PERSONALLY CONDUCTED.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12615, 18 November 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

PERSONALLY CONDUCTED.

If blue eyes saw blue and brown eyes saw brown, thin, God help the poor black-eyed felley treading in the dar-rk!" said Mickey O'Rourke, laying aside a hard felt hat and putting on liis uniform cap. Ho settled hi9 jacket snugly about him* and peered into the mirror against the forward bulkhead of Light Vessel Number 188'a cabin. "Thank Hivin I am once more, a chief engineer and do not havo to keep me f aee clean, like a passenger !"

Nielson, the mate, took his pipe from his lips to inquire : "Where'd you spend your leave this time, Mickey?"

"Personally conducting a lady through tho myst'ries of tho wickedness of a wor-rld of which — the saints be praised ! — she knows nothing — a mission'ry girl she was, staring at the heathen through blue eyes and wondering at their manners . whin, afther all, 'twas her own eyes she looked through." He sat down and glanced at tho log-book tho assistant put beforo him.- "And I have tould the truth widout favor and — I dunno." Mickey glanced round at as with an unusual., almost extraordinary, diffidence of expression.

"Have ye gone and mixed up in other people's affairs again?" the captain demanded.

. "I have," Mickey confessed with a sigh, "I that have lied for forty years to ' keep me silf-rispiet have gone and tould the truth — to a woman!"

"About yourself?" Nielson asked, interestedly.

"About all of us !" the chief engineer burst out. "I will explain, that yez may share me shame and know that yez are found out.

"Whin I got ashore, with aches in me bones as yez all know, I wint to the docthor and I remar-rks : " 'Docthor, I am sick.' " 'Say no more,' says he. 'I know what ails yez. 'Tis the oil yez have licked off your lips and the coal yez have swallov/ed wid your meals. Are ye_ an engine that yez must use Governmint stores on yoursilf? Go ahd keep away from the machinery for six weeks.'

"So I gave him mo blessing and de-par-rted for San Francisco on the Elder and bought me passage to Honolulu on the schooner Helene, and after carefully discovering that she had no engines nor anny engineer. And in the afternoon of the nixt day I joined the other four passengers on the quarterdeck whiles the tug towed us from our berth and headed us for sea. 'Twas a fine blowy day, and before we were out of tho Golden Gate the wind took us and the tug left us, and I wint below to me little room and put on an ould cap and prepared to »pind sixteen days widout the sound of engines in mo ears. Whin I camo on deck two of the passengers were left alone,- the other two having to. think of .their sins. Of the two I saw in the lee of the spanker one was a young man wil his cap on one side of his head and his hands in his pockets. The other was a woman. She was, maybe, twentyfive years old. The eyes of her were blue and her hair was the color of leaves in autumn — full of gold and shadows. She looked at me \rid severity and I knew that me sins had found mo out. So I went by her and spoke to the youngster.

"Widin a quar-rter of an hour we had •exchanged boasts as to our splindid past and glorious . futures. His namo was Tom A|)Wt*^.Jiis business was to enjoy "»h{msilf between, jobs, and lie had in him the makings of a hydraulic engineer, .having ; been to ' school.

" 'I'm going to Honolulu to' look over this .situation. They need me there,' says mo bright sprig. v

"I a«n going to Honolulu' because I am not needed annywhere,' I responds; and so we got acquainted". And whin we werefri'nds Tom says to me: " 'W»ho is tho haughty beauty by the rail?' .; "'I know iverything about her excipt the' name,' says I. 'She has blue eyes and fair hair — and scbr-rns us both. ■Tis enough. She is above us.'

"At that momint the ould man comes across and remar-rks.: 'Yez must all get inthroduced.' And wid that ho hauls me. bould Tom be. the aa'-rm and makes him' acquainted to tho gir-rl, whose namo is Sutherland — Miss Elizabeth Sutherland. ,Tl{in Tom inthroduces me and I lear-rn that she is from Nebraska arid is a mis'uo'n'ry to the heathen in the Sandwich Islands.

"For twelve days I sit on the^bitts and watch the developmiht of affiction and coolness between thim. First, me bould Tommy^tates wid conviction that he has a job in Honolulu. I hear Miss. Sutherland assert wid loftiness that her station is on the Island ,of Maui. Nixt day Tommy is sure that his job is oh Maui too; and he drags out a char-rt to _prove it to be a long name.

"Secondly, roe bright hydraulic engineer finds out that his aunt was a Presbyterian like her, though he admits wid shame that he was raised a Methodist. Miss Elizabeth says she has a fri'ndwho goes to the Methodist chur-rch. and Misther Abbott displays signs of hating this fri'nd until a wor-rd makes it plain that it is a gir-rl fri'nd she thinks of.

"Thin me bould Tommy discovers tho virtues of the main deck, where there isn't a crowd of three .people, and the two of thim walk back and for-rth tinder the shadows of the sails ; and the skipper keeps his temper wid difficulty, because there is no fun in three-handed whist and Misther Abbott has forgotten how to play car-rds. "Tis poor business sailing a schooner wid one passenger sick in his room and two in love,' growls the ould man. 'And 'tis conthrary to discipline to play wid me first mate.' "'Were yez never young,- misther?' " 'Niver,' says he. 'I had to wor-rk totf har-rd, and I could not speak the languVtge of women.' "Thin let thim be,' says I. 'For the young Jelley is lear-rning and in his old ago he will be the better for it.' "So we fat thim be; and at the ind of tho twelfth night I sat on the main hatch, in the shadow of the pumps, and saw me bould bhoy and the gir-rl troad•ing the deck slowly and confissing that, afther all,, life is a puzzle to know what to do. ' 'Tis the top stop on the stile of love,' thinks I. 'I will see him help her over.'

"But sho would none of it. 'I have my wor-rk to do,' she tould him, brush- ' ing the hair back and staring out into tho sky. 'I must devote me talints to conver-rting tho godless natives of Hawaii.' " 'And whin yez have conver-rted thim will yez abandon thim V demands me bright engineer, stopping her and thrying to look into her eyes. " 'What do yez mean?" says sho softly.

"And he tould her; and in tho telling me mind slipped away into the past; and before I knew it I was back on the afther bitts, thrying to forgit that iver I hear-rd the softness of a gir-rls voice in the dark.

: ,i- -r." ::y- : -~" ' ~' r ' AA^Kty^"^ " "The nixt morning mr- beauteous Miss Sutherland took her breakfast in bed and did not appear on deck till the afternoon. And me bould Tom, in disperation, borrowed paint and brushes and decorated the pump wid green and white, growling terribly to himsilf. For company's sake, 1 bossed tho job ; and I perceived that the poor felley was in despair, for at each dab wid his brush he peered from "the cor-rner of his eyes to see whether the mission'ry had not recovered and come on deck. Whin she did appear, pale and wid her hair tucked under a cap, he decided that the thing was d # one and shoved the paintpot into me hand widout apology. Yet she would have little of him and spoke to the captain. "Tliat evening, whin the stars were out, they walked again on the main deek, wid the war-rm breeze dropping out of the sails on thim. And by the voice of me lovely mission'ry I knew that she was in doubt.

"So it wint till one night we picked up the light on Koko Head and the ould man shortened sail so as to reach the pass in the daylight. Thin me bould Abbott .took Miss Sutherland "for the last time to the main deck and none of us dared go down, knowing that a man was pleading for his life. 'Twas not for us to overhear.

"Betimes in the mor-rning the Helene was moored to the wharf, we had been inspected be the docthor, and I found mesilf in Honolulu wid nothing to do. So I wint to hotel, thrust me valise into a hot room and depar-rted to injoy the sights. I saw thim and gained no wisdom. The nixt day I saw thim again and came back to me room the same fool that I winf out. The thir-rd day I wint forth, and once more was consoling mesilf wid scenery and strange smells whin I met Tommy Abbott. We wint in and had a drink. Over it he inforrmed me that he had a job. " 'Tis a fine position for a young man,' says he. 'I shall inake money.' ' '"Yez are in luck," says I. " 'I am miserable,' retur-rna me bould sprig. And he ordered another drink. * "There is little happiness for a young man in a barroom,' I remar-rks. "Tis odd that whin a man's hear-rt is sick he makes haste to spoil his stomach as well.' " 'Thin yez saw that I was much taken wid tho young woman?' ho demands. 44 4 Did yez expict mo to shut mesilf in me room and refuse to answer knocks on mo door ?' I retor-fts.

""Tis thrue,', he admits. 1 am not ashamed of it ; but she refuses me.' " "Tis none of me business,' I .re-mar-rks. 'But wliv?"

"So ho explained to me that Miss Sutherland was a good woman,* deter-rm-ined to conver-rt tho heathen and leaving home for that purpose, and cannot think of marri'ge.

" 'I am surprised at yez,' I tould him. 'Who are yez to" take away from the joyous native his chance of going, to Purgat'ry wid a fair show to get out be the prayers of good women? Aro yez not a white man and, therefore, in no need of salvation ? There are plinty of gir-rla besides mission'ries.'

"Thin the hear-rt of the bhoy came out for a momint.

"'I am not gobd enough for her,' he confisses. 'I know it. And she is afraid !' '.'"""• "'Does she love yez?' I demands. "'We'll discuss it" no more in a barrbom,' "says he. 'I will" tell yez* in the open air.' And wliin we were outs,ide and in the shade of an algaroba tree he admitted to me "that me bould woman had as much as infor-rmed him that she thought much of him. 'But she is afraid !' he repeats.

"So we considered it in silince till Tommy rimimbered that he must re-por-rt at his new office. He left me, still wid me mind on the . quistion. In me hand was a bit of paper wid an address on it.

"Afther all, in ould man is niver satisfied wid being ould and rispictable. Before I knew it, I was walking up to a door and asking for Miss Sutherland. She came and was surprised to see mo. 1* discer-rned that she had but lately shed tears. V

"I came to .safe whether yez' didn't wish to see some' of the sights of this beauteous city,' I irifor-rms her. 'I have been hero many times. I understand, that yez go soon to the other island, and 'twould be a pity not to see this one fir'rst.'

"1^ go to Maui to-morrow noon on the steamer,' says she. 'I .will go wid yez.'

"So I spent money on a hack wid a Chinese driver and -we wint out to Waikiki; but she would not swim, blushing for the indecent folks that were enjoying thimselves in the surf. So I directed the driver to inter the park, whero I showed her tho fish and tho flowers. And thin I tould me brave jehu to take 1 us up the Queen's Road. "As we drove along I remar-rked : "'I saw Misther Abbott. He has a fine job.' • "'I am very glad,' sho says gently. " 'But ho is unhappy,' says I. " 'I am veiy sorry to hear that,' says shn softly. " 'That yez are. glad is his doing,' I retor-rts. 'That yez are sorry is your own.'

" 'Tur-rn ' round and take me home,' sho says verv bold.

" 'Yez have no home anny more," I tells her. 'Do yez call a boar-rding houso home?'

" 'Yez are. impudent, Misther O'Rourke !' sho answers me.

" 'I am ould and therefore entitled to say what I think widout considering other people's feelings,' I tells her. 'And tho bhoy has niintioned to me that he is miserable.'

"'Why should lie be?' sho demands, looking at tho trees wid tremindous enthusiasm. 'Has he not a good position and is he not making monoy?'

" 'Would yez give up your mission'ry wor-rk for money?' I inquires.

" 'Niver !' says she. 'What is money compared to saving souls?'

"'Thin, by the same token, what is money compared to saving your own soul?' I remar-rks. 'And 'tis Tommy Abbott that is thrying to save his soul — and yez will not save it for him. Therefore he scor-rnß tho money.'

" 'Misther Abott has been instructed in tho truth,' she responds in a small voice. "Tis his own fault if he doesn't leave off his evil ways. But there are thousands who have niver known tho way to salvation. And 'tis my duty to help thim.'

"'lf 'twere /not for your saving the heathen, would yez" marry him?' I insists.

''The blue'-Aves of her mot mine, fo: half n momint.

'"I am surprised at yez,' Says she 'What' business is this of vours?'

"'Tommy is me fri'nd,' I rctor-ris. 'Am I to see a fri'nd go wretched widout thrying to save him?'

'''What did he toll ye/.?' she demands after a silence " 'That lie loved yez,' I tould her. " 'Och !' she sighed, and I saw tlie blushes creep up into her blowing hair — but she said nothing. " 'And he said more,' I wint on prisintly. " 'What?' says she softly. | " 'That ho was sure yez loved him,' I bouldly stated. "'I don't.' says she. 'Take me home !' "But I was stubborn. "'Why don't yez?' I inquires. "Sho sat wid her white hands clasped in her lap and I saw the misery rise into her eyes. At last she said : "Tm afraid!' " 'Of what?* I insists. "I will not tell all that she tould me, it being the wor-rds of a young woman in an ould man's ear; but I .saw that she was brave and ignorant. The wor-rld was dar-rk before her gir-rls eyes and she held in her hear-rt the terror that makes even poor devils like us cur-rs in the night. And at the ind I said :

" 'Thin it is not lu'm that frightens yez— b nt oth er th ings ?' "She nodded her head like a child. ] ""Tis the wickedness of the wor-rld,' she whispers. 'What if Tommy should go back to it?' " 'Has he iver been in it?' I inquires. " "Tis the way of men,' says she simply*; and I knew thereby that I spoke no longer to a gir-rl, but to a woman. "For the momint I was intending to speak fair wor-rds and tell the ould lies we all tell to the women in or-rder to savo our faces; but I did not. Instead, I kept me peace till our brave equipage sthruck up the hill by Kaimuki and the sea spread out before us. Thin I spoke.

'"Yez know nothing of men's wickedness. Yez are afraid of the dar-rk. Are vez brave to see the truth?'

"'And yez mean?' she whispered, staring at the ocean wid her clean eyes.

" 'I mean, will yez go wid me to-night and see the wickedness of men ? Thin yez will know the truth — the truth about tlii9 wor-rld of men,' says I. 'Yez are a. delicate gir-rl, knowing nothing but what yez have hear-rd. Are yez sthrong enough to go and see?'

"She sat by me side a long time before she answered, and I could see her slender hands wor-rking in her lap. And at the ind she tur-rned to me.

'"I will go with 3-011 and see, Misther O'Rourke," she answered. 'I • will go, because — I must be sure !'

"'Thin,' says I, 'I will take yez back to your boar-rding house and I will meet yez at the band concert in Emma | Square, which is but a block from j whero yez stay. Como widout hat or gloves, dressed in your gayest gown and wid a, scarf over your hair. Thin I will discover to yez the hear-rt of the wickedness yez have hear-rd of.' " 'Yez will see me safe?' she inquires timidly. ■ " 'I will seo yez safe,' I rotur-rns. " 'I will meet yez,' she answers me. "That evening I found her in the crowd, dressed "n a white gown, wid short sleeves, and a veil over her hair. Tho flush in her cheek tould mo her hear-rt bat wid excitement, but that she was not afraid. So, whin tho concer-rt was by, we walked down the street.

"Yez all know Honolulu and I will not describe to yez all that we saw ; but I took the gir-rl do-frn King street, amid •tl-fo' 'thr"6"ng*6f**all tiations; and she looked at the children playing in tho gutterand the women sitting on the doorsteps and the drunks yelling across tho street. Thin we camo toward Iwilei ; and there I steered .her down the little alleys, where the -painted women stared out wid death in . their eyes. I ,hear-rd her breath come fast and her hand was heavy on me ar-rm. She drew her veil over her f.ioo. "At the ind of half an hour she said : " 'Take me back. 'Tis too awful !' " "Tis the wor-rld,' I remar-rks. 'Praised bo the saints, yez shall safely see what manny look on to thejr destruction.' Then I guided her out and up town again.

"Afther that I took her into the cafes and made her sit at a little table and listen to the talk and watch the women wid their fine gowns and their bright eyes. She said nothing till a woman came into the place where we were and looked around aiyi saw a man, and wint to him and whisperod in his ear. Tlie man tur-rned on the woman and cnr-rsed her, and she fell into a chair weeping.

" 'Let her be,' I tould me bould mission'ry, who was for going and cora-for-rting the poor creature. "Tis a woman's par-rt to shed 'tears.' " 'But he swore at her !' moaned me companion. '"Tis the wor-rld's way in places lik-3 these,' I remar-rked. "So I fetched her into the bright street again. " 'Now let me go home,' says she. , "He wasn't there,' I reminds her. | •'We, still have a place to go.' I " 'I don't want to see him ever again I'i sho mour-rns.

"But I swept her away and across to a little street I know and stopped before a building all dar-rk and gloomy. Me companion drew back at the foot of tho Btairs.

"'I will not go farther,' says she. " 'I am your guardian,' I remar-rks 'Wo will go up.'

"At the top of the stairs a little gate opened in a big door, and I gave the pass wor-rd and the door opened. Thin another door beyond that swung aside; and I drew her into a big room filled wid light and noise. 'Twas Chow Sin's gambling house we Avere in, and all the rooms were crowded wid people thrying to be robbed. For a momint I stood still and let her take it all in. She lifted her veil an instant and thin let it fall, for there were manny women in the room intent on staking money against tho game. " 'What is they are doing?' demands Miss Sutherand, whispering in me ear.

" 'Gambling,' I answers her, and felt tho shudder against me ar-rm.

"Thin a Chinaman came up and 1 bought a drink for mesilf and a stack of chips, which I proceeded to lose whiles mo companion looked over me shoulder. Whin mo chips were all swept away I led her into another room, big as a hall, whero several hundred men and women sat or stood at the tables. And in the cor-rner of me eye I saw me bould Tommy, halfway down the biggest table, sitting there wid a big stack of chips in front of him — but I said nothing tp the gir-rl. "Slowly, and at great expinse, for it cost me tin dollars lost, I made our way among the crowd and down the table till wo stood just behind Tommy. I peered over his shoulder and saw tr.sf he had lost most of his pilo ; but he played on wid a smile on his face. Whiles I was peeking, tho woman nixt him looked ovei* wid har-rd sorrow in her eyes.

'"I am brolte !' »a.ys sht» wid a, poor . laugh. " 'I'll lind yez some,' says Tommy, pulling out a goldpiece and passing it to he/. "Thin me. brave mission'ry knew she had found him, and I hear-rd the little choke in her throat. I said nothing. Tommy staked the half of his pile and it wint tho way of the rist. "'I am unlucky,' says he. ' " 'Yez are lucky in love, thin,' speakß up the woman beside him., "I am not,' says Tommy, the smile fading from hi9 face. "Thin yez will win at List,' says the woman. "Across the table another man sat. staring at his few chips. I could see that he was gone — that the table had taken his last cent. He looked around and saw a woman sta'nding behind him. " 'Bless me last coin for me,' says he.

" 'Will yez go halves?' she demands. "'I will,' says tho nian. So ho held her finger on the coin while the wheel spun — and the man won. " "Tis a good scheme,' says Tommy, who had seen the play; and he looked round carelessly to catch sight of me companion. Her veil was down and he didn't know her — but he swung halfway round. 'Be me good luck !' says he, not glancing more at her. "To me amazement, Miss Sutherland pulled off a ring from her finger and hild out her hand and laid it on the stake. I coujd seo the trimble of it, but me bould Tommy was watching the wheel, and saw nothing. He won. And thin lie divided his pile 'and passed tlio half of it to her. \ "Some chips clinkeel on the floor and I stooped to pick them 1 up, whin I hear-rd j Tommy's voice again, "Here,' says he; 'do me the favor to .put your fair hand on my money, for it brings luck.' i

j "I felt cold in me spine at the wor-rds, ! but the gir-rl by mo side put out her hand and laid one finger on tlie pile of chips. And I caught wid me eye the glint of the ring on her finger. She had put it on again and lifted the veil. I looked at Tommy, but he was staring at the wheel and saw nothing. He won again, and as her hand drew back he saw the jewel. 'Twas a poor little jewel of a jade, but he jumped up wid a sudden groan, tur-rned round, and, before me bould mission'ry -could draw back in the crowd, he was facing her. " 'Beth !' says he m a whisper. 'What are yez doing here?'

"Nobody paid anny attintion to thim, as the play was going on ; and they stood there under the bright lights, while I kept silent. " 'What are yez doing here?' he demands. "She swallowed a little and thin said : " 'I came to bring yez luck.' " 1 must get you home right away,' says he. 'Come !' And he dragged her off. I folleyed, wid the chips in me hand. "Whin they were once more in the street he tur-rned on her.

"'How did yez get into that place?' ho demanded. 'What were yez doing in that gambling hell ?* ; ; "She shrank back at the wor-rd and I stepped forward. " 'I took her mesilf,' I said bouldly. "Ho stared at me and thin back at me brave mission'ry. I could seo in his eyos that he made nothing of it at all. " 'Ye brought me luck, ' all right!' says he bitterly and would have gone. I stopped him. v ■ " 'Would yez seo Miss Sutherland go home by hersilf?'! inquired. '

" 'I can get thero alone,' says she in a small voice, and I saw the quiver of her lips. 'I am much in your debt, Misther O'Rourke,' she tells me. 'I have seen what the wor-rld is like. Thank God ! I have seen it before I have done that which would liave spoiled my life.' " 'And what would that be which yez will not do now?' I demanded. " 'Marry the man the man I — I have loved,' she whispers. " 'Yez have seen the wor-rst,' I re-tur-rns. 'Is it the hhoy that needs ye or tlie heathen that can spare yez that yez will devote your life to?'

"She looked at me bould Tommy. J •nw the blue eyes of her dar-rk under the white street light. He stood there wid his white face and his hear-rt on his lips. My ears caught the sound of a I whisper : " 'Do yez need me, Tommy?' "'I want yez !' says he. 'And, by Hivins, I will have yez to be me wife ! Niver again shall yez see these things. I shall take yez away and ' keep ' ye safe.' " 'Thin,' Bhe whispers, 'take me. I am only a gir-rl and I cannot preach wid a broken hear-rt. Tommy, protict me !'

"'I will \protict yez!' he answers gently. And ho took her hand and they went away, leaving mo bould Mickey to stand alone in the middle of a dar-rk wor-rld.

"I dropped tho chips I still held in me hand, for there was no luck in them anny more. The woman's finger on the coin may bring yez money ; 'tis the little finger on the hear-rt of a man tliat brings him strength."