The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-03-29

II.
mostly of very low moon sinking over
the crest of Sisal. of very brilliant stars
in the est and of Spriggs moving
abruptly back and forth in the lumin-
Gus dusk. But recollect that he sud
denly stopped, right in front of me-
/ and shouted. "A missionary!''
| Missionary" I calculated why a
Missionary"
! Because don't want to be misun-
! derstood. What if there should be a
misunderstanding? 1 should be deeply
engaged. bound hand and foot! Aw-
ful' He stared at me and wiped his
steaming forehead.
misunderstood about what?" I de-
manded. stop talking in riddles and
tell me just what you are planning"
He came out with it pIumpIy.
Failing in love- he said.
Four O'Clock in the morning is the
hour for remorse, not for sentimental
hope. I felt that Spriggs had grossly
betrayed my good nature. The stars
were fading and the blackness presag-
ed the dawn. 'Fool!'' I cried out at
him.
He cried back at me with tremendous
vigor: Everybody falls in lover
what has that to do with plan and
missionary"
He achieved explicitness as the sun
rose out of the sea and lighted up the
yellow island. Briefly, he was DESTROYS
CATER many years of solitude and
laughter from the mouths of mem of
getting a wife. Nobody" he said Che
could not see my face) ''ever put their
hand in my hair" He stopped and
sighed.
I passed this as a symptom of mental
turmoil and demanded (stil1 from the
darkness), +'Who is the woman,
i've thought of a missionary he
replied. 1T would save possible COM
plications."
'tHow?" I inquired.
eff I sent for woman from the
States, or the Colonies" he answered
simply. At should have to make some
representations to her. Possibly could
not get a fine woman to come to Sisal
without definite understandings. And
if I dR1n't. fall in love with her, what
would I do? She would be here-and
I didn't love her and couldn't marry
her,
His distress at the thought was
mind? '' T pursued.
st never knew anybody
The sun rose on that confession. The
sea-line glowed, famed and the sky
suddenly filed with glory. spriggs
stood before me in scant costume, his
red face and tousled head beaten upon
by the clear light of the pitiless day. |
I think we both felt the awkwardness
Of the moment. I turned away and |
walked down the beach. Spriggs shut |
fed his feet and then shambled back |
to the clump of greenery in which his |
house stood.
That evening, for the first time,
heard the sound of one of the endless I
musical instruments with which the |
1lace was crowded. The tune was one |
IF those that awaken foolish memories. |
He kept the thing going for an hour.
When he came out on the porch I ask
ID him why he had not let me hear it
sooner. He coughed and hesitated.
Finally he said, IT thought you might |
misunderstood"
In the dusk I got from him his long,
cherished plan. Tt was to get a mis-
yionary. a woman, to Sisal to teach the
natives. Once there he felt that he
,ould pay her suit without fear of mis-
She'll think I'm only
Interested in her work" he explained
With astounding lucidity. And if I
all in love with her, there'll be no one
o bother or interfere with me. And
hen if she likes me, we'll get married
md it'll be all finished"
Precisely assented. go into de-
ails."
st have the money" he said. 81
bought of sending TO the Missionary
society in San Francisco and saying
would give the money to put up
tation here and keep 1t going if they
would send down a woman to teach
he Kanakas and preach to them.
here's one over on Avatui that I've
card of, and Macpherson of Hanalei,
I'D in the Hawaiians, married a mis-
ionary woman"
But what if the society sent a mar
led woman?' I demanded.
That's for you to tend to-" Spriggs
eplied CURLY. {
So it was out at last I was to go to
he States and manage it so that a
maiden teacher of the heather should
e sent down to Sisal in order that t
briggs might fall in love with her 5
stickler for forms!) and marry her. '
You can have all the money you &
vant'. he assured me. Later he sug-
ested again. quite casually, that he
ated to be cheated. ''When I spend a
orar,'' he said, ST like to get a dollars '
rorth." l
We made all the arrangements as il Y
were going to invest in industrial
acurities. Spriggs never quite expand '
d, you know. He would discuss the /
hole matter up to the point where he e
ras to fall in love; then he would shut h
p like a clam and go incoming off on t
he beach with his ridiculous face 4
eavy with thought. And he had been s
this for ten years! q
The "Mahukona" arrived finally and h
briggs saw me clear to her deck. AS s
ernard swung his booms and the t
,hooner began to pick up the road for
honolulu again, he climbed into his n
anoe and went back to the beach. He q
ID not turn his head so far as I could
se. The last view I caught was OF his b
uge shoulders rising out of the mar
NV craft and set fast upon them c
,usled head uncovered to the burning b
IN. He had forgotten his umbrella! Fl
Tt was just five months later that p
piclxad CiSaI an with the glasses from !