The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-15
The LOOKING GLASS.

south or the ElOWery Kingdom, rs so fdf
removed from outside, especially import
ers, influences that the scenes and moi
dents Of 1.-THE Mikado' as recently pro.
duoed in the Fifth Avenue theater, New
York, might be enacted there any day In
the midst Of the populace without evck-
Ing one particle of comment. Among the
agents and helpmates of civilization COM
pletely unknown la Jowouski on account
Of its all forlorn situation, which enables
the people TO live so happily among them
selves, Is the looking glass. One day sew.
sral years ago party of English tourists
passed through Jowcuski in their usual
hurried Style, but staid at any rate long
enough for one Of the ladies TO lose hand
glass In the jinrikisha In which she had
ridden.
When Kiki- Tsum, the owner of the We
hicle saw his find, he looked it over In
tently and with the most astonised face in
the world.
''As live, - he cried, 'sehis is the por-
trait Of my dear father, dead these four
years. There is bis good brown face, which
always seemed to wonder st something or
other; there indeed are his piercing eyes,
only he appears so much younger and
sturdier than he was when last knew
him. But what does it meant Perhaps it's
warning from the GODS perhaps it's a
present from some saint.
Kiki- Tsum wrapped the mysterious ar
ticle in mis- silk handkerchief and placed it
carefully In the pocket Of his wide shirt
When in the evening he arrived home, he
looked for hiding place for. his treasure,
and finally he resolved upon an old pot OF
earthenware, which was not in actual use
and therefore never troubled. There was
no more secure spot in his household, he
thought. Kiki-Tsum said nothing TO his
young wife about his adventure, for, he
calculated, women are too curious and
too talkative, and I do not want all the
neighbors' advice Of my good or bad luck,
whatever it may be-"
During the next few days Kiki-Tsum
labored under great excitement. Day and
night he thought about the portrait he had
found, and frequently be left his bed or his
work to 90 and see if his treasure was still
in his possession. Lili-T see, the young
mans lovely bride, could not make out
what brought her husband so frequently
to their hut when engaged outside. She
never knew about his leaving her bed.
That would have made her unhappy. First
she was content with Kiki-Tsum's expla.
nation that he had come home just to see
her lovely face, but when he kept it up day
after day she grew suspicious.
why should he appear with an anxious
face and leave with one stepped in impor
tancef" she unused. Still later she disooy-
cred that Kiki-Tsum before going out
made it point always to remain in the
little back room for minute or two. The
key TO his secret behavior must be some
where in that room. Lili-Tsee made it
her business TO investigate, and there was
not piece Of furniture or decoration III
the room she did not turn inside out, but
her work was all in vain. Finally she
mousetrapped her husband at tho mo-
ment he was hiding the pot in which she
kept her rose leaves. ki-Tsum, like all |
guilty men, quickly invented an excuse OF
explanation of his Carvings on. He lied. |
The pot had stood on one end only, and be |
had been obliged to correct the negligence
Of others.
All, yes, poor mani'' said Lii, kissing
the deceiver goodby, but he had scarcely
got across the street when she clambered
upon chair and discovered-whatf A |
mysterious something. She lifted it with .
care and brought it up to her face to ex-
anime it. Oh, cruel truth, the portrait of /
q woman, and Lii had considered Kiki- ;
Tsum a model nusbandl The poor girl sat /
down upon the floor and cried bitterly. |
That, then, was the reason why he came !
home so often. The feeling of injury |
gave way to that Of Indignation, Of wrath. |
Again she looked for the portrait and now |
wondered that Kiki- Tsum could love q !
woman with such face-eyes swollen, |
cheeks pale and dirty, and now the eyes
expressed rage and contempt. Lili-Tsee |
became frightened. No; she would never !
look at the thing again. Then she grew
Respondent. Life indeed was not worth
living, and as 70 cooking dinner-she /
could not think OF it. When Kiki-Tsum
arrived home in the evening, he was as
tonished to find neither meal nor wife
awaiting him. Searching for both, he made
his way to the hack room.
SO that is the way you treat your wife
after only few months of marriaget
Where is your fidelity, you who are al
ways talking about your manliness?"
The woman is crazy" said Kiki-Tsum
to himself and then he added aloud:
What ails you, i-Tsee? Tell me the
meaning Of this nonsense"
'Nonsense!' cried Lili-Tsee. "You
hide the portrait of your paramour in my
rose pot and dare dispute its sinful pur-
ports Take it; watch over it; carry it on
your heart 1 don't want TO see it. The
monster-the ugly facer'
But ] don't understand, gasped the
husband.
''You don't, don't your" cried the little
woman. "Ah, but / understand it all.
You love that woman in the frame mora
than myself"
Now it became Kiki-Tsum's turn to
grow angry. THAT picture" he said,
represents my late father. I found it
some time ago in my carriage, thinking
the gods had sent it to me. To save it and
keep it secure placed it in the rose pot"
t'You must think me an idiot, cried
the wife. Have 1 not known your father.
and am unable to distinguish between
the face Of man and that of a womau"
The two continued their wordy battle,
which became more fierce every minute.
until the neighbors were aroused. They
sent for the village priest TO restore order.
The bonze came. MY children, - he said,
what are you. quarreling forS Tell me
ut once, so may try to decide who is the
guilty party!"
Father" exclaimed Lii -Tsee, my
husband secreted the picture of a woman
In my rose pot. That caused all this trou-
bic"
81 swear never possessed another por-
trait but that of my saiDted sirel" And
the husband raised his hands to heaven.
.Children, children, said the holy fa-
Fher, with rnuoh dignity. before decide
-FOUR quarrel let me see the portrait"
1t was handed TO him, and the bonze
looked into the hand glass steadily for
minute OF longer Then he shook his I