VAITI OF THE ISLANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13650, 18 January 1908, Page 3 (Supplement)

VAITI OF THE ISLANDS.

BY BEATRICE GRIMSHAW. .... • t ALIi EIGHTS RESERVED. SECOND SERIES. TV. THE TALE OF THE PEARL PIRATES. " There's a sail on the starboard bow, said the missionary. He was a fat, elderly man of a pale "longshore" complexion, and he wore a black suit and white 'tie, though the latitude was just five degrees south of the line. Nevertheless, the RevIsaac Grubb was a bit of a sailor, and he had the sailor's eye for distances. "So there is," said, the mate, fetching a glass, and taking a..good look, "Trading schooner, I reckon. Wont pass within three miles of us on that tack." The mission schooner Glory was what is known to the islands as a "kerosene steamer"— is, she owned a fifty - horse power engine run by benzoline. It was going full speed ahead now, sending an excited pitter-patter, pitter-patter, across the empty seas, and forging the vessel along at something like four knots an hour.

"Might change our . course a bit, and sec if she lias any papers. . She's from Auckland, I'll bo bound," said the mate, who was- thirsting for news—and other things. It was his first trip on a minion ship, and lie. had livid time, to develop a cordial hate of the very sight of a teapotspout, since leaving port- some weeks before.

"I do not feel the want of news," said the Reverend Isaac, a little primly. "And I don't care for the company on these trading vessels. I.hope the captain will consider my wishes, and keep on oar present course." "You bet," affirmed' that official, stepping out ,of the. little charthouse, and extending a hand for the glass. "Benzoline at ten shilling a case is too dear to. throw away payin' visits." The young mate, disappointed, vent down into the cabin. He had an idea that the passenger,might back him up'. Ihe Glory did not take passengers as a rule, being meant only for the conveyance of missionaries, their families, and their stores. . But at' sea, a few days back, they had encountered the British man-o'-war Caradoc, and the CVxradoc's commander bad been very urgent indeed about transferring a castaway they had picked up on an uninhabited island. The Glory was bouind for Auckland, and the Cawidoc was on a survey trip likely to last seme months.

In the course of a very few days the rescued castaway—who 'was no one less than the half-caste girl ■ Vaiti, sometime Queen of the Liali Islands, and for years notorious as one of the most daring and adventurous characters in the island world —had contrived to set half the ship's company by the ears, through her beauty and what the Irish doctor described as her "general divilment." A n-olonged trip with that young woman or. hoard was the very last thing that the tunmander desired, and the encounter with the mission ship seemed to him quite a special providence. Vaiti was handed over, therefore, and started on her way to Auckland, whore she intended to find out what had became of the sole piece of property she now retained in the world —the schooner Sybil, transferred to her possession by the recent death of her father.

She had been very quiet on this trip, but the mate had a shrewd idea that % change of company would not come amiss j ' to ' Vaiti, any more than to himself. { Therefore, he went down into the cabin,, and roused her out of a doze on. one of the lockers, by the announcement that a sail was in sight. The girl woke instantly, and was up the companion in a flash. Arrived on deck, she took one glance, at the oncoming sail, then twisted her loose native dress tight with a quick turn and knot, snatched the glass out of the captain's hand, and sprang into the rigging like a monkey, or a. sailor. She was up into the fore cross-trees before the missionary had time to do more than gasp at her unseemly behaviour ; and, with one arm hojked about a stay, began to examine the stranger vessel narrowly, "What do you think of her?'' hailed the captain, laughing at the girl's audacity. He had rather a weak spot for the island beauty, though the missionary persisted' in referring. to her as a "brand." Vaiti, for all reply, tore off her sash, and waved it in the wind like a pennant. " loratia, lorana Sipila," she cried balancing suicidally on the cross-trees. " Here, letup that nonsense, you'll break your silly neck," yelled the captain. Com© down out of that. What'd the say, Mr. Qrubb?" "She said 'Greeting to Sybil,"' said the missionary ( with rather a puzzled expression. •" heavens she did," said the captain, biting off an unmissionary exclamation with some difficulty. " She means her father's ship—the one she used to live in. Why, she and he used to paint the islands red in' that there' hooker. She's been in more sorts of trouble, has that schooner, than anything else in the islands with a keel on it. Who lias her, and what brings her here now, I'd like to know ?" • N • " That's what I say," «said the mate eagerly. " If we was to go and see what news she had from Auckland—" " Yes, we'll send a boat over,", said the captain. "And I'll take her myself," lie added, wiping the anticipatory smile off the mate's face as neatly as if he had done it with a sponge. Vaiti . had come down again hv this time as quickly as she went up, and was in her cabin putting on a clean frock. The missionary had kindly given her an outfit from the stores of garments they were carrying for a native - school, and Vaiti had altered the things to suit her own taste. ' It was a very smart figure ' that appeared on the deck while the boat was getting ready to start. A white ' muslin Mother Hubbard, adorned with a crimson silk cummerbund given her by the iufatuated captain, well set off her brilliant dark beauty. The silver hilt of her knife shone on her hi]), and in the splendid massed of. her curling hair, flowing unbound over her shoulders, floated a gay plume of blue and scarlet .feathers. "0, Jimini," cried the mate, staring at I the latter decoration, " she's bin and tookthe tail off my Fiji parrot." The bird itself, slinking shamefacedly found the corner-of. the. hatch, with niastL

of its splendid plumage rudely shorn, quaked in melancholy answer. The captain, who had not been trading in parrots, burst out laughing. "You won't get no fifteen shillings for that indecent objic' in Auckland or anywhere. Take it homo and cover it up," he counselled, staring admiringly at the dark face overshadowed by the vivid plume. Certainly, Vaiti knew what adornments suited her if she was unscrupulous in the means she took to obtain tliem.

With every stroke of the cars that took the boat nearer to the schooner Vaiti grew more excited, though she showed no emotion, after her custom. Certanly the Sybil was about the last tiling she had expected to . meet/ up here. The ship, which was Iving-to waiting their arrival, was in excellent order, every rope taut, sails new and white, pint fresh, brasswork winking in the huh. Two or three natives— Solomon Islanders, apparently— were standing about the decks, and three white men were leaning over the rail. ! Vaiti knew none of them. But when a j fourth figure came up the companion, and j crossed the deck with the unmistakable i brisk walk of the man who has served his King afloat, the girl's heart, stopped beating for as long as you might count two, and then began knocking hammerstrokes .against her side that made the silver hilt of the dagger in her sash quiver visibly in the sun. .She knew that face—that strong, clean-shaven, heavyjawed countenance, with its steely eyes, the small firm mouth, and the curious contradictory, deep dimple in the sunburnt cheek. She had seen it in dreams many a time, though in reality seldom— never nt all since that wild night in the cannibal islands, two years before, when she had saved the life and career of the man who stood looking at the oncoming boat over the rail. She would have married him, in those days, if he. had held up a linger. But" Lieutenant Tempest, of His Majesty's navy, excellently connected, and with a fine career before him, was not the man to offer an island girl any love save that which had nought to do with plain gold rings. Aye, and she had been near to answering his message, and following him to Sydney, ring or no ring. But a crown came between, and she had taken the crown.

Now the crown was gone, and the kingdom lost, and she was poor and friendless. And the well-born Tempest, of His Majesty's navywhat was he doing, in a trading schooner, out among the islands?

That he was in command was clear enough by the orders he gave, though there was no ■ frippery of ' gold bands or buttons about his plain white suit. One of the men, at his word of' command, superintended the getting out of the ladder, and set a kerosene case under the bulwarks for a step. Another disappeared down the companion, and shortly afterwards returned, and busied himself in the lazarette.

Tempest '.himself stood ready to receive the guests with a formality quite as ivnwmmon on trading schooners up the dazzling cleanliness, of- tin; decks • and the-neat Flemish, coiling of all the ropes ends. What she expected him to say or do Vaiti. hardly knew. Her strange ventures and misfortunes of ,the "last few months were known, to the, whole Pacific, and she was more or less of.a heroine to the island world, so it was 310 wonder that the 0116 white nun left unemployed nearly stared hie eyes out of his lie ad at her as she came up the side. But Tempest did not stare at ail. He merely took a good look at her; then lifted her across the bulwarks in his arms, and gave her a sounding kiss before he set her down

" iSo you've come back tome at last, my beauty?" ho said, calmly ignoring the gaping ship's company. Vaiti instantly boxed his ears, with a, force that, made him ..stagger, and said briefly (in effect) that she hoped to see his ultimate condemnation.first. She had come to find out what he was doing with, her ship, she added, and. she would also like to know what he wanted here at. all. Tempest, his .streaked . dark .red with the bruise that.would, blacken before long, laughed,' and replied . .courteously that bo would see to-, all. that, by and by, but she. must excuse him if he first, had a word with "the captain of the Glory, They went down into the . cabin all together, and the captain exchanged news with Tempest, giving him the latest information from the islands, and hearing all that was to be heard from Auckland.

"Yachting, sir?" asked the captain. He could not help feeling respectful towards this well-bred, well-dressed man, who had his ship in such excellent order. " No, trading,' answered Tempest. " I bought this ship from the executors of her late owner in Auckland. The Queen of Liali was supposed to have been drowned off the coast of Liali, in a gale, until the ship that picked her up sent a wireless to the new Marconi station to say they had her. Of course the executors will hand over the money to this lady as soon as she likes." " Beg pardon, sir," ventured the captain doubtfully, " but I thought' you was in" Tempest did not help him out. —"In the navy," completed the captain a little nervously. "Did you?" inquired Tempest, in a voice that invited no further questions. "I can't offer you anything to drink, captain; this is a temperance ship. Will you take some coffee?" Laden with a bundle of newspapers, and well-filled with luncheon of a quality unknown on board the Glory, the captain prepared to depart. ".Are you ready, ma'am?" he inquired. The three were alone in the cabin. Tempest answered for Vaiti. " She's not coming back," he' replied. "And see here, tell that parson of yours if he wants to make a five-pound note for hie confounded mission, he may come over with his. choker and his Prayer-book, for a wedding. Sharp's the word, captain; there's some weather coming." The captain opened his mouth like a frog, and stared, speechless. Vaiti opened hers to more purpose, though briefly. Whatever she might feel, 01* had felt, about Tempest, in her secret heart, she was the last woman in the world to take orders from him, or thought she was. Tempest laid his hand on her shoulder.

" You've got a nasty habit of using unladylike language, Vi," he observed. "You'd better drop that; I'm a pretty hard case, but I prefer to do all the swearing that's wanted myself. " Go 011, you sir; what do you want to hang about like that for, with the weather and the glass as they are?" Indeed, the fair day was darkening in an ugly manner, and the barometerhad the captain chanced to consult it that day, which he had not-—stood unpleasantly far down. As one hypnotised, the merchant seaman walked- out. • Tempest had not served the King for nothing all the best years of his life. Vaiti, her eyes sparkling with something that might have been rage, or might not, attempted to follow him. But Tempest, who Knew rather more about the ways of women than any one man has a right to know, read her like a book, and kept his hold. . She pulled the ever-ready knife out of its sheath, and set its needle-sharp point right upon the thick blue vein in his throat. Tempest laughed in her eyes, and kissed her across the blade. And the knife fell tinkling to the floor. When the boat got back to the Glory the sea was getting up, and the schooner was pitching fiercely. The captain gave Tempest's message, and added his own opinion that' the missionary had much better stay where he was. It was scarcelv safe to venture into the boat, now, and would be very unsafe, indeed, in half an hour. " Nevertheless I shall go,", .said the Rev. Isaac, buttoning his black coat round him. " The woman is a brand not plucked from the burning, and the man is a man of sin. I have heard too much about this fellow already—but if I do not marry them they will certainly go away unmarried, and the evil will be at my door." The captain thought it. very likely they would, but he thought it more important that he should get on. his course again, and endeavour to persuade the missionary against going. "It's as much as your life is worth—to say nothing of my boat." lie declared. But the Rev. Isaac* climbed down the ladder, more actively than his size would have led' one" to expect, and -dropped into the plunging whale boat-.- • • . <■ " It is my duty," he said shivering with .fright as he felt the fierce snatch of the sea, bat facias: determinedly towardß the Sybil

The native crow rowed him over in capital time, despite the weather. They were wild with excitement, for they had heard what was going on, and they shouted island choruses all the way, except when a bucketful of salt, spray smacked into _the face of a singer and choked him. When they reached the ship the three white men were standing at : the ladder, and the rigging was decked out with flag?. A roll of red bunting was laid down on the deck as a carpeting, and the saloon was bright with half the content* of the signal locker. At the far end of the table Stood Vaiti, in her white dress.' her face m fixed and inscrutable as a iigure-head, and Tempest, his tine teeth showing in. a cheerful sailor grin. "Shove ahead, parson." lie commanded. "I want to get on deck and see to the ship." , the ceremony was a brief one. and shorn, of all unnecessary formalities. but it was as good in law a* words and witnesses and a correctly drawn up certificate could make it.

Two of the vhito men stood at the- door, and signed their names sifter the bride and bridegroom, after all was ovvr. When it came to the ring Tempest took Vaiti's hand in his own, removed the broad gold baud and Hie ruby guard that she had worn as Queen Consort- of Liali, and tossed them through the port. She was married for the second time—and for the first, time to the man whom she cared for —with Tempest's own seal ring.

Throughout, the brief ceremony the little cabin rocked and pitched so that the wedding party could scarcely keep their feet, and the wind shouted wickedly in the rigging overhead. The signatures wore scarce affixed when the bridegroom, tossing a bank-note to the missionarv, dropped his bride's hand, and made a. bolt for the deck, where his voice ji» another moment filled -the air with loud commands. The two white men were after him at once, and bundled the parson down the side with small ceremony. " Poor devil, he was yellow with flight," observed the man who seemed to be acting as mate. as. he obeyed Tempest's, hail on to the poop. _ "He's a confounded good plucked one; if you had been as half afraid of anything as he . was of getting drowned coming over, you'd never have done it. Look alive, man, T don't want, to see the masts ripped out of her." In another ktlf-hour the Sybil and the Glory were almost out of sight of one another, in the height* and hollows of a tempest-beaten sea, and Vaiti swaying on her feet like a poppy on it-s stem", as sho balanced herself -upon the narrow floor of her own old cabin, felt that (ho old life had begun again—-the old life, gilded with a. new radiance that until then, her stormy, solitary, soul had never known. (To be continued on Saturday next.) PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.