The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-04-25

by in the shadow of the wall, red-faced,
complaining of the midafternoon heat.
At intervals a crowded street car clang.
ed on it's hurried way to Kalihi or Wal
kiki
Hughes noted nothing of this He
was walking as fast as he could. care
less where his bare feet stepped. A
withered garland depended from his tar,
tered hat. His torn jacket tapped be-
hind him, snatched at by coarse flower
sellers, almost plucked from his body
by impudent children.
He won out of the crowd and down
the alley that leads to the postoffiee.
A few steps more brought him to a
bank. Without pause he stepped in and
went down the big room, past the cages
wherein clerks worked over books, to
far window. He tapped on the coun-
ter and man at a desk inside looked
up with a frown. "What is it,
Hughes9' he said "The transport
doesn t sail till next week
"I know that Hughes answered,
s.Ibut I need the ten dollars you prom
ised me today. I thought maybe if L
didn't bother yous any more, you d be
glad to be rid of me, Mr.. Haskins.
~ certainly would be glad to be re-
lieved of your constant Fostering, - was
the response. tBut you We always said
you could straighten up if you went to
the Coast. I told you I'd give you the
money to go. Now you take advantage
of my good nature and try to work
me for it now. If 7 give it to you,
it means that you IL go and get drunk
again. Don t you want to be decent9,,
Hughes face darkened 81 never
lied to you, did Ta'' he demanded.
"No-o,' Haskins admitted
"Well, I'm not lying now. I need
that money worse today than I will
next week. I II never bother you again,
if you I'll let me have it now.
''All right, said the banker, here s
your tenner. But don It come in here
any more. -
Once on the street Hughes started
back the way he had come. But his
feet Jagged. Time and again he stop.
ped to gaze out over the many-tinted
bay. 81 could make it all right he
said to himself. "And the Peniel PEG.
pie would straighten me out, and |
could quit the beach and be somebody.
But | guess I've had my last chance.
We'll just give somebody else
show?o
Two hours later the woman Yohara
was seated under the awning on the for
ward deck of the Inter Island steamer
Caroline, a little bundle of her belong
ings at her feet and the child on her
lap. AS the last whistle blew, Hughes
shambled to her side and thrust pack
age into her hands Candy he mum.
HI oa Tbo halI NJ h
/ he fastened away The woman drew
her gown closer about her and then
looked down at the child ssPupule,'' :
/ she murmured
| When the Caroline had fused out
of her slip and passed down the CLEAN,
ing bay toward the tossing reef, Jim
Hughes left the wharf and shamblea
to Iwilei. Once safe within its pre-
] cincts he sought cheap saloon and laid
down his solitary quarter on the bar.
A couple of nights later Mr.. Rapp
was surprised to see the outcast walk
| into his little chapel in Palama where
he and his wife were trying to teach d
/ polygot assembly the virtues of clean
illness and goodness. Hughes listened
! silently to the reading of chapter from
/ the Bible, to the songs, to the exhorta-
| tions. Before the services ended he
slipped out into the night.
Thereafter he made occasional visits
to the chapel Ragged and unkempt,
he was usually sober. Even when
drunk, he was scrupulously quiet and
attentive. Finally Mr.. Rapp sought him
out alone. fYou ought to straighten
up he said, kindly. 81 see you are
really interested. ID like to help you. y
Jim shook his head. "I'd like to
! oblige you,' he said. ''I'd like mighty
well to be saved again. But the only
thing that will take hold of old jim
Hughes is San Francisco gospel. Ii
could have made it back to the Coast
/ I'd have been all right. But | passed
up my chance. Don IT worry about
me.'
/ Rapp was provoked, thinking it a
play for his sympathy. 81 haven t any
money to send you up to the Coast,
he said, sharply. 'And if you went
there, I doubt if you would do any
thing but what you do here.
81 I'M not asking you for money, an
II" said Hughes, suddenly flushing 81
was simply trying to explain to you
Good night. -
Palama Chapel saw him no more ant
honest Mr.. Rapp's heart was troubled
But he and his wife found plenty t.
occupy their minds in their efforts t.
save in the morning the fruits of theil
, toll of yesterday And in due time the
. Settlement came into conflict with tn,
: interests of certain of the powers. Theil
efforts to cleanse the filthy purlieus o.
Chinatown and the still filthier slum
f, of Iwilei met with a quiet but effective
opposition that finally ended IN a eour
! teous notice to Mrs. Rapp that her pre-
!. scribing for the sick and the ailing wa
against the territorial law providing
> that only licensed physicians should b
allowed to practise in Honolulu.
Three nights later Chinese cam
| out of house across the street from
, the deserted chapel and built fire il
the gutter He worked hastily, putin:
8 noisily as he thrust little sticks o
8 kindling into the heart of the burnin
I pile of paper. A little crowd gathered
i iabbering curiously. The Chinese, bar
:. ing his arms, poured incense on TIL
< blaze from a paper sack. working hi
e lips in mad incarnation. A block ava
e another fire suddenly 1ared into tn
e darkness. sparks streaming upward t
d the stars. A gong rolled its thunder
t. Gus beat out over the quarter. TIL
n