A Hawaiian Expedient [pp. 10-18]

Overland Monthly
family plate, ancestors by Sir Peter Lely,
and so forth. She is very conventional,
and she married a wealthy New York man.
She is now MIrs. J. Oakley Van Huysten."
"Oh my!" said Kukulani, with the
utmost calm. "All that? Well, we must
show them that Honolulu is not a howling
wilderness, eh?"
"Yes," said Mrs. Sterling. "The
drawbacks of life in the tropics shall not
appear. I'11 represent housekeeping in
roseate hues. I won't let them know that
we have no caterers and have to do our
own decorating. If I draw on my imagi nation just a little, you know,- eh?"
Kukulani's musical laugh interrupted
her.
"I'm rather sorry I asked them," re sumned Mrs. Sterling thoughtfully, after a
moment. "They won't understand my
picnicking Waikiki life:; they will think
I live in a manner little above the Irish
peasant with his chickens and pigs wander ing in to meals. Eating outdoors no
dining-room, no parlor! 0, Kukulani,
they will go home and say that I have
deteriorated! Why did n't I think before
I asked them? 0, this awful habit of
hospitality that I have contracted in the
Islands!" Mrs. Sterling groaned. "Kukulani!" she exclaimed, "lend me your
house for to-night! My carriage is going
for the Van iHunystens, and I can give
orders to drive them here, instead of to my
own house. You and Joe are going out to
dinner. So lend me the whole place, servants, dining-room, parlor, all- "
" Why, of course," said Kukulani tranquilly, "and the chocolate cake, too."
"0, you dear, you have saved my life! "
cried -Mrs. Sterling with a sigh of utter
relief.
"Nonsense!" rejoined Kukulani. "Is
it not our boast that we are as one big
family here in Hawaii and always ready
to help each other when we are in pilitkcia?l
You would do the same for me, eh? We
are true Icamaainas,2 that's all. Now
what are you going to have for dinner?"
Together they planned the menu. Kukulani made some delicious mayonnaise
dressing. Then she went down town in
her carriage, and came back with alligator-pears, delicious fresh mullet, taro
and bananas to bake, and a lot of good
1 Trouble. 2 Children of the Islands.
things besides. She had stopped at a
friend's house and gathered a mass of the
gorgeous, crimson Ponsiana Regia, to
decorate the table. Its tropical splendor
could not fail to impress even the pam pered Van Huystens. So thought Mrs.
Sterling, as she gazed with pride at the
dainty table, and around the big cool
dining-room, with its carved high-backed
chairs, its massive sideboard laden with
cut glass and silver, and its softly-shaded
lights, and then out through the blind doors opening to the broad veranda, hung
with gay Japanese lanterns and luxurious
with divans, hammocks, and easy chairs,
long-leafed ferns, spreading palms and
thickly-climbing vines giving a cool touch
of green here and there.
Yes, she was glad that she had borrowed
Kukulani's house. As she heard carriage
wheels approaching, she went out on the
veranda, and no doubt her sense of per feet content lent additional warmth to her
greeting.
The Van Huystens proved most satisfactory guests. They were enthusiastic
over everything,- the climate, the picturesque cocoanut-trees, the luxuriant foliage,
the awe-inspiring view from the Pali, to
the summit of which they had been driven
during the afternoon, the grace of the
native women, and last, but not least, Waikiki. They were delighted with alligatorpears, and they liked taro. But in spite of
their appreciative remarks, she felt thankful- as the perfection of manner and
dress of these faultless, swell-looking New
Yorkers once more became apparent to
her-that she had provided a con,ventional setting for them. She beamed at
them and looked her prettiest in her thin,
gauzy white gown, with one big flame-color
tropical blossom, nodding on her shoulder.
"Tulu," she said, without turning, to
the figure behind her chair, "give Mr.
Van Huysten another piece of taro. It's
so nice of you to think taro good, Mr.
Van Huysten. We can't count on
strangers liking it. Tulu! Tulu!"
Then she turned and beheld the irreproachable Negano, buttoned to the chin
in his spotless, white suit, his impassive
demeanor unruffled. Always alert at the
mention of his own name, he was oblivious
ait other times, and above all stolid at any
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