The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-08-22
THE PARIAH'S
DAUGHTER

CONTINUED from rage Eleven.
Please be seated if we are to thrash
this matter out satisfactorily.
"My surprise at the unlooked-for
reception of my news was swamped by
overwhelming detestation Of the man
before me.
ttMay I ask, !" T inquired co1dly,
elbow you happen to know what only
took place three minutes agos'
His lips set in the same caricature
of our meeting.
CT seldom mistake my man, he
said, "and T asked you here with that
purpose in VIEW
f<That 7 should propose marriage to
your daughterf''
tsExactly"
fsThen you have no objections'
The sudden eagerness in my voice SEEM
ed to amuse him.
HNone in the world - he said, snil-
ing. ffYou are gentleman or [
shou1dn It have asked you to stay here,
and I take it you love my daughter,
or you wouldn t have asked her to be
your wife There was obviously moth
ing else to attract you; you saw how
we Hved-we are poor-please SIT
down. You must see that I was oblig-
ed to take everything into considera-
tion.''
"But Vera - your daughter'-I
stammered, fshe said it was impossi-
BILE; that something stood in the way"
II fixed my eyes on his right hand
something that explanation could not
alter, and it was to get that explana-
ton that [ came to you tonight; you
owe it me, Mr.. Horton
NY last words had a strange effect
on this man. His eyes blazed and /
expected an outburst, but knotted veins
in his forehead told of its suppression.
ct owe you nothing, SIR" he said
in the same deliberate monotone. "I
owe everything everything - to my
daughter; and T intend to pay. You
spoke of an obstacle to your marriage;
my daughter was right; there is an un-
surmountable obstacle, but it shall be
removed. Does that satisfy youe''
Something in the man s voice awed
me. He was evidently struggling with
violent emotions; the veins in his fore
head throbbed horribly and the fingers
of his gloved hand twitched and grasp
ed at space.
cit does. and thank you,'' said I,
uneonseiouslv holding out my hand.
at have told you that I cannot shake
hands, he said YEARLY and turned
from me, looking out through the open
window toward the reef, where the surf
still doomed its monotonous chant to
the night At that moment I felt an
indefnable pity for the man.
CT will ask you,' he said slowly,
"not to see Vera again this evening.
I think that is all. Goodnight. "
And still my second question re-
manned unanswered.
DaZedly I found my way to my ROOM
locked the door and tried to think. I
felt instinctively that climax had
been reached. and my thoughts, vague
~ cropping after the nature of the de-
nouement travelled ever in a circle,
round and round that gloved right
| hand
Presently I heard the rustic of skirts
coming down the passage. and two
faint knocks on a distant door; then
knew that father and daughter were
together
What passed between them that night
I have never known. 7 lay there
watching the moonlight play on the
quivering leaves of the banana trees
out in the garden; the house was
deathly still.
t must have dozed, for 7 found my
self sitting upright on the bed, a
nameless dread clutching at my heart.
I tried to lie back on the pillows and
i compose myself-it was i'm possible. 7
lit a cigar and paced the room rest
lessly, recalling every word that had
passed in that low. dark room
Suddenly out of the chaos of other
at first vaguely outlined. then stand
ing out in bold relief, ''The obstacle
shall be removed -
7 repeated it aloud. s'The obstacle
shall be removed Then in a flash
a possibility leaped to my mind. so
awful that I thrust it from me in sheer
terror Tt returned, again and again
each time with added force. I turned
the key in the lock and hesttated,
opened the door and hesitate again,
then walked deliberately down the
passage, each step ringing in my ears
like a revolver shot At the curtained
door / stopped and knocked. Some
thing impelled me not to wait, but
to go straight on and end this fearful
| susnense. I turned the handle-the
| door was not locked, and, opened it
wide.
So swiftly had that vague thought
grown into a conviction that I remem-
Der no surprise at what I saw. There,