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

er by custom OF the ages OF property
owning man
saw a horror come across her eyes.
What do ycu say to me. John
Cowles? That what a woman prizes
! is not right. is not good: No. that |
shall not Think" She drew apart from
me.
Because you think just as you do.
! love you.'' said
yet yon say so many things. ] have
/ taken life as 1t came. just as other girls
\ do. not thinking 1t Is not nice. II Is
not clean. that girls should study over
these things That Is not right"
"No: that Is not right said duly.
'Then tell me what Is marriage. that
one thing n girl dreams Of all her life
Is II Of the church,"
Ell IS not OF the church ] said.
Then It Is the law"
'Tt IS not the law" said
Then what Is IT." she asked. John
Cowles. tell me what makes n wedding
between two who really and truly love?
Can marriage be Of but twoT'
YES" said I.
But there must be Witnesses. there
must he ceremony. else there is no mar
rage" she went on. Her woman's
brain chung to the safe. sane groove
which alone can guide progress and
civilization and society-fhat great.
cruel. kind. imperative compromise OF
marriage without which all the adj
yancement OF the world would be as
naught. I loved her for IL. But for
me. say had gone savage. was at
the beginning Of all this, whereas it re-
NAMED with her as she had left it.
Witnesses said. Look at thosew
l pointed to the mountains. Marriages.
many Of them, have been made with no
better witnesses than Those"
My heart stopped when saw how
far she had jumped to her next speech.
.Then we two are all the people left
in the world. John Cowles?. When ]
am old will you cast me or? When
another woman comes into this valley,
when am bent and old and cannot
see. will you cast me of and. being
stronger than l am. Will you so and
leave me?"
could not speak at FIRST. I'VE have
talked too much. " said to her present-
ly. But now it was she who would not
desist.
lyon see. with a woman 1t Is for
better. for worse. but with man
with a Saxon man. said. IF r.
also for better. for worse. 1t is one
woman"
She sat and thought for long time.
suppose she said. that no one ever
came
Now with swift remorse could see
that in her own courage she was feel
ing her. way. haltingly. slowly. toward
solution OF problems which most wo-
men take ready solved from others.
But. as thank God. tiImy yell. soft
ening. refining. always lay between her
and reality. In her intentness she laid
hold upon my arm, her two hands
clasping.
suppose two were here. man and
a woman. and he swere before those
eternal witnesses that he would not
60 away any time until she was dead
and laid away up in the trees. TO dry
away and blow OF into the air and go
back
Into the towers" added. choking.
"Yes. into the trees and the lowers
so that when she was dead and be was
dead and they we're both gone back
into the flowers. they would still know
each other forever and ever and never
be ashamed-would thar be a mar
rage before God. John Cowles?"
What had ! brought to this girls
creed OF life. heretofore always so
sweet and usual? did not answer.
She shook at my arm. TELL me-" she
said. but would not tell her.
Suppose they did not come she
said once more. at is true. they may
not find u.s. Suppose we two were to
live here alone all this winter. just as
we are now. none OF my people or
yours near us. Could we 20 on:"
God! Woman, have you no mercyr
She sat and pondered for yet time
as though seriously weighing some
question In her mind.
"But you have taught me to think.
John Cowies. II is you who have be
gun my thinking. so now must think
l know we cannot tell what may hap
-
pen. ask you. John CowIes. II we
were brought to that state which we
both know might happen-if we were
here all alone and no one came. and
If you loved me-ah. then would you
forever and forever to love me
till death did US part-tiIl was gone
back into the flowers: remember
what they say at weddings They
cling one to the other. forsaking all |
others. till death do them part. Could |
you promise me In that way? Could
you promise me. clean and solemn? /
Because would not promise you un-
less 1t was solemn and clean and un- /
less II was forever"