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Susie Maydwell's friendships。
〃Hapa…haole；〃 was the answer； 〃he was a half…caste； you know； and we
of the Islands have to think about our children。〃
Dorothy turned to her father； resolved to put it to the test。
〃Papa； if Steve ever comes to the United States； mayn't he come and
see us some time？〃
〃Who？ Steve？〃
〃Yes； Stephen Knightyou know him。 You said good…bye to him not
five minutes ago。 Mayn't he； if he happens to be in the United
States some time； come and see us？〃
〃Certainly not；〃 Jeremy Sambrooke answered shortly。 〃Stephen Knight
is a hapa…haole and you know what that means。〃
〃Oh；〃 Dorothy said faintly； while she felt a numb despair creep into
her heart。
Steve was not a hapa…haoleshe knew that； but she did not know that
a quarter…strain of tropic sunshine streamed in his veins； and she
knew that that was sufficient to put him outside the marriage pale。
It was a strange world。 There was the Honourable A。 S。 Cleghorn；
who had married a dusky princess of the Kamehameha blood； yet men
considered it an honour to know him； and the most exclusive women of
the ultra…exclusive 〃Missionary Crowd〃 were to be seen at his
afternoon teas。 And there was Steve。 No one had disapproved of his
teaching her to ride a surf…board； nor of his leading her by the
hand through the perilous places of the crater of Kilauea。 He could
have dinner with her and her father； dance with her； and be a member
of the entertainment committee； but because there was tropic
sunshine in his veins he could not marry her。
And he didn't show it。 One had to be told to know。 And he was so
good…looking。 The picture of him limned itself on her inner vision；
and before she was aware she was pleasuring in the memory of the
grace of his magnificent body； of his splendid shoulders； of the
power in him that tossed her lightly on a horse； bore her safely
through the thundering breakers； or towed her at the end of an
alpenstock up the stern lava crest of the House of the Sun。 There
was something subtler and mysterious that she remembered； and that
she was even then just beginning to understandthe aura of the male
creature that is man； all man； masculine man。 She came to herself
with a shock of shame at the thoughts she had been thinking。 Her
cheeks were dyed with the hot blood which quickly receded and left
them pale at the thought that she would never see him again。 The
stem of the transport was already out in the stream； and the
promenade deck was passing abreast of the end of the dock。
〃There's Steve now；〃 her father said。 〃Wave good…bye to him；
Dorothy。〃
Steve was looking up at her with eager eyes； and he saw in her face
what he had not seen before。 By the rush of gladness into his own
face she knew that he knew。 The air was throbbing with the song …
My love to you。
My love be with you till we meet again。
There was no need for speech to tell their story。 About her；
passengers were flinging their garlands to their friends on the
dock。 Steve held up his hands and his eyes pleaded。 She slipped
her own garland over her head； but it had become entangled in the
string of Oriental pearls that Mervin； an elderly sugar king； had
placed around her neck when he drove her and her father down to the
steamer。
She fought with the pearls that clung to the flowers。 The transport
was moving steadily on。 Steve was already beneath her。 This was
the moment。 The next moment and he would be past。 She sobbed； and
Jeremy Sambrooke glanced at her inquiringly。
〃Dorothy！〃 he cried sharply。
She deliberately snapped the string； and； amid a shower of pearls；
the flowers fell to the waiting lover。 She gazed at him until the
tears blinded her and she buried her face on the shoulder of Jeremy
Sambrooke； who forgot his beloved statistics in wonderment at girl
babies that insisted on growing up。 The crowd sang on； the song
growing fainter in the distance； but still melting with the sensuous
love…languor of Hawaii； the words biting into her heart like acid
because of their untruth。
Aloha oe； Aloha oe； e ke onaona no ho ika lipo；
A fond embrace； ahoi ae au； until we meet again。
CHUN AH CHUN
There was nothing striking in the appearance of Chun Ah Chun。 He
was rather undersized； as Chinese go； and the Chinese narrow
shoulders and spareness of flesh were his。 The average tourist；
casually glimpsing him on the streets of Honolulu； would have
concluded that he was a good…natured little Chinese； probably the
proprietor of a prosperous laundry or tailorshop。 In so far as good
nature and prosperity went； the judgment would be correct； though
beneath the mark； for Ah Chun was as good…natured as he was
prosperous； and of the latter no man knew a tithe the tale。 It was
well known that he was enormously wealthy； but in his case
〃enormous〃 was merely the symbol for the unknown。
Ah Chun had shrewd little eyes； black and beady and so very little
that they were like gimlet…holes。 But they were wide apart； and
they sheltered under a forehead that was patently the forehead of a
thinker。 For Ah Chun had his problems； and had had them all his
life。 Not that he ever worried over them。 He was essentially a
philosopher； and whether as coolie； or multi…millionaire and master
of many men； his poise of soul was the same。 He lived always in the
high equanimity of spiritual repose； undeterred by good fortune；
unruffled by ill fortune。 All things went well with him； whether
they were blows from the overseer in the cane field or a slump in
the price of sugar when he owned those cane fields himself。 Thus；
from the steadfast rock of his sure content he mastered problems
such as are given to few men to consider； much less to a Chinese
peasant。
He was precisely thata Chinese peasant； born to labour in the
fields all his days like a beast； but fated to escape from the
fields like the prince in a fairy tale。 Ah Chun did not remember
his father； a small farmer in a district not far from Canton； nor
did he remember much of his mother； who had died when he was six。
But he did remember his respected uncle； Ah Kow； for him had he
served as a slave from his sixth year to his twenty…fourth。 It was
then that he escaped by contracting himself as a coolie to labour
for three years on the sugar plantations of Hawaii for fifty cents a
day。
Ah Chun was observant。 He perceived little details that not one man
in a thousand ever noticed。 Three years he worked in the field； at
the end of which time he knew more about cane…growing than the
overseers or even the superintendent； while the superintendent would
have been astounded at the knowledge the weazened little coolie
possessed of the reduction processes in the mill。 But Ah Chun did
not study only sugar processes。 He studied to find out how men came
to be owners of sugar mills and plantations。 One judgment he
achieved early； namely； that men did not become rich from the labour
of their own hands。 He knew； for he had laboured for a score of
years himself。 The men who grew rich did so from the labour of the
hands of others。 That man was richest who had the greatest number
of his fellow creatures toiling for him。
So； when his term of contract was up； Ah Chun invested his savings
in a small importing store； going into partnership with one； Ah
Yung。 The firm ultimately became the great one of 〃Ah Chun and Ah
Yung；〃 which handled anything from India silks and ginseng to guano
islands and blackbird brigs。 In the meantime； Ah Chun hired out as
cook。 He was a good cook； and in three years he was the highest…
paid chef in Honolulu。 His career was assured； and he was a fool to
abandon it； as Dantin； his employer； told him； but Ah Chun knew his
own mind best； and for knowing it was called a triple…fool and given
a present of fifty dollars over and above the wages due him。
The firm of Ah Chun and Ah Yung was prospering。 There was no need
for Ah Chun longer to be a cook。 There were boom times in Hawaii。
Sugar was being extensively planted； and labour was needed。 Ah Chun
saw the chance； and went into the labour…importing business。 He
brought thousands of Cantonese coolies into Hawaii； and his wealth
began to grow。 He made investments。 His beady black eyes saw
bargains where other men saw bankruptcy。 He bought a fish…pond for
a song； which later paid five hundred per cent and was the opening
wedge by which he monopolized the fish market of Honolulu。 He did
not talk for publication； nor figure in politics； nor play at
revolutions； but he forecast events more clearly and farther ahead
than did the men who engineered them。 In his mind's eye he saw
Honolulu a modern； electric…lighted city at a time when it
straggled； unk