The Omaha morning bee., 1924-11-11
|, THE KING
BY WAYLAND WELLS WILLIAMS.
Copyright. 1s24.)

In another relation, but Kit forbore
without difficulty. She was a some
what faded Blossom of thirty-five
an age at which South Sea womer
do not retain much allure. Kakaiwia
laughed heartlessly at the comedy
Kit chided him. Did he not hold the
woman and her children in the sacred
trust of Lord Chancellor?
Aitaki had from the first favored
Kit with a multitude of suggestions
He was a foolish, useless, botherins
man, without half the initiative OF
capacity of his son, but Kit coult
not but listen to some of his pleas
In the old days under German rule
his had been a prominent and power
full position on the island, quite over
shadowing that of the king. He had
kept church and kept school, and tht
Resident had seen to it that the peo
pie went. That had changed with
the Germans departure; school was
completely dead. and the only hint
Kit had received of religion was an
occasional sound of hymn singing
Aboriginal superstition had reariser
in their place; there were grave
watchings and witch rites and stories
of vampire-like apparitions; all mos
deplorable.
He revived both institutions prompt
ly. School was rather a gay affair
it took place after breakfast, in the
cool of the morning, and was attend
ed by any one who cared to go be
tween the ages of one and one hun
dred. The scholars were separated
according to sex and read from small
filthy paper bound Bibles and read
ers in. Gilbertese, chiefly in concert
They had number work. incredibly
sketchy. on a screeching blackboard.
Kit at one session saw Aitaki add
seven and eight as fourteen, fifteen
and seventeen. and was inclined to
sympathize with the pupils attitude
toward the mans teaching qualifica
tions When he could give the time
he took over the session himself, and
then there was more attention and
vigor.
On Sundays the same crowd gath
cred in the same place for divine
worship. The islanders decked them
selves out in all the finery they had,
though it was neither much nor fine.
The women wore holokus if they had
them, no matter how ragged and
filthy, and invariably hats. Aitaki
was formal. not to say ritualistie,
on that point. After one horrified
glance at the first congregation Kit
announced that hereafter flower
wreaths would be deemed sufficient
covering, and Aitaki subsequently
gave him n hot hour of protest. 1t
was all like this: all form, no matter.
The congregation yawned and slept
voluptuously: babies screamed; girls
Uttered; boys rough.housed. Kit did
his best to infuse a spark of life into
the ceremonies; as soon as he got SUI
ficient control of the language he
preached sermons. lie coached him.
self diligently in a Gilbertese Bible
and worked hard to make valid to his
people some few principles of Chris
tian ethics, giving theology and dog
ma a wide berth. At first the people,
impressed, attended scrupulously
then as the novelty wore off they
would succumb, and the exercises be.
came duels between Nuei and Nor
pheus. When he saw any one drop off
Kit would drop his argument, point
and yell; the offenders neighbors,
shouting with laughter, would poke
him awake. and soon he was laugh
ing as loudly and merrily as the rest.
"Shut up. now" the king-priest
would order wearily. Don't laugh in
church. ] won't have laughing in
church; Tedo Kirito hates that. Well:
Blessed are the pure in heart J
His voice labored on; the dim raft
ers brooded; the motley crowd stified
their yawns and furtively stretched
their agonized muscles. Fans Topped
in the breathless heat; flies buzzed.
through the open sides of the build.
ing drifted the inextinguishable whis-
per of surf.
1--WE have with us today" Kit not
ed. 1.-The Archbishop Of Titipu.'
Once he took the trouble to write
down list of the offices comprising
that Of the king They were:
Commander-in-ehief,
Presiding Officer of the Council,
Lord Chancellor,
Chief Justice,
Attorney General,
Minister of Health,
Minister of Public Works,
Minister of Education,
Archbishop.
A Pooh Bah in the flesh And the
Joke of It was that his exercises OF
these offices was not merely nominal;
he had actually performed their func-
tions. Imperfectly. no doubt, and on
a tiny scale. but he had performed
them.
This was in August. He had not
stopped to reflect before. but the fact
was that the Thing To Be Done was.
in a measure. done. The hopes and
oaths of his accession were being full
filed and redeemed. The inevitable
happened: he began to feel pleased
with himself
".
ooh. Godw he prayed. Don't let
me get stuck up over this! Just be
cause these people do what l say,
Connehodx Is ALWAYS Takir