

this garden on a fine summer day, and
unconsciously at every step crush the
| life out of some creeping thing, a
worm, snail, spider; it's ali an ac-
| cident, of course, but the result is just
the same. Something that was once
palpitant with life, perhaps, who
| knows. even with hope and happiness,
rejoicing in its existence, becomes dust
before it's time, and we pass on-un>
conscious murderers. Yet there are
some of US in this whirlwind Of a
world who take time to notice and to
think; it is our nature, and we see
what we have done, and often suffer
more than the worm we have
crushed"
Oyosi took another sip of tea, and
gazed away over the hibiscus hedge
with the inscrutable expression Cation
knew so well. and which always left
him wondering exactly how much she
understood. +
Him no good" she said at last,
deliberately, almost accusingly.
''As a story I admit it's weak said
Cation, ''but it's old and true, so what
else can one expect?"
Tell him all same last night story"
she suggested accommodatingly
NO" said Cation, firmly; cit will
have to be a different story tonight:
all about little girl, little garden,
and a great big man."
Oyosi settled herself more comfort
ably in the Grass, resting her weight
on one little brown hand; Cation found
himself watching the wrinkles at the
join of hand and wrist. Her feet in
their spotless white socks were tucked
away somewhere in the folds of her
kimono, her face set in grave attention.
There were once.'' said Cation. "a
little girl, a little garden, and a great
big man. The man liked the girl, the
girl liked the man. and they both liked
the garden, so they were very happy
all round But outside this garden,
long way off, but creeping nearer every
day, there was a dragon, a she dragon,
whose teeth were so poor that she
could only eat tender things like little
girls. Of course, the little girl knew
nothing of this dragoN. but the man
knew her very wei indeed-so well
that when the dragon was only
days journey from the garden he
thought it best to tell the little girl
SO that she could run away and not
be eaten up. At the same time he
hated to tell her, because he liked the
to make her think he was sending her
away because ne was tired of her;
so one evening he made it all into a
story, and told it her while they were
sitting in the garden
Oyosi sat perfectly still and silent
for a few seconds, then-"And little
girl2 She go?'' she inquired earnestly
Yes. she went" said Cation, slowly.
Then big man him like dragon pIen-
ty more little girl" The tone was a
conviction.
1t was an awkward moment. Cation
turned away, and picked up a mango.
You see,'' he said. after pause, the
dragon was his ''-and it was not until
then that he saw Oyosi had gone.
At first he thought that she had left
by the gate. and wondered that he
had not heard the click of the latch,
then he saw her coming down the la
mai steps with the guitar She squat
ted at his feet in silence, and when
she commenced to play the opening
bars of Aloha De- he knew that she
had understood.
She sung the chorus OF the Hawai-
ian song of farewell in her own quaint
version of the tongue. and the little.
high pitched falsetto, at which eaton
had tutored himself not to smile; then
she laid the guitar in the grass at her
side.
Il tell story one time now" she
suggested suddenly.
The sun had set, the night blooming
eereus was filing the garden with
heavy fragrance. Cation leant forward;
it was the first time She had ever
thought OF such a thing.
tsYes tell me a stowY. 0Easi -