XXV
Mr. Bill hurried Tessie through the crowd and to his car. They boththought of the day, over a month ago, when Tessie had learned that shewas a queen, and Mr. Bill had taken her to Marvin, Phelps & Stokes. Andnow he was taking her to the lawyers' again. They smiled radiantly ateach other. How blue the sky was! How bright the sunshine!
"My word!" exclaimed Mr. Bill from the very depths of his honest heart."I'm glad I found you!"
"I'm glad, too," Tessie murmured shyly. "I made up my mind that I'd stayin the Evergreen basement until the special representative came and madethe Sons of Sunshine behave themselves. I'm sorry you were worried," shesaid apologetically. Indeed she was sorry that Mr. Bill had beenworried. The thought that Mr. Bill would worry about her sent a lump,that almost choked her, into her throat.
"Worried!" The word was inadequate to express what Mr. Bill hadsuffered. "Say," he said quickly, "when I heard you had been carried offI--I--Oh, hang it all!" The eager expression slipped from his face, andhe drew back. "I wish you weren't a queen," he muttered discontentedly.
"What were you going to say?" asked Tessie eagerly. "Never mind thequeen business. I want to hear what you were going to say."
Mr. Bill looked at her flushed little face and into her starry blueeyes, and he did not care a penny if she were a queen. She was thedearest, the sweetest, the loveliest girl in the world. She was Tessie!Tessie Gilfooly! He did not care a hang if she were also a queen. And hedid not care another hang if they were there by the curb with the nooncrowd moving up and down the sidewalk. He only remembered that Tessiewas there beside him, within reach of his hand, and that all night hehad been trying to find her, afraid for her. The words came in a greatrush. He could not have kept one of them back to save his life. Tessiedid not want him to keep them back--not one of them. Her ears werehungry to hear them all. She colored enchantingly.
"I'm crazy about you!" Mr. Bill said thickly. "And when you werekidnaped yesterday I nearly died! I would have died if you hadn't beenfound. I know I would! I never felt about a girl as I do about you. I--Idon't feel complete unless you are with me. Oh, darn it! I wish youweren't a queen!" He remembered what she was, and looked at herhelplessly, almost indignantly.
Tessie laughed softly, and the wild roses deepened in her cheeks. "Idon't!" she said firmly. "If I hadn't been a queen, you never, neverwould have seen me! You never did see me until that day, and all thetime I was crazy about you. The first day I went to the Evergreen wasthe first day you were there, and Mr. Walker took you around and showedyou everything. I thought you were the most wonderful man in the world!But you never looked at me! You never saw me until I was a queen! Ishould say I was glad that Uncle Pete died and sent Ka-kee-ta to findme!" she finished breathlessly.
"You darling! You honey-girl!" Mr. Bill fought valiantly the impulse totake her in his arms and kiss her and kiss her right in the face of themoving noon throng. "And you really do like me?" He wanted to hear hersay again that he was the most wonderful man in the world.
"I'm crazy about you!" Tessie repeated happily.
"My word!" He stared at her. "And I'm crazy about you! Can you believeit? I don't know how this is going to end," he said firmly, "but I knowthis much--I'm not going to give you up to any Sunshine Islands! Youbelong to me!" He held fast to what belonged to him and grinned.
"That's the wonderful part!" Tessie sighed with ecstasy, her heartbeating so fast that she could scarcely find breath to go on. "That Ibelong to you, and you belong to me! I--I can't make it seem true! It'sfar more amazing than that I'm a queen!"
The word reminded them that they were on the way to meet the queen'sspecial representative. They never would meet him if they remained infront of the Evergreen. Mr. Bill reluctantly touched a button, and theyshot forward just as a man, a _Gazette_ reporter, recognized Tessie. Heraised a cheer.
"Oh!" Tessie looked back and waved her hand before she turned herglowing face to Mr. Bill. "Can you believe it? Isn't this the mostwonderful world?"
Eventually they joined the others in Mr. Marvin's office. Not only wereJoe, Norah, Bert and Mr. Kingley seated around Mr. Marvin's desk, butthere was another man there, a big broad-shouldered man with a sunburnedface, and beside him stood Ka-kee-ta, and clutched tight in Ka-kee-ta'sright hand was the sleeve of Frederic Pracht. Mr. Pracht stood leaningagainst the wall, a cynical smile on his face.
As Tessie came in, all rosy apology, Ka-kee-ta gave a roar and rushedforward dragging Mr. Pracht with him, and whether he wanted to or not,Mr. Pracht had to make obeisance to the queen.
"Hang it all!" he muttered angrily. "Let me go!"
"Yes, Ka-kee-ta, let him go," ordered Mr. Marvin, as Tessie gave alittle shriek when she saw who had been forced to bend before her.
But it was not until James Pitts uttered a few curt words in an unknowntongue that Ka-kee-ta released his prisoner. Mr. Pracht stumbled to hisfeet and withdrew to a corner, where he stood brushing his clothes witha hand that would shake. He knew very well that it would not be wise forhim to take another step. He had gone as far as he could.
"Why, Ka-kee-ta!" Tessie patted her bodyguard on the shoulder. "Wherewere you? I was so worried about you? And how did you find Mr. Pracht?"
"I think I can tell you that better than Ka-kee-ta," said Mr. Pitts, andhe came forward to shake Tessie's little hand. "Glad to meet you," hesaid formally before he began his story. "I was on my way to Mr.Marvin's office yesterday when I met Ka-kee-ta in front of a candystore. I took him back to the Pioneer to ask him about things anddetained him so late that I persuaded him to sleep on the floor of myroom instead of returning to disturb you. He never would have left youfor a moment if he had known that the Sons of Sunshine had threatenedyou. As for Pracht, he came to see me this morning to try and make adeal for the islands. He was there when Ka-kee-ta came back to tell methat Miss Gilfooly had disappeared. We suspected that Pracht knewsomething about the kidnaping, and Ka-kee-ta grabbed him. As long as noharm has been done and you are safe, I would suggest that Pracht bereleased. He is only the tool of a man who is known in the islands asthe Shark. The Shark planned to make a fortune by selling the islands toJapan, and he organized the Sons of Sunshine to cause dissension amongthe people, and influence them to refuse to accept a white queen. Hesent Pracht here to oppose you, and to get the Tear of God, which meanseverything to the islanders. No one could expect to influence themunless he had the Tear of God. But the Sons of Sunshine turned againstthe Shark. He was killed in the fight which liberated me, and withouthim, Pracht is harmless. He did not know of the Shark's death until Itold him. Let him go," he advised curtly.
"Wait a minute," exclaimed Mr. Kingley. "Before he goes, I want to knowwhy he used my car to kidnap the queen?" And he glared at Mr. Pracht.
"Because Miss Gilfooly knew your car and would get into it when she wastold," Mr. Pracht explained in a voice which was very different from thedomineering tones he had used to Tessie. "We had expected to go to thehotel and ask her to come to Mrs. Kingley, but when we picked her up inthe street, it was easy. We didn't hurt her!" he added hurriedly.
"No, you didn't hurt her. You didn't dare!" Mr. Pitts told him coldly."You can go!"
Mr. Pracht did not wait to hear another word. He was glad to go, and heslid out of the door like a brown-and-green snake.
"Goodness gracious!" exclaimed Tessie, who was not at all sure that sheliked to have Mr. Pitts issue orders and let a brown-and-green snakeloose.
"His methods were clumsy," Mr. Pitts said flatly, "from the beginningwhen he stole the records from the Mifflin court house. And they wereclumsy when he had his native servant ransack your house for the Tear ofGod. The fellow was knocked on the head by Ka-kee-ta who was prowlingaround to see you, Miss Gilfooly, and who was frightened at what he haddone and ran away. It was clumsy of Pracht to think that he could stealthe jewel from you at the Evergreen banquet, where he acted as a waiter.And clumsier still to threaten you as he did and to kidnap you. Thatmust have been his servant at the window when you thou
ght you sawKa-kee-ta. Pracht should have used a little tact. Tact is far morenecessary than force in negotiations of this sort." He looked at Tessieand nodded his head to assure her that he had no intention of usingforce. Tact was the weapon that he would always use.
There was a slight pause which Mr. Kingley broke with a cough. Thecough might have been a signal for, as soon as he heard it, Mr. Marvinlooked at Mr. Pitts.
"If you have brought information from the Sunshine Islands for QueenTeresa, you might give it to her now," he said. "We are all herfriends." And he smiled at Her Majesty.
"Oh, yes!" breathed Queen Teresa on pins and needles to hear about theSunshine Islands. She regarded her friends with shining eyes. They werefriends to be very proud of, every one of them.
Mr. Pitts let his glance roam from one to another also, and his shaggybrows drew together until they made a black line above his keenpenetrating eyes.
"I find," he began slowly, carefully weighing each word before heoffered it to Tessie and her friends, "that you have no idea of what theSunshine Islands actually are. You seem to regard them as you wouldEngland or any other European kingdom. Of course a king is a king, or inthis case, I should say a queen is a queen, but there is a differencebetween a first-rate power and a group of Pacific islands. I understandfrom Ka-kee-ta that you have looked upon Miss Gilfooly as you would uponQueen Mary, for instance, and I am afraid that you have prepared her fornothing but disappointment."
Tessie's heart jumped into her mouth. Wasn't she a queen then, afterall? Her face, which had been as pink as a rose, turned as white as theflower on Mr. Marvin's desk.
Joe Cary gave a low whistle. "I thought so!" he exclaimed, and he glaredat Mr. Kingley.
No one paid any attention to him. Every one was too interested in Mr.Pitts and his words to have even a small portion of interest forwhistling Joe Cary.
"I don't understand," went on Mr. Pitts even more carefully, "why youthought best to shower Miss Gilfooly with such royal honors andhomage--just why you took that point of view--" he hesitated again.
"You tell us, Mr. Kingley," begged Joe. "You tell us how that mistakewas made."
Mr. Kingley flushed and eyed Joe as if he wished that Joe were where hebelonged--behind a drawing-board in the advertising department of theEvergreen--instead of in the office of Marvin, Phelps & Stokes, hecklingthe owner of the Evergreen.
"I happened to be with Mr. Marvin, when he received the papers from theHonolulu lawyer who brought Ka-kee-ta here," he said a littlereluctantly, although the reluctance disappeared as he told his story."They said that the King of the Sunshine Islands--I remember that theword king was distinctly used--had died and made the eldest child of hisbrother, John Gilfooly of Waloo, his heir. I knew that there was a MissGilfooly on the Evergreen pay roll. The name had been unusual enough toattract my attention. And it occurred to me if that Gilfooly shouldprove to be the heir, she would be a queen and we could obtain somemighty effective publicity for the Evergreen. Business had been dull, wewere feeling the general depression, and we needed something to boosttrade. Mr. Marvin has been my friend for many years, and he consented tolet me use the information. I don't see yet that any harm has beendone," he told Joe defiantly.
"I don't either," murmured Tessie, with a shy glance at Mr. Bill, wholooked at her anything but shyly.
Mr. Kingley regarded Tessie with hearty approval before he went on. "Mr.Marvin's man located the eldest child of John Gilfooly in Miss TeresaGilfooly, who sold aluminum in the Evergreen basement. We arranged tonotify her of her good fortune while she was at work, and naturally Imade the most of the story. And no one can say I haven't treated MissGilfooly like a queen!" He dared Joe to say it. "I confess that I usedthe romantic and dramatic events which followed to benefit theEvergreen, but any man would have done that if he was any kind of abusiness man at all. I even helped Miss Gilfooly raise a large fund forthe poor children of the islands," he boasted.
"There are no poor in the Sunshine Islands!" Mr. Pitts spokeindignantly. "Every one is rich and happy there, for people are rich andhappy when they have all they want. They may not have much, but theyhave what they want, and I guess that is all any of us work for. Isuppose this is a disappointment to you, Miss Gilfooly?" He turned toTessie with kindly concern.
"No," she told him a little slowly. "It isn't exactly. You see, I knowsomething about these Sons of Sunshine! and when I was kidnaped, I did alot of thinking I hadn't had time to do before. I remembered whathappens to kings and queens when the people don't want them. Joe Caryhad told me all about that. I'm not sure I want to be a queen andperhaps some day find myself in boiling oil." She shuddered. "Mr. Prachtsaid that was what they do in the Sunshine Islands when they don't liketheir kings."
"It has been done," admitted Mr. Pitts, "but not lately. I think you areright. You wouldn't be happy in the Islands. According to their laws, aqueen from another tribe, which is what you would be, must marry themost powerful man on the islands."
"Oh!" Tessie's eyes grew so big and round that there seemed to benothing in her face but two big blue eyes. "I couldn't do that! I nevercould do that!" And she looked appealingly at Mr. Bill.
"No, of course you couldn't. And you couldn't stay on the Islandstwenty-four hours unless you did. Here is a shot I took at the man youwould have to marry, if you remain the queen." He handed Tessie aphotograph of a big strapping native, who looked enough like Ka-kee-tato be his twin brother. He had the same frizzled hair, the same tattooednose.
Tessie turned away from it with a shriek and a shudder. "I never could!Never!" she declared. "I couldn't ever marry any one but----"
"Me!" interrupted Mr. Bill proudly. Mr. Bill was immensely pleased withMr. Pitts' report of the Sunshine Islands. It promised to remove many ofthe difficulties from the path which led to Tessie. "Perhaps this isn'tthe time to speak of it, but you might as well know that Miss Gilfoolyis going to marry me some day soon."
There was a gasp and a gurgle from Mr. Kingley. He stumbled to his feetand stared at his son and then at his former employee. He was unable toutter one of the words which rushed to his lips. He could only stare athis son, and wonder what on earth his son's mother would say.
"Ye gods!" he heard Joe Cary explain. "Here is publicity! The Queen ofthe Sunshine Islands and the heir of the Evergreen! People will eat upsuch a story. You'll double your sales again, Mr. Kingley!"
Norah Lee looked at Joe, and then she looked at Tessie, and then backto Joe, as if she were surprised to hear him speak so lightly of Tessiemarrying any one. Her face flushed suddenly, and she ran to Tessie andkissed her.
"I'm so glad," she whispered. "I knew Mr. Bill was crazy about you."
"And did you know I was crazy about Mr. Bill?" whispered Tessie, allaquiver with ecstasy. "Isn't he wonderful!"
"Old Bill stole a march on us," grumbled Bert Douglas. "He had youbranded before the rest of us had a chance," he told Tessiediscontentedly.
"I think you are very wise, Miss Gilfooly." Mr. Pitts seemed as pleasedas any of the group. "You will be far happier as the wife of a youngAmerican than of Ti-ta there." He nodded toward the snapshot which layface up on Mr. Marvin's desk.
"My goodness!" shivered Tessie. "I should think I would! But what willbecome of Ka-kee-ta if I marry Mr. Bill? I shan't want Ka-kee-ta aroundthen."
"I'll take him and the Tear of God back to the islands," offered Mr.Pitts. "And I'll guarantee you a wedding present such as Waloo has neverseen."
"And we'll exhibit it at the Evergreen!" Mr. Kingley did not care if JoeCary did laugh. "People will want to see it."
"Then I am to understand you will renounce your rights to the islands?"Mr. Pitts asked, so that he would know exactly what he was tounderstand. "I doubt if you really have any legal claim to them. I doubtif Pete Gilfooly had the right to leave them to any one. His privatefortune, something over a hundred thousand----"
"A hundred thousand!" cried Mr. Kingley. "I thought it was millions!" Heglared at Mr. Pitts as if he suspected that Mr. Pitts had s
ecreted themillions.
"A hundred thousand," repeated Mr. Pitts firmly. "Money isn't worth whatit was in the islands. It isn't worth what it was anywhere. Look at theGerman mark and the French franc! Look at the Russian ruble! Look at theAmerican dollar! The Shark asked millions from the Japanese, but I toldyou what happened to him. No, Pete Gilfooly left a hundred thousanddollars, and they are safe in a Honolulu bank, subject to MissGilfooly's orders. That money was his, no matter how he made it, and hecould leave it where he pleased. But the Sunshine Islands are different.And the Tear of God is different, too. Whether you have any right to itor not, you have possession of it, and the people want it back. They areprepared to pay a good price for it, because they believe thatmisfortune will come to the islands if it isn't brought back. They arechildishly superstitious. Any one who has the Tear of God can influencethem. That is why Pracht kidnaped Miss Gilfooly. But even if she has theTear of God, Miss Gilfooly couldn't govern those islands. That's a man'sjob and it should be a Sunshine Islander's job. I think the offer is afair one, and I can promise you that the islands will never become theproperty of any foreign power. They will remain in the possession of thepeople--an independent people!" he added impressively.
"He's right!" Joe Cary told Tessie eagerly. "You'll be a lot happier ifyou stop thinking any more about this queen business, and plan to settledown with Mr. Bill in a flat here in Waloo."
"I know," murmured Tessie, all aglow at the thought of a flat in Waloowith Mr. Bill. It would be heaven! And then, strangely enough, she hadto remember what Mr. Kingley had said about the duties andresponsibilities to which Providence had called her and Mr. Bill. Mr.Bill could look after his duties from a flat in Waloo, but what abouther responsibilities? Could she put them aside, just because the Walooflat would be heaven? The Sunshine Islands were hers. They had been leftto her by her Uncle Pete. She didn't care what Mr. Pitts said. Andanyway, Mr. Pitts sounded a lot like Mr. Pracht, they both wanted totake her islands from her. Perhaps there were moments when it wasunpleasant to be a queen, but there were also moments when it waspleasant. And the islands were hers! The blood of the fighting Gilfoolysbegan to stir in her veins.
Mr. Pitts playing with the snapshot of Ti-ta turned it toward her. Itgave her the horrors just to look at the pictured face. Oh, dear! Shedid want to continue to be a queen, but she did not want to pay theprice for the honor, if Mr. Pitts was right about the price. But was he?Would she have to marry that horror to remain a queen? She looked at Mr.Pitts suspiciously. Mr. Pitts was supposed to be her representative--herspecial representative--but he talked as if he were the counsel for theislands. He did not seem to be thinking of her at all.
"Then I am to understand," Mr. Pitts said a second time, and in a mostingratiating manner, "that you will resign your claim to the SunshineIslands?"
His insistence made him more than ever like the detestable Mr. Pracht.Tessie tossed her head indignantly. What was there about her islandsthat everybody should try to take them from her? Resign! She would notresign anything until she knew, and even when she knew, she would resignnothing until she was ready. She was a queen, and she would keep herkingdom until she was thoroughly ready to give it up. She didn't carewhat this horrid Mr. Pitts said or what Joe Cary said. And she wouldkeep Mr. Bill, too! The fighting blood of the Gilfoolys was in fullcommand, but before she could muster her indignant thoughts into orderlysentences, which would explain her decision, Mr. Kingley had somethingto say. Mr. Kingley seemed as opposed to Mr. Pitts as Tessie was.
"Not so fast! Not so fast!" he cautioned. "Kingdoms aren't resigned aseasily nor as quickly as that. It doesn't seem wise to me, a businessman, for Queen Teresa to give up her rights until she knows what theyare. I should advise her to visit the Sunshine Islands before shedecides to give them to any one."
"Oh!" Tessie was aghast. "I never could put my foot on them! I wouldn'tdare!" And although she was a Gilfooly and therefore brave as a lion,she was inconsistent enough to look piteously at Mr. Bill. Surely hewould not want her to visit islands inhabited by cannibals.
"You see!" murmured Mr. Pitts, with a shrug of his broad shoulders.
"I should further suggest," went on Mr. Kingley, who seemed full ofhelpful suggestions, "that, as the queen is to marry my son, the visitto the islands might be a feature of their wedding trip."
"Gosh!" muttered Joe Cary, visualizing the headlines which such awedding trip would produce in every newspaper.
"Oh!" exclaimed Tessie, but it was a very different "Oh" from the oneshe had uttered before. What a wonderful man old Mr. Kingley was! WithMr. Bill beside her, she would not be afraid if all six islands werecovered with cannibals. She looked at Mr. Bill, her face all pinkdimples.
"Now that," exclaimed Mr. Bill enthusiastically, "is a real idea!" Hecaught Tessie's hand and squeezed it.
But Mr. Pitts shook his head. "You would never be allowed to land," heprophesied.
"Well," exclaimed Tessie stubbornly, "I'm not going to give up myislands until I've seen them!" Mr. Kingley's suggestion was proving morealluring to her every minute.
Mr. Pitts sighed and settled himself for a long argument. He took greatpains to hold the picture of Ti-ta so that Tessie would have to look atthe tattooed face.
Tessie turned away from it. "And if I'm married to Mr. Bill," her voiceshook with ecstasy at the thought, "I couldn't marry that man!"
"The islands would never recognize your marriage to any man but Ti-ta,"Mr. Pitts insisted. "You would have to marry him or resign your claims.I am sorry that you don't like my suggestion. It was made to help you. Iknow what the islands are. I know how Pete Gilfooly managed to holdthem. They are no place for a white woman!" And he told them more aboutthe islands, and the barbarous customs of the natives, whom PeteGilfooly had never been able to civilize, even if he had built them achurch and a moving-picture theater. He made Tessie's warm blood runcold, and even Mr. Kingley shook his head.
"Why they're nothing but savages!" Mr. Kingley exclaimed in disgust.
"That's what I have been telling you," Mr. Pitts said patiently. "Theyhave no respect or consideration for women. Miss Gilfooly, even if sheis the queen, would be only Ti-ta's slave. She would be just one of hiswives!"
"I wouldn't!" cried Tessie, fiercely indignant at such a statement. "Iwouldn't marry anybody ever but Mr. Bill! And if those Sunshine Islandpeople don't want me to be their queen, why I don't owe them anything!"She had suddenly made an amazing discovery. "I haven't any obligation tothem at all!" Of course she hadn't! Mr. Kingley could talk about theresponsibilities Providence had given her if he wanted to, but even Mr.Kingley should see that she owed nothing to a people who refused to lether take the responsibilities. "I'm glad I had the islands, that I wastheir queen," she went on eagerly, "for they brought me and Mr. Billtogether, but now that we are together, I don't want them! Not for aminute! I think they're horrid! I wouldn't live where men can havehalf-a-dozen wives!"
"But--" began Mr. Kingley feebly.
He had never had anything to do with a royal abdication before, but hefelt that this was not the way one should properly be managed. Surelythere must be a system for such an affair.
Tessie stamped her foot. "Please, please don't make any moreobjections!" she begged. "If you were a girl, and had to choose betweensplendid Mr. Bill and that tattooed horror, you wouldn't hesitate asecond, no matter how many kingdoms were thrown in with the native. I'drather marry Mr. Bill than have a dozen kingdoms! I would!" she repeateddefiantly. "I'm like Joe Cary," she even dared to say to purpling Mr.Kingley. "I've learned that women are of far more use to the world thanqueens."
"Good for you, Tess!" applauded Joe Cary.
"But--" Mr. Kingley began again ever more feebly.
"And anyway," went on Tessie, the words coming in an impetuous rush,"this is my kingdom, and if I want to give it back to the people I can!Can't I?" She appealed to Mr. Bill. "You would just as soon I wouldn'tbe a queen, wouldn't you?"
"I'd rather!" he told her honestly. "I'd a lot rather have
you justlittle Tessie Gilfooly. I've told you more than once that I wished youweren't a queen."
Tessie drew a long breath and smiled radiantly at Mr. Bill. It pleasedher enormously to hear that he liked her better as Tessie Gilfooly. Butwhen she looked at Mr. Kingley she sighed. "I wish you did, too," shesaid wistfully. She could not be quite happy without Mr. Kingley'sapproval. "I wish you didn't want me to keep on being a queen."
Before Mr. Kingley could tell her how much better it was in hisestimation for her to remain a queen, the door opened, and Mr. Phelpscame in with a newspaper which he placed before Mr. Marvin.
"The noon edition of the _Gazette_," he explained importantly, and helooked curiously at Tessie. "I thought you should see this at once." Andhe pointed to an item in the upper left-hand corner of the folded sheet.
Mr. Marvin looked at the big headline. "Upon my word!" he exclaimed inastonishment. "A tidal wave has washed over the Sunshine Islands anddestroyed two of them. Here is a dispatch from Honolulu that on thetwenty-third of the month, a tidal wave swept over the Sunshine Islandsand destroyed two of them!"
"Well, I'll be darned!" exclaimed Mr. Bill, the first to find his voice,and he put his arm around Tessie and held her tight, as if to make surethat she would not be swept away from him.
"A tidal wave!" cried Tessie, and she looked almost suspiciously at Mr.Pitts, as if she suspected that he had had something to do with thetidal wave. "Do they have those on the islands, too?" There seemed to beno end to the disagreeable things that could happen on the SunshineIslands.
"Occasionally," mumbled Mr. Pitts, as he snatched the paper from Mr.Marvin and read the dispatch himself. "There used to be twelve islandsin the group, but six of them have been destroyed by tidal waves. Thelast was in 1853 when the smallest, Ki-yu-hi, was swept away. I mustcable Honolulu!" And he hurried from the room, Ka-kee-ta at his heels.
Tessie turned to Mr. Kingley. "Just suppose we had gone there on ourwedding trip, Mr. Bill and I, and we had been swept away by a tidalwave!" she said, her face white at the mere thought. "How would you feelthen? I shouldn't think you would want us to have anything to do withsuch a place."
"Well, well," muttered Mr. Kingley, somewhat dazed by the calamity inthe Pacific Ocean. "I'm glad your uncle's money was banked in Honolulu.I guess this Pitts is right and those islands aren't any place for awhite woman," he admitted slowly.
"Then, that's settled!" Tessie reached forward and patted his hand. "I'mglad you agree with us at last. But isn't it awful to have two wholeislands destroyed like that? It wasn't my fault, was it? Nobody canblame me, can they? Even if I did have the Tear of God?" She snatchedthe royal jewel from her bag where she had tucked it when she came tothe office, and threw it on the desk, as if it burned her fingers. "Doyou suppose the islands were destroyed because Ka-kee-ta brought that tome? Do you suppose the people were right when they said misfortune wouldcome to them if the Tear of God wasn't brought back?" Her face was quitewhite and her eyes full of awed fear. "I--I never want to see it again!"she gasped. "I think those islands are awful! If you aren't killed bysavages, you're drowned by tidal waves!" She turned away from the royalpearl with horror.
"I'll take care of it for you," suggested Mr. Kingley, taking it in hishand. "I'll keep it in the store vault." He felt that something shouldbe saved for Tessie from the wreck of her kingdom.
But Tessie shook her head. "I'll give it to Ka-kee-ta," she insisted,"and he can take it back to the islands, and maybe the rest of them willbe saved; maybe then there won't be any more tidal waves."
"Sure, you can give it to Ka-kee-ta," Mr. Bill promised her. "I'll beglad to have him take it away from Waloo. I don't want him around,either. He'll be better off with Mr. Pitts. Mr. Pitts seems tounderstand natives. And some day I'll give you a string of realpearls."
"That's what I'd like!" Tessie was tearfully grateful. "Oh, what willGranny say?" she exclaimed suddenly. "I must go and tell her about thetidal wave and everything!"