The Columbus journal., 1910-11-09

story OF danger and distress. The rival claimant
OF the throne had demanded her hand In mar
rage. and had promised TO spare the life Of her
father II she would consent to become his queen
It was but a matter OF weeks. possibly Of days
till his force would be strong enough to back his
arrogant demands. In the end the white man
knew that the island beauty had fallen In love
with him. She pleaded with him to stay and help
her escape from the clutches Of the oppressor.
1t is possible that Thompson would have lin
gered for a time il his companions had not been
eager to get away from the island before the civil
war began. They were traders and as such they
did not care to take sides in the dispute. II
might hurt their business chances In case they
ever made another trip to the island. The anchor
was lifted. the brown sails spread and the ugly
little schooner slipped out Of the harbor Of Nal
keva while Thompson stood on her deck and
waved a farewell to the imperious little island
beauty. At the very last she had reminded him
OF his promise to return to Naikeva.
1t was weeks after the departure OF the ship
from Naikeva that Thompson was dramatically
reminded Of his promise to the Princess Laka-
nita. The sun had just set one night and Thomp-
son was lying on deck smoking and watching the
swift tropic dark come up out of the east. ma
tive canoe scraped against the schooner's side
and a native was heard calling for the white
man with the blue eyes," He was brought aboard
and proved to be the faithful messenger Of the
distressed princess. He had followed the schoon-
er across leagues OF unknown seas in his open
canoe searching for the only man upon whom she
could rely for aid
The end was at hand in Nakeya and Laka-
nia and her father were about to be put to death.
Help must come quickly and it was more than
possible that II was now too late. That night the
stanch little trading vessel pointed her PROV
toward Naikeva. In the final melee along the
sands the old king and his rival were both slain
and Thompson was stunned by blow from a
war club In the hands of a savage fighting man.
When he revived he and his men began a hunt
of determination for all the revolters They were
wiped out and their villages fired before the party
returned to the kings village where the schooner
lay anchored. Then the white hero was stricken
by one Of the malignant island fevers. brought
on by his injury the beach.
1t was many days before he was able to rec
ognize his freetrading companions. The princess
had been his devoted nurse through his danger
Gus attack Of tropical fever. Now that he was about
to leave the island forever she grew sorrowful
and !stless. She dropped like a dying flower as
the ships preparations for sailing were being
made. All his promises to return brought on fits
of passionate weeping on the part Of the little
princess. She wanted him to stay
Il fought that fever when It tried to take You
away from me. and II was all fer nothing" was
her constant reply. land now that you are well
the white men arc taking you away where Iaka
nita can never hope to see you again."
In the end her pleading. won. After all there
was nothing in the outer world to which he cared
to go back.
The good news spread quickly over the little
kingdom. The Child Of the Sun" was to wed
their princess and rule them in the wise ways Of
the white man.
After twenty-five years Of idyllIc happiness
Thompson. the iove-lorn youth who fed from
the covert jeers of the town Of his birth, died
king In farof Naikeva. The princess still lives
and his two sons will reign in his place The
silence of twenty-five years has been broken by
the news OF his passing away surrounded to tho
last b. his dusky retainers.