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Honolulu a modern； electric…lighted city at a time when it
straggled； unkempt and sand…tormented； over a barren reef of
uplifted coral rock。 So he bought land。 He bought land from
merchants who needed ready cash； from impecunious natives； from
riotous traders' sons； from widows and orphans and the lepers
deported to Molokai； and； somehow； as the years went by； the pieces
of land he had bought proved to be needed for warehouses； or coffee
buildings； or hotels。 He leased； and rented； sold and bought； and
resold again。
But there were other things as well。 He put his confidence and his
money into Parkinson； the renegade captain whom nobody would trust。
And Parkinson sailed away on mysterious voyages in the little Vega。
Parkinson was taken care of until he died； and years afterward
Honolulu was astonished when the news leaked out that the Drake and
Acorn guano islands had been sold to the British Phosphate Trust for
three…quarters of a million。 Then there were the fat； lush days of
King Kalakaua； when Ah Chun paid three hundred thousand dollars for
the opium licence。 If he paid a third of a million for the drug
monopoly； the investment was nevertheless a good one； for the
dividends bought him the Kalalau Plantation； which； in turn； paid
him thirty per cent for seventeen years and was ultimately sold by
him for a million and a half。
It was under the Kamehamehas； long before； that he had served his
own country as Chinese Consula position that was not altogether
unlucrative； and it was under Kamehameha IV that he changed his
citizenship； becoming an Hawaiian subject in order to marry Stella
Allendale； herself a subject of the brown…skinned king； though more
of Anglo…Saxon blood ran in her veins than of Polynesian。 In fact；
the random breeds in her were so attenuated that they were valued at
eighths and sixteenths。 In the latter proportions was the blood of
her great…grandmother； Paahaothe Princess Paahao； for she came of
the royal line。 Stella Allendale's great…grandfather had been a
Captain Blunt； an English adventurer who took service under
Kamehameha I and was made a tabu chief himself。 Her grandfather had
been a New Bedford whaling captain； while through her own father had
been introduced a remote blend of Italian and Portuguese which had
been grafted upon his own English stock。 Legally a Hawaiian； Ah
Chun's spouse was more of any one of three other nationalities。
And into this conglomerate of the races； Ah Chun introduced the
Mongolian mixture。 Thus； his children by Mrs。 Ah Chun were one
thirty…second Polynesian； one…sixteenth Italian； one sixteenth
Portuguese； one…half Chinese； and eleven thirty…seconds English and
American。 It might well be that Ah Chun would have refrained from
matrimony could he have foreseen the wonderful family that was to
spring from this union。 It was wonderful in many ways。 First；
there was its size。 There were fifteen sons and daughters； mostly
daughters。 The sons had come first； three of them； and then had
followed； in unswerving sequence； a round dozen of girls。 The blend
of the race was excellent。 Not alone fruitful did it prove； for the
progeny； without exception； was healthy and without blemish。 But
the most amazing thing about the family was its beauty。 All the
girls were beautifuldelicately； ethereally beautiful。 Mamma Ah
Chun's rotund lines seemed to modify papa Ah Chun's lean angles； so
that the daughters were willowy without being lathy； round…muscled
without being chubby。 In every feature of every face were haunting
reminiscences of Asia； all manipulated over and disguised by Old
England； New England； and South of Europe。 No observer； without
information； would have guessed； the heavy Chinese strain in their
veins； nor could any observer； after being informed； fail to note
immediately the Chinese traces。
As beauties； the Ah Chun girls were something new。 Nothing like
them had been seen before。 They resembled nothing so much as they
resembled one another； and yet each girl was sharply individual。
There was no mistaking one for another。 On the other hand； Maud；
who was blue…eyed and yellow…haired； would remind one instantly of
Henrietta； an olive brunette with large； languishing dark eyes and
hair that was blue…black。 The hint of resemblance that ran through
them all； reconciling every differentiation； was Ah Chun's
contribution。 He had furnished the groundwork upon which had been
traced the blended patterns of the races。 He had furnished the
slim…boned Chinese frame； upon which had been builded the delicacies
and subtleties of Saxon； Latin； and Polynesian flesh。
Mrs。 Ah Chun had ideas of her own to which Ah Chun gave credence；
though never permitting them expression when they conflicted with
his own philosophic calm。 She had been used all her life to living
in European fashion。 Very well。 Ah Chun gave her a European
mansion。 Later； as his sons and daughters grew able to advise； he
built a bungalow； a spacious； rambling affair； as unpretentious as
it was magnificent。 Also； as time went by； there arose a mountain
house on Tantalus； to which the family could flee when the 〃sick
wind〃 blew from the south。 And at Waikiki he built a beach
residence on an extensive site so well chosen that later on； when
the United States government condemned it for fortification
purposes； an immense sum accompanied the condemnation。 In all his
houses were billiard and smoking rooms and guest rooms galore； for
Ah Chun's wonderful progeny was given to lavish entertainment。 The
furnishing was extravagantly simple。 Kings' ransoms were expended
without displaythanks to the educated tastes of the progeny。
Ah Chun had been liberal in the matter of education。 〃Never mind
expense；〃 he had argued in the old days with Parkinson when that
slack mariner could see no reason for making the Vega seaworthy；
〃you sail the schooner； I pay the bills。〃 And so with his sons and
daughters。 It had been for them to get the education and never mind
the expense。 Harold； the eldest…born； had gone to Harvard and
Oxford； Albert and Charles had gone through Yale in the same
classes。 And the daughters； from the eldest down； had undergone
their preparation at Mills Seminary in California and passed on to
Vassar； Wellesley； or Bryn Mawr。 Several； having so desired； had
had the finishing touches put on in Europe。 And from all the world
Ah Chun's sons and daughters returned to him to suggest and advise
in the garnishment of the chaste magnificence of his residences。 Ah
Chun himself preferred the voluptuous glitter of Oriental display；
but he was a philosopher； and he clearly saw that his children's
tastes were correct according to Western standards。
Of course； his children were not known as the Ah Chun children。 As
he had evolved from a coolie labourer to a multi…millionaire； so had
his name evolved。 Mamma Ah Chun had spelled it A'Chun； but her
wiser offspring had elided the apostrophe and spelled it Achun。 Ah
Chun did not object。 The spelling of his name interfered no whit
with his comfort nor his philosophic calm。 Besides； he was not
proud。 But when his children arose to the height of a starched
shirt； a stiff collar； and a frock coat； they did interfere with his
comfort and calm。 Ah Chun would have none of it。 He preferred the
loose…flowing robes of China； and neither could they cajole nor
bully him into making the change。 They tried both courses； and in
the latter one failed especially disastrously。 They had not been to
America for nothing。 They had learned the virtues of the boycott as
employed by organized labour； and he； their father； Chun Ah Chun；
they boycotted in his own house； Mamma Achun aiding and abetting。
But Ah Chun himself； while unversed in Western culture； was
thoroughly conversant with Western labour conditions。 An extensive
employer of labour himself； he knew how to cope with its tactics。
Promptly he imposed a lockout on his rebellious progeny and erring
spouse。 He discharged his scores of servants； locked up his
stables； closed his houses； and went to live in the Royal Hawaiian
Hotel； in which enterprise he happened to be the heaviest
stockholder。 The family fluttered distractedly on visits about with
friends； while Ah Chun calmly managed his many affairs； smoked his
long pipe with the tiny silver bowl； and pondered the problem of his
wonderful progeny。
This problem did not disturb his calm。 He knew in his philosopher's
soul that when it was ripe he would solve it。 In the meantime he
enforced the lesson that complacent as he might be； he was
nevertheless the absolute dictator of the Achun destinies。 The
family held out for a week； then returned； along with Ah Chun and
the many servants； to occupy the bungalow once more