Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-11-14

c5ordon wondered secretly who Won
os and he speculated as to whether
rroe Won who two years previously
Iod her TO believe that nothing re-
oinod for her but matrimony.
what part of the United States is
.rr home" he asked-"Chicago or
Scanning or somewhere out there"
.No. Hawaii. was born there. 1t
a beautiful land. My, I'm almost
omasick for 1t already. Not that
sven't been away. l was in New
o,t when the crash came. But
N think it is the sweetest spot on
srth-Hawail, ! mean.
II might as well begin at the begin
lng" She lifted her head with
roud air of dismissing sadness after
,o manner of woman qualified to
oar Baden Powell and a long bar
elad Colts. II was born at Hilo.
sbat's on the island Of Hawaii, the big
,est and best in the group. l can't re-
bember when | first got on horse
.or when learned to swim. That
mo before my A B C's. Dad owned
attle ranches on Hawaii and Maui
blO ones for the islands. Hokuna had
bOOOOO acres alone. 1t extended In
between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.
Ia n was there | learned to shoot
koats and wild cattle.
4 avon had been in the army. ana dad
Vas an old seadog, and they were both
stern disclplinarians-only Von's girls
bad no mother. and neither had |, and
|hey were two men. after all. They
pOiled US terribly. You see. they
aidn't have any wives. and they made
Ehums out Of us-when our tasks were
Aone We had to learn to do every
hing about the house twice as well as
he native servants did it-that was so
hat we should know how to manage
some day.
more than once one or the 9th"
er of us had our rifles taken away
Tor week just because of a tiny
speck of rust We had to know how
10 build fires in the driving rain. too,
out Of wet wood when we camped out.
which was the hardest thing of all
except grammar, I do believe. We
learned more from dad and Won than
from the governesses; dad taught us
French and Won German. We learned
both languages passably well. and we
learned them wholly in the saddle or
in camp. When | was sixteen we three
girls were all sent up to California to
Mills seminary, which was quite fash
iOnable and sitting. How we used to
long for home! We didn't chum with
the other girls. who called US little
just because we came from
the Sandwich Islands and who made
lnvidious remarks about our ancestors
on Captain Cook-which
was historically untrue. and. besides.
our ancestors hadn't lived in Hawaii.
u was three years at Mills sem
mary, with trips home. of course, and
two years in New York. and then dad
went smash in sugar plantation on
Maui. Dad had nothing left, and
be decided to return to the sea. He'd
always loved it. and half believe that
be was glad things had happened as
they did. He was like a boy again
busy with plans and preparations from
noTning till night. he used to sit up
halt the night talking things over
With me- That was after had shown
nlm that was really resolved to go
along. We we're ready to start to Ia
nit. where lot OF repairs and reit-
ung for the Miele were necessary,
when poor dad came down sick and
lied
And you were left all aloneT
Joan nodded.
Very much alone. l had no broth
rs or sisters, and all dads people
we're drowned in a Kansas cloudburst.
IMt happened when he was a little
DOE or course l could go back to
'on. There's always a home there
waiting for me. But Why should go?
besides. there were dads plans. and I
.eI that II devolved upon me to carry
mem out II seemed a fine thing to
~ also | wanted to carry them out
And here I am.
Take my advice and never 90 to
anti II is a lovely place. and so
ie lle natives. but the white people,
vow Barabbas lived in Tahiti.
-lle'es' robbers and liars-that is
lat they are. The honest men
'Ouldn require the fingers Of one
anu 10 count. The fact that l was
woman only simplifed matters with
oeh- h- They robbed me on every pre-
~, and they led without pretext or
- ! Poor Mr. Ericsson was corrupt
u = De joined the robbers and o. KID
y ,neir demands. even I'D to a thou
= 80 Der cent II they robbed me Of
D. .lanes bis share was 8.
OF when the robbers fell to cheat
- eoe another I got my first clews
.-,t - state Of affairs. One Of the
-, -. robbers came to me after dark
- - 4-ets, figures and assertions. 1
- vas ruined II I went to law.
49, '---es were corrupt Ike every
\ se But did do one thing.
- - uead Of night went % Eric