Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1920-12-22
When the Ship
Sailed
BY H. LOUIS RAYBoLD

her face buried in her hands, her
shoulders shaking convulsiyely. Above
and about her the soft Hawaiian
night spread Its beauty, but Marian
had 20 eyes for the velvet-starred sky,
no ears for the droning chant Of the
Pacific beating on the reef beyond the
harbor. Rather, the loneliness Of the
surroundings accumulated her grief,
her loneliness,
THE last evening we might have
spent together, Jim" she murmured
brokeniy, and you did not Gomez
For on the morrow the girl. obeylng
her uncle and guardians decree-and
whoever disobeyed even wish of
Henry C. Winthrop, millionaire sugar
planter and important citizen of Homo
lulu was to leave with her aunt on
the Esonia for prolonged trip in the
States.
Marian, resentful, already homesick
In anticipation, knew that her uneles
chief reason for banishing her was to
break up the friendship between his
niece and James Elliot Calendar.
The sound of heavy footsteps
startled the girl. Jim? No, that was
not Jim's step. She had dared give
way to her tears, thinking the lateness
of the hour rendered interruption IN
likely. 1t proved TO be her uncle,
whom she had supposed asleep long
ago.
Up the sep he came. broad, mas
sive man, with a half-smoked cigar
gripped tightly between his teeth. For
a moment he regarded his niece. not
unkindly and yet without sympathy,
MS she stood up making futile dabs
with her handkerchief at her wet eyes.
Should he tell her or not? 1t would
certainly be better for her to leave
hating that confounded Calendar in
stead of fancying she was heartbroken
over him.
The sooner she got over her infatua-
tion the sooner would she prove amen
able TO his plans-pans eminently
well calculated to advance her inter-
ests-and his.
Resolutely he fiicked the ash from
his cigar and laid his hand on the
girls shoulder. MY dear" he said
without preamble. Just where do you
suppose your precious Jim is wasting
his timer"
He paused as the girl raised
startled eyes of inquiry, then contin-
ued: Il had occasion today to ride
out to the Wailoa ditch. On my way
I passed Calendar with one of Sans
pretty half-caste daughters putting
wreaths about his neck !" With a
gentle pressure of his hand. Winthrop
passed into the house.
Marian's first thought was that her
uncle, whom she knew to be be-
lever in the principle that any means
justifies a good end, had cooked UP
the story as final weapon against
Jim. For well she knew her uncle was
bent upon a match between her and
the son of W. Laurens. owner of the
Oahu pineapple plantations Such a
marriage would effectively unite the
business interests of the islands two
greatest corporations.
anu NtN-JttI tidu uut NofIlt 10 shy
good-by. His absence in itself was al
most confederation of her uncle's
story. With a heavy heart, the girl
entered the house.
Meanwhile Jim, all too well aware
of the bewilderment his absence must
be causing the girl he loved, sat flow
er-crowned among a group of dancing,
chanting ukulele-playing Hawaifans.
And with fierce hatred he hated his
stolid. phlegmatic. half Chinese, part
native, part white, all heather host,
who had steadfastly refused all day
to give his answer
Yet Jim smiled and bowed and fffrt-
ed with the girls, knowing in his heart.
that only by possessing his soul in pa
thence could he gain his ends. And
just about the time that Marian was
falling into troubled sleep wherein
she dreamed of faithless men, Jim had
his reward.
"Sure ting, Mist CaIlen'-I buy
Tousan' dolla' down. Fixee up lest
bime by"
The following morning the Esonia's
smokestacks were fiinging their signals
of departure into the smiling Hawaiian
sky. Ropes of flowers stretched from
the crowded dock to the decks where
the passengers gorgeously wreathed
with leis of brilliant flowers, smiled
and waved farewells to those left be-
hind.
Among them. standing silent, SOM
ber-eyed. one slender girl waited I'M
smiling. But her glance wandered.
searching continually the people on
the dock. Nor did they brighten as
they fell upon the complacent figure
of her uncle. whose very attitude In
dicated satisfaction at a deed well
done.
And indeed he had cause to pat
himself approvingiy on the back. In
two minutes more the vast Pacific
would begin to stretch between his
rebellious niece and the man Of her