The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-12-05

wrapped the sword in the black gown.
The soldiers crowded about her and
wished her good luck and a speedy re.
turn.
In moment she was upon the steps.
and Williams had helped her upon a
waiting horse. Through the opened
gates she rode. followed by an orderly.
The streets were empty, for it was vet
early; and she met scarcely a soul as she
eantered down Punehbowl street to the
harbor. An old fisherman, spreading
his nets upon a rack to dry, ducked his
head TO her as she dismoupted near the
king S boat-house. She tossed the
bridlerein to the orderly, sped to the
door, and fearlessly entered.
Indoors it was quite dark, and she
saw dimly q clutter of upturned boats
and racks of oars, ropes, and tackle.
For moment she hesitated.
Presently there came a burst of
laughter from upstairs, and at the side
of the boat-room she saw the stairway
leading up. Quickly she mounted and.
| fiinging open the door, paused mo-
| ment at the threshold.
1t was a wide, low-ceiled room. open
on all its seward side, save for Vene-
| tian bhnds-tight closed now. shutting
out the day. Racing-prints hung upon
the walls, interspersed with a huge sill
Yer cup here and there, testifying to the
proves of the king as yachtsman, oars
man, and HORSEPOWER. The air was
| thick with tobacco smoke and fetid
with the odor of stale liquor.
In the center of the room was a large
round table, over which hung a great
lamp, still burning. and shedding now
an unhealthy, yellow light upon the
table and the men about it.
There were six of them; in shirt
sleeves, collarless, the dishabille of an
all-night session at cards. They looked
sleepy and hollow-eyed-all save one.
For at the back of the table. facing
LAM as she stood in amazed silence in
the doorway, sat the king
His loose white shirt was open at the
throat, and his sleeves were rolled to
his elbows; but his eye was clear, and
his humorous mouth laughed as gaily
under his mustache as though the night
had just begun. He was in the midst
of a funny story. and was shutting the
cards as he talked, his big brown hands
mixing them deity.
The pile of varicolored chips before
him was tiny compared to the. great
stacks which the others possessed. 1t
was evident that his companions had
been enjoying the usual pastime of
trimming his majesty.
1t was long moment before the king
realized that an intruder had entered.
Then he rose from his chair. formid-
able figure of man, broad -shouldered,
thick-chested, enormous. All the Others
turned in their chairs; most of them
were white NERVOUSNESS men of the
clty--but one or two were Hawaiians.
Whom have we here?' cried the
king in a loud voice. ga lady? Come
forward, my dear, and let IS have a look
at you. It's SO deuced dark back there
that | can t make you out -
'Why," he added, as LAM slowly
moved down the room, through the over
turned bottles and debris of the night IS
debauch, cit IS Miss Comyns-little
LAM Comynsl What brings you here
pray?'
With the shining sword in her hands
LAM came swiftly forward and dropped
upon one knee before the king. holding
the weapon up to him and looking into
his eyes with the light of enthusiastic
Continued on Page Twenty-oeven. J