The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-06-23
FEAST OF THE MOON.

81 am going to the band at the lakes
Dick, said to my chum after breakfas
one day last March. He nodded, but madt
no remark. had known him for some
years however since his great trouble
and We were staying at the Pegu club
lettering away our time In Rangoon after
a long shooting tour in the Straits.
Sorrow cannot endure forever, but the
death Of the girl to whom he was engaged,
through u boating accident at Henley, had
lett two strange marks on his character
when the cloud had otherwise lifted at
last. He hated white roses-and indeed
any white fiowers-and music of every
sort. On tho day of her death the girl he
was to marry YVES wearing white roses
and as they were carrying the body to an
inn they passed house in which Il violin
ist-a master of his art, so Dick told me,
ana he was good judge and no mean per-
former himself-was playing an air that
haunted my friend ever after-the adagio
movement from Beethoyen's Sonata Pa
tbetique" For these reasons" he said
to me bitterly, 81 shall never be friends
again with roses. l shall hate sweet music
my whole lfo long"
Well, went down to the boathouse and
taking canoe padded under the lea of an
| Island to read 1ennyson's "Idyllsn and to
dream and listen to the string band Of the
-th regiment, then quartered with Others
at Rangoon. When l got back to tho Pcgu
| club, some three hours later, l went
straight to tho reading room, in corner
| OF which | discovered Dick with look of
| quite unwontod animation in his eyes.
Il say, old chap" he began with sup
pressed excitement, "I've had the most
extraordinary visitor this afternoon-a
fakir CT sorts-who told me things of my
past life that thought nobody knew"
laughed. "Been tapping your bearer,
I expect" And the moment after re-
GREETED the remark, when Dick in q low
voice, almost whisper said "He de- |
scribed her, what she wore that day, how
she died." and thon after "a pause, "He |
said she would be waiting for me- tomor-
row night-the Burman's feast of the
moon--by the sacred tank"
Delicately as l could tried to eradicate
from his usually practical cynical mind
the unreasoning faith In the supernatural
which the fakir seemed to have implanted
there. l suggested the fellow might art,
fully have forced his thoughts into Ger
tain channel and then read them in the
form OF answers to tacit questions of his
own. Dick got quite angry and said:
" A any rate, am going to this sacred
tank. I have found out where it is. "
Next day he showed signs Of bad night
and was strangely preoccupied, but as the
day wore on he pulled himself together.
At breakfast he said, II suppose you
won't accompany me tonight, unbelie9org"
ljumFed at the chance, for somehow
had misgivings Of foul play Of one kind
or another.
"lf you don't wish to be ealone, of course
will come, said, and SO it was settled
After dinner ticca gari drove us two
miles or go along the kokaing rcud till we
came to a cert track which led through
the pine jungle to the sacred tank, where
IN dwelt the uncanny looking sacred fish
and their attendant turtles, all ministered
unto by an old wizeneG nlincola who lived
in one of the few huts scattered in clear
ings round the tank Tonight they were
all deserted. Doubtless the dwelers were
in the city OF some neighboring village, Ia
whence tonted the musical ting tong ting =
of the gongs, pitched in various keys and
carried by the professions of feasting Bur
mans, clad in many colored silks and
sporting the pretty white temple flowers
in thoir hair.
We sat down on fallen tree trunk and
smoked in silence Dick seemed to be
brooding on the Tast, and was disinclined
to talk and annoyed with myself for q
strange eerie feeling whereof was begin
ming 10 be conscious. How long we had
been there l know not but suddenly my
friend started up with cry-a yeritablu
cry that shiyered to the tingling stars
and strobe forward with arms ont
talking, as thought raying, to
some one l could not see
Darling wait one moment. am com
ng; am here" (walking few steps for
Tard). And then, MY God, there it Is
lguln." (Iurning to mel don you hear
t?' And he hummed tic opening bars of
he adagio movement.
heard nothing but tho distant ringing
VI tho gongs but suddenly caught ths
obbing cadence Of that lovely piece Of
but it seemed an echo only, OF,
+ you can conceive it, rendering Of the u
assage in huge bell jar from which the
ir had been exhausted; magically clear,
iyinely sweet and sad, but SO faint that
|
vas only as it died away that the succeed
lg silence convinced me 1t had been atall.
Dick stood like statue, intently listen
ng, with q strained, lost look on his
ace. I took him gently by tho arm and -
Q suffered me to lead him away, like
leepwalker.
The following day he was down with a
Gd go Of fever. was with him most of
4 fIn5I Il -.
$ had finished my dinner They were
npty. His bearer was in the godowns,
nd when l summoned and interroguted Il.
i'm he only looked dazed. cursed him in
caps, and, scribbling note to tho d. S
:, sent him off with it, and myself
Ishod out with my own boy in quest of
lU absentee.
High and low hunted, but found no
ew. Then returned, weary and dsprt-
|, to the club, where found Curtis, the
. ;. r., awaiting mo and any reports 81
ON the surrounding police thanas. Nj
Suddenly an idea struck me; why it had
1t earlier | know not. Come" | said,
I'd Curtis and I, taking gari as soon as ,
Q could get one, drove to the sacred tank. 4
1t must have been in the morning ~
hen we came upon him. He was lying
his face one hand outstretched, just
here the vision must have appeared the
ght before, We raised him gently He
IS quite dead, with the mysterious smile =
these who have solved the great secret an.,
zen on his lips. We got him down to gsas
g gari as best we could and started back s4ul
Rangoon. AS we passed the barracks
the Gold pngoda the band was praCtIC-
&. With a shock recognized the piece; 4