The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-01-08

selves and her family knows what ha
become Of her. In fact, II you wer
to ask any man in Honolulu, he'd tel
you It was his impression that she va
somewhere in Europe. It was 1t he
request that we've been 20 quiet abou
It,"
But who u she?" asked. Certain
! ly. from the way you talk about her
she must be somebody"
| Did you ever hear Of Lucy Moku
nui?"
Lucy Mokunui?" / repeated, haunt
ed by some familiar association.
shook my head. 1T seems to mo W.
heard the name. but I've forgotten It.
Never heard OF Lucy Mokunui! Thu
Hawaiian nightingale! l beg pardon
OF course you are a malahini NEW
comer) and could not be expected Il
know. Well, Lucy Mokunui was the
best beloved of Honolulu-of all Ha
wall, for that matter"
You say was" / interrupted.
"And mean it. She is finished
He shrugged his shoulders pityingly
"A dozen haoles-I beg your pardon
white men-have lost their hearts tc
her at one time or another And I'm
not counting in the ruck. The dozen
/ refer to were haoles Of position and
prominence.
"She could have married the son OF
the chief justice if she'd wanted to-
You think she's beautiful, Ell? But
you should hear her sing. Finest ma.
tive woman singer in Hawaii Mel. Her
throat is pure silver and melted sun
shine. We adored her. She toured
America first with the Royal Hawaiian
band. After that she made two more
trips on her own account-concert
work"
"Oh!" / cried. 81 remember now
/ heard her two years ago at the Bos-
ton Symphony. So that is she. l rec
ognize her now"
l was oppressed by heavy sadness.
Life was a futile thing at best. A
short two years and this magnificent
creature at the summit of her magnifi-
cent success was one of the leper
squad awaiting deportation to Molokai.
I recoiled from my own future. II
this awful fate fell to Lucy Mokunui
what might not my lot be-or any
body's lot? l was thoroughly aware
that in life we are in the midst of
death-but to be in the midst OF a
living death, to die and not be dead,
to be one Of that draft Of creatures
that once were men, aye, and women,
like Lucy Mokunui, the epitome of all
Polynesian charms, an artist as well,
and well beloved of men
/ am afraid / must have betrayed
my pertur baton, for DR.. Georges has
very happy down in the settlement.
1t was all too inconceivably mon
strous. could not bear to look at
her. A short distance away, behind a
stretched rope guarded by a police
man, were the lepers' relatives and
friends. They were not allowed to
come near. There we're no last en-
braces, no kisses of farewell. They |
called back and forth to one another
last messages, last words of love,
last reiterated instructions And those
behind the rope looked with terrible
intensity. It was the last time they
would behold the faces of their loved
ones, for they were the living dead,
being carted away In the funeral ship
10 the graveyard of Molokai.
Doctor Georges gave the command,
and the unhappy wretches dragged
themselves to their feet and under
heir burdens Of luggage began to
'tagger across the lighter and aboard
he steamer. 1t was the funeral pro-
session. At once the wailing started
rom those behind the rope. 1t was
Hood curdling; it was heartrending. l
lever heard such woe, and hope
lever to again. Kersdale and Nc
leigh were still at the other end of
be wharf, talking earnestly; politics,
course, for both we're head over 9
cells In that particular game. When 8
ucy Mokunui passed me, l stole
as beautiful by our standards, az q
ell-one of those rare blossoms that 8
ccur but once in generations. And 8
le, Of all women, was doomed to Mo- t
kai. She walked like queen, across I
le lighter, straight on board, and aft Il
! the open deck where the lepers t.
lddled by the rail, waiting, now, to G.
cir dear ones on shore. tt
The lines were cast OF, and the b
oeau began to move away from the 81
1arf. The wailing increased. Such al
ief and despair! l was Just resolv- nj
8 that never again would l be a te
tness to the sailing of the Noeau, 81
len Mcveigh and Kersdale returned in
10 latter's eyes were sparkling, and "
, lips could not quite hide the smile
delight that was his. Evidently the sa
litics they had talked had been sat tn
actory. The rope had been flung CO
de, And the lamenting relatives now ez
'ssed the stringer piece on either TO
Q of US. sn
That's her mother" Dr.. Georges an
indicating an old woman no
It to me, who was rocking back and
tn and gazing at the steamer rail ha