The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-11-18

themselves at the left of the ROOM,
petty officers, tars, bull-pushers and
policemen stood at the back, and ] was
placed in the raised docket to the
right.
Young mon" rumbled the chair
man, having got order with his gavel,
"ye stand accused of monsaughter
upon the high seas. How We onny-
thing to remar-rk?'
No" ! said. The proceedings did
not interest me. | could only think of
Peters.
The chairman put on his glasses,
took up the log-book, and in a droning,
burning voice began reading the ac.
count that | had written of the pedi.
gree, birth, education and character.
istics of one w. Peters. 1t made me
shudder then, that fiippant nonsense
| had penned of him who lay so far
from wind and stars!
A great sob rose in my throat.
choked it back and, turning in my
chair, desperately concentrated my at
tention upon the mural decoration on
the wall that backed the dais. see
that painting now as though it were
before my eyes the white-draped he'll
melted female enthroned above the
chairman's head, one bTick-red hand
containing cotton, the other clasped
about a trident; the reclining figures
of a mermaid and a plump and placid
lady robed in red, with the horn oil
plenty in her lap, at either side; the
muscular brown men, nude save fol
leather aprons, holding hammers mo
tionless aloft above an anvil; the fe
male figures at a loom; the mother
with a babe at breast and child at
either knee; the father with a skin
the color of an old suitcase, grubbinu
at the margin with stone-age hoe
the litter of symbolic shields and
ships propellers and bales of cotton
and various cog-wheels.
You know the sort of painting; the
kind of mural decoration that they put
in all the city halls and libraries and
courthouses and boards of trade on
earth. Art by the foot, in reds and
blues and browns, washed over with d
fog of diluted white; something raweI
than an onion and funnier than Punch
It was no tribute to the painter that
looked upon his work with eyes that
burned with scalding tears
do not know how long l had beer
gazing when my attention was dis
tracted by a connection among tbs
cattlemen and sailors near the door
As | turned ! saw the first mate anC
the captain leap to their feet witt
startled EXPLANATIONS. Some one hal
come in. From my elevated position
saw at once that it was some one
who lowered almost full head above
the men who crowded eagerly abou
him; some one with a, bland, easy-go
/ ing smile; some one whom | wished t
see Just then, as | have never wishe,
to see another mortal on this earth.
"Peters!" | beloved, jumping from
my chair.
He gave me a jaunty wave with hi
left hand; a score of men were shak
ing madly at the right But Their,
was one who thought my hand de
served some shaking too Jerry, thu
Other murderer, came running dow
| the room and wrung it though no les
heartily, l hope, than l wrung his.
Meanwhile the chairman was bang
! ing on his desk and calling for order
wv. Peters," he said devoutly, whel
the hubbub had subsidized, 'ye may &c
doom on yer knees and thenk the leey
ing God We arn't drooned!"
Mr. Chairman!" cried the captain
evidently irritated at the comfortable
turn that things were taking, 'thi
man signed my vessels articles.
wish to prosecute him for desertion."
And l." said Peters, quite unruffed
wish to lay a charge of criminal neg
ligence against the captain. Will,
suffering from seasickness caused b,
the disgusting odors and food aboar,
his ship | slipped and fell overheard
The captain was on the bridge at tn
time, but didn't pay the least atten
ton to my cries. | was, therefore
obliged to abandon a brand-new pair 0