Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1915-01-01

pected. But somehow she had con-
tracted the disease. 1t broke US all
up. assure you. We've kept it out of
the papers, though. Nobody but our.
selves and her family knows what has
become Of her. In fact, If you were
to ask any man in Honolulu, he'd tell
you 1t was his impression that she was
somewhere In Europe. 1t was at her
request that we've been so quiet about
It,"
But who is 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. l
shook my head. 1T seems to me I've
heard the name, but I've forgotten it."
Never heard Of Lucy Mokunui! The
Hawaiian nightingale! beg pardon.
OF course you are a malahini new
comer) and could not be expected to
know. Well, Lucy Mokunui was the
best beloved of Honolulu-of all Ha-
wall, for that matter"
"You say 'was,'" interrupted.
"And l mean it. She is finished"
He shrugged his shoulders pityingly.
"a dozen haoles-I beg your pardon,
white men-have lost their hearts to
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, eh? But
you should hear her sing. Finest ma
tive woman singer in Hawaii Mel. Her
throat is pure silver and melted sum
shine. We adored her. She toured
America first with the Royal Hawaiian
band. After that she made two more
trips on her own ACCOMPLISHMENT
work"
"Oh!" I cried. 81 remember now.
l heard her two years ago at the Bos
ton Symphony. So that is she. l rec
ognize her now"
was oppressed by a 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.
recoiled from my own future. If
this awful fate fell to Lucy Mokunui
what might not my lot be-or any,
body's lot? 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 mon, aye, and women,
like Lucy Mokunul, the epitome of all
Polynesian charms, an artist as we'll,
and we'll beloved of men
am afraid l must have betrayed
my perturbation, for DR.. Georges has
tened to assure me that they were
very happy down in the settlement.
1t was all too inconceivably mon
strous. 1 could not bear to look at
her. A short distance away, behind a
stretched rope guarded by police
man, were the lepers' relatives and
friends. They were not allowed to
come near. There were 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. 1t 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
to the graveyard of Molokai.
Doctor Georges gave the command,
and the unhappy wretches dragged
themselves to their feet and under
their burdens of luggage began to
stagger across the lighter and aboard
the steamer. 1t was the funeral pro-
cession. At once the wailing started
from those behind the rope. 1t was
blood curdling; it was heartrending. 1
never heard such woe, and hope
never to again. Kersdale and Nc
Weigh were still at the other end Of
the wharf, talking earnestly; politics,
of course, for both were head over
heels in that particular game. When
Lucy Mokunui passed me, l stole q
look at her. She was beautiful. She
was beautiful by our standards, as
well-one of those rare blossoms that
occur but once in generations. And
she, Of all women, was doomed to Mo.
lokai. She walked like queen, across
the lighter, straight on board, and aft
on the open deck where the lepers
huddled by the rail, wailing, now, to
their dear ones on sh0re
The lines were cast of, and the
Noeau began to move away from the
wharf. The wailing increased. Such
grief and despair! was just resolv-
ing that never again would I be a
witness to the sailing of the Noeau,
when McVeigh and Kersdale returned
The latter's eyes were sparkling, and
his lips could not quite hide the smile
Of delight that was his. Evidently the
politics they had talked had been sat-
isfactory. The rope had been flung