The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-11-15

tween his hands for an hour on end,
gazing out to sea. Mirama felt par
ticularly proud at having captured one
for herself, and felt in the folds of her
sula to make sure it was still there.
It was the same color as the one
Mssi Carlo was now looking at. so it
was hardly likely that he would need
two exactly the same. She would take
it to old Rarago, who understood these
things, and together they would frown
and swear and smile too.
She watched Carter S retreating fig
ure until it was hidden by a bend in
the path, then jumped down from the
fruit-crate and picked up tiny square
of white paper 1t was picture such
as she had never seen before. 1t had
no bright colours like the prints hang.
ing on the walls of the chiefs house
in her native village, and it was small !;
but the woman s face that looked out
from the paper was very beautiful
far more beautiful than the mission
ary's wife, or even the barmaid with
the golden hair that she had once seen
in Levuka. Indeed, she was so beauti.
full with her round, white throat and
laughing eyes, that Mirama took the
picture into the swamp, tore it to tiny
fragments with her teeth, and trod
them savagely into the mud.
Yet that evening she was singing as
she dried the supper things.
"Rarago, she said suddenly, 81
need your help. "
Old Rarago regarded her uncertainty
through a cloud of dish water steam.
cit is a strange thing that l wish
you to do, ~ she went on, rubbing hard
at teacup; "but you will do it.,
Rarago, for me, because | know many
things
The old man shuffied pair of horny
feet on the mating of the floor, and
angled vigorously for teaspoon.
"YOu are wise, Rarago,' continued
Mirama, smiling sweetly. "You can
make words of the black patterns trac.
ed on paper, while II only know of
the cigars and the whisky and the other
things that were once Missi Carlo 3
and are now yours; and, because I know
this, you will make words for me, so
that we may frown and swear and smile
over them together
Rarago's wrinkled smile was a min
Cling of relief and amusement
DRAW the black patterns, - he sug.
gested amiably, "and I will make
many words of them for you''
Then Mirama produced the letter
from her sula, and old Rarago shook
his head and stamped his feet very
hard, and told her to return it to Missi
Carlo at once. This she expressed her
entire willingness to do, if the cigars
and the whisky and the "Other things
were returned also, a stipulation that
had a wonderfully quieting effect on
Rarago. And so it came about that he
took the paper bag and held it over
the steam of the kettle until it opened
of its own accord, while Mirama mar.
veled and told herself again that there
was surely no one quite so clever as
old Rarago.
Then they went over to the house of
Mirama IS brother and lit a candle nut,
and the old man deciphered the letter
for his own amusement, for he saw no
reason in telling the girl it's contents.
A tale about the great red and white
city he had once visited would please
her far more than letter such as this:
My dear old Boy,-It s no good ex-
planning or saying all the ordinary
things / We treated you abominably,
and there is no excuse. Somehow, out
there, you seemed so very far away,
and there were two more years of
Hugh S persistency to put up with, and
/ just WASH t strong enough, that's all.
By the time this reaches you, / shall
be married, and / can only ask you to
forgive and forget---'
Rarago looked mysterious, and
ar1t ohaA no hoax 1f his haod
eddy. for he was fully conscious that
Mlrama S eyes were searching for his
across the candle-light.
HWhat does it mean?' she demand
ed eagerly
He looked up at her, and an under,
smile lurked in the lines about
his mouth.
cit Means he said slowly, 'sthat
your day is very near, Mirama. There
is nothing more to tell you, for that
is all that matters-tO you. Take this
paper bag, stick down the flap as it
was before. and smear it with a little
mud; then put red hibiscus blossoms in
your hair and give it to Missi Carlo,
telling him you found it in the man.
grove swamp. and then-your day will
be very near
And that was all Mirama could get
HIM to say; but she was content. for
it was clear that old Rarago knew
all things.
At midnight Carter came out on to
the verandah in search of a breeze, |
hOugh he knew there was none to be
found There was something OminOus
in the utter stiffness of sea and sky
and air-not ripple, not a cloud, not
a breath. A hot giant hand seemed to |
have descended on the earth to smother
it in its sleep. But presently a faint
Whit. warm and soft as velvet. drifted |
NJ from the ocean and set the broad |
leaves Of the banana plants aquiver in
the moonlight. The silver sheet Of the
sea was broken into tiny ripples, and
broad. black bank of cloud appeared on
the horizon.
Carter watched its coming with a
SIGH of relief, and leant further out
over the balustrade to catch the blessed
motion of air. The breeze stitfened,