Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-07-20

she answered bravely, Ms heart stop
ped short. then raced on. bursting al
control. n was long before | could bt
calm as she.
lyon have helped II very long
said at last quietly But now must
know. Would ron love me anywhere
In any circumstances. In spite Of ALL
| I lore you because you are You. not
because son nre here. Imust be loved
in the same way always.
She looked at me now silently. and
leaned and kissed her fun on the
mouth.
She did not rebel nr draw sway. bui
there was that on her face. I say,
which left me only reserpnf Her hand
fell Into mine. We sat there piighted,
pllshieti In our rags and misery and
want and solitude. Though shonId
live fwire the allotted span Of IMAM.
never should forget what came into
my soul that hour.
After a time turned from her and
from the bills and from the sky apd
looked about us 1T the poor belongings
with which we were 10 begin our
world. All at once my eye fell uppn
one Of orr lighter robes. now fairly
white with much working. drew It
toward me. and with her still leaning
against my shoulder took Lp char
rrd stick. and so laboriousIy wrote
upon the surface OF the hide these
words of our covenant;
Il. John Cowles take thee. Ellen
Meriwether. to be my lawful welded
wife, In sickness and In health. for bet
ter or for worse. TIN death do US part"
And signed 1t and made seal after
my name.
write" said to her: write as /
have written"
She took fresh brand blackencd at
the end and In lesser characters wrote
slowly letter by letter:
5 Il. Ellen Merlwether. take thee. John
.Cowles. to be Inyslawful. welded hns-
band'-- She paused. but Z would not
urge her. and it was moments before
sheresumed-"in sickness and in health.
for better or for worse Again she
paused. thinking. thinking and so con-
cluded, "tilI death do Us part
ut means" she said to NE simply as
a child "until we have both gone back
into the flowers and TIE trees"
took her hand in mine. Mayhap
book and bell and organ peal and yes
tured choir and high ceremony of the
church may be more solemn. but |.
who speak the truth from this very
knowledge. think 1t could not be.
when you have sigped that. Ellen. :.
i said to her at last. I've two are man
and wife. now and forever. here and
any place in the world. That is a bind
ing ceremony. and it endows you with
your share Of all my property. small or
large. as that muy be. 1T Is a legal
wedding. and it holds sus with all the
powers the law can have. It is a con-
tract
"Do not talk to me Of contracts" she
said, Il am thinking Of nothing but
wedding
Still mystical. still enigma. still wo-
man. she would have It that the stars.
the mountains witnesses and not
ourselves, made the wedding. left 1t
so, sure OF nothing so much as that.
whatever her way of thought might be.
1t was better than my own.
But If do not sign this?' she ask
ed at length.
Then we are not married
She sighed and laid down the pen.
"Then shall. not sign it--yet." she
said
caught up her hand as though
would write for her.
NO" she said; ,..it shall be only our
engagement. our, troth between US.
This will be our way. / have not yet
been sufficiently wooed. John Cowlesr'
/ looked into her eyes and it seemed
to me l saw there something Of the
same light had seen when she was
the masked coquette of the army ball
the yearning. the melancholy. the
mysticism. the challenge. the invita-
ton and the doubling ali. who shall
say what there is in woman's eye!
But / saw also what had been In her
eyes each time + had seen her since
that hour. left it so, knowing that
her way would be best.
when we have escaped" she went
on, If ever we do escape, then this
will still be our troth. will it not. John
Yes, and our marriage when you
have signed. now or any other time"
But if you had ever signed words
like these with any other woman. then