The Southern herald., 1915-01-22

II to the archaeological test. A man
without any visible symptoms may be
full Of the leprosy bacilli."
"Then you or /, for all we know" I
suggested, may be full of it now"
Kersdale shrugged his shoulders
and laughed.
"Who can say? 1t takes seven years
for it to incubate. If you have any
doubts go and see Doctor Hervey.
He'll just snip out a piece of your
skin and let you know in a jiffy."
Later on he introduced me to Doctor
Hervey, who loaded me down with
board Of health reports and pamphlets
on the subject, and took me out to
Kalfhi, the Honolulu receiving station,
where suspects were examined and
confirmed lepers were held for de-
portation to Molokai. These deporta-
tions occurred about once a month,
when, the last good-bys said, the
lepers were marched on board the lit
tie steamer, the Noeau, and carried
down to the settlement.
One afternoon, writing letters at the
club, Jack Kersdale dropped in on me.
Just the man want to see," was
his greeting I'll show you the saddest
aspect of the whole situation-the
lepers wailing as they depart for
Molokai. The Noeau will be taking
them on board in a few minutes. But
let me warn you not to let your feel
ings be narrowed. Real as their grief
is, they'd wall whole sight harder q
year hence If the board of health tried
to take them from Molokai. We've
just time for whisky and soda. I've
carriage outside. 1t won't take up
five minutes to get down to the wharf.
To the wharf we drove. Some forty
sad wretches, amid their mats, blank
cts and luggage Of various sorts, were
squatting on the stringer piece. The
Noeau had just arrived, and was max
ing fast to lighter that lay between
her and the wharf. A Mr.. McVeigh
the superintendent of the settlement
was overseeing the embarkation, and
to him was introduced, also to Doc
tor Georges, one of the board Of health
physicians whom had already met al
Kalihi. The lepers were woebegone
lot. But here and there l noticed fair
ly good-looking persons, with no ap
parent signs of the fell disease upon
them. One, / noticed, a little white
girl, not more than twelve, with blue
eyes and golden hair One cheek
however, showed the sign. On my re
marking upon the sadness Of her alien
situation among the brown-skinne6
afflicted ones, Doctor Georges replied:
"Oh, l don't know. It's a happy day
in her life. She comes from Kauai
Her father is a brute. And now that
she has developed the disease, she II
going to join her mother at the settle
ment. Her mother was sent dowI
there three years ago-a very baC
case"
"You can't always tell from appear
ances," Mr.. McVeigh explained. "Tha
man there, that big chap, who look
the pink of condition with nothing tn,
matter with him, l happen to know
has a mark on his foot and another OF
his shoulder blade. Then there ar
others-there, see that girls hand, tn
one who is smoking the cigarette
See her twisted fingers. That's tn
anesthetic form. 1t attacks -th
nerves. You could cut her fingers Of
with dull knife, or rub them of on
nutmeg crater and she would not ez
perience the slightest sensation"
Eyes, but that flne-looking woman
there" / persisted; surely, ther
can't be anything the matter with hel
She is too glorious and gorgeous al
together"
"A sad case," Mr.. McVeigh an
swered over his shoulder, alread