The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-02-18

shot-dad, mean, though Won was
splendid too"
Sheldon wondered secretly who Won
was, and be speculated as to whether
1t was Won who two years previously
had led her to believe that nothing re-
manned for her but matrimony.
what part of the United States is
your home,n be asked-"Chicago or
Wyoming or somewhere out there?"
NO: Hawaii. was born there. It
Is a beautiful land. Ny. I'm almost
homesick for it already. Not that
haven't been away. was in New
York when the crash came. But
do think it IS the sweetest spot on
earth-Hawaii, / mean.
II might as well begin at the begin
ming" She lifted her head with
proud air OF Diminishing sadness after
the manner of a woman qualified to
wear Baden-Poweil and long bar
relied Colts. II was born at Hilo.
, That's on the island of Hawaii, the big.
gest and best in the group. can't re-
member when | first got on horse
nor when ! learned TO swim. That
came before my 4 B C's. Dad owned
cattle ranches on Hawaii and Maui
big ones for the islands Hokuna had
100000 acres alone. 1t extended in
between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.
and 1t was there / learned to shoot
goats and wild cattle.
lyon had been in the army. and dad
was an old seadog. and they were both
stern disciplinarians-only Yon's girls
had no mother. and neither had ], and
they were two men, after all. They
spoiled US terribly. You see, they
didn't have any wives, and they made
chums out OF us-when our tasks were
done. We had to learn to do every
thing about the house twice as well as
the native servants did it--that was so
that we should know how to manage
some day.
More than once one or the 9TH
err of US had our rifles taken away
for a week just because OF tiny
speek of rust. We had to know how
TO build fires in the driving rain. too,
out of wet wood when we camped out,
which was the hardest thing Of all
except grammar. ] 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
ionabe and sitting. How we used to
long for home. We didn't chunn with
the other girls. who called US little
cannibals, Just because we came from
the Sandwich Islands and who made
invidious remarks about our ancestors
hanquetinG on Captain Cook-which
was historically untrue. and, besides.
our ancestors hadn't lived IN Hawaii.
Il 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
he decided to return to the sea. He'd
always loved it. and I half believe that
he was glad things had happened as
they did. He was like a boy again
busy with plans and preparations from
morning till night. He used to sit up
half the night talking things over
with me. That was after had shown
him thar / was really resolved to go
along. We were ready to start to Ia
hiti. where lot of repairs and reit-
ting for the Miele were necessary.
when poor dad came down sick and
died"
And you were left all alone?'
Joan nodded.
Every much alone. had no broth
ers or sisters, and all dads people
were drowned in Kansas cloudburst.
That happened when he was a little
boy. OF course / could go back to
Won. There's always home there
waiting for me. But why should | go?
Besides. there were dads plans. and /
felt that it deyolved upon me to carry
them out. 1t seemed fine thing TO
do; also wanted TO carry them out.
And here am.
TAKE my advice and never go to
Tahiti. IL is a lovely place, and so
are the natives. but the white people!
Now. Barabbas lived in Tahiti.
Thieves, robbers and liars-that is
what they are. The honest men
wouldn't require the fingers of one
hand to count. The fact that | was
a woman only silnpIifed matters with
them. They robbed me on every pre-
text, and they lied without pretext or
need. Poor Mr.. Ericsson, was corrupt
ed. He Joined the robbers and O. K.'d
all their demands. even upSto a thou
sand per cent. If they robbed me OF
10 francs his share was 3.
But when the robbers fell to cheat
ing one another got my first cie~s
to the state of affairs. One Of the
robbed robbers came to me after dark
with facts, figures aud assertions. /
knew l was ruined if | went to law.
The judges were corrupt like every
thing else. But / did do one thing.
In the dead of night / went to Erie
sons house. | had the same revolver
/ I've got now, and ] made him stay In
bed while oEerhauled things Nine
teen hundred and odd francs was
what / carried away with me. He
never complained to the police.