The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1903-10-03
SsSSSSsSSSssSSSSsSSS$Ss s&SSSSSSsSsS$
The. Story Of the Ruby and the
Woman.
BY John Fleming wilson.

n HE wick In the oil-cup was very
i short, and the squat flame threw
a qniyering glenn across the Phrase
Makers face as he rubbed his parched
lips with spiced gum. Through the
grimy, sooty lattice, SO closely wrought
that no light penetrated it, drifted the
roar OF the street outside.
Il am white" said my host. serenely;
"and on the avenue my people are
trafficking. For ten years have not
left this room"
Don't You want to go back?"
stupidity asked.
There was clink of ring against
glass, and fine scorn tinged the
Phrase Makers voice as he spoke
over his cup. Possibly you think it
a little vulgar to live in the Chinese
fashion and smoke hop | used to
think myself unfortunate, but I begin
to fancy that, after all, do not fare
so Ill. 1t is much to sit calm and watch
the world go by"
The pallid hand set down the cup,
md the dark eyes were fixed in a
drowsy stare. The Phrase-Maker was
not yet awake.
But waited: presently, knew, he
would rouse and speak to me the ac-
rumulated wisdom Of many opiate
years.
The fitful ray from the oil-cup illumi-
mated room of many recesses; the
angles of the walls displayed dark
bronzes. huge and shapelcss pipes,
weapons of antique weight; above,
from the sagging ceiling, hung tat
tered banner, darkly gorgeous, heavily
motionless; about the floor were scat
tered bowls wrought of bronze and
silver, pigmy lacquered tables, curious
ly shaped TASKS filed with liquors
all the luxurious paraphernalia of
deyotee of the god of Oblivion.
From a shelf-like shrine leered a
strange, contorted demon in full re-
lief, before whose knotted feet burned
some joss-sticks. At the Phrase
Makers knees squatted his servant,
Lee Quoy.
All this was sleepily familiar 10 me.
Since i had by accident found this fan
tastic recluse l had almost regularly
sought him out. From the first he had
spoken to me as to one who might
understand if sufficient pains were
taken. Once he had sent for me that
he might repeat into my ears new
saying.
For it was thus he lived, going over
the scenes in his life; and then. after
much meditation, uttering some phrase
that held the meat of his experience.
Many stories he had already told
me, and some were as If out of my
own life. 1T was in the Caribbean" he
would commence, ''and l found rum
slightly fevering as steady drink"
A lorS story would then follow, with
details oircumstantial. Then he would
afilx the label, the gist of his tale: IAN
onion has many skins, yet heart at
the CENTRE
Sometimes he would have two
phrases for story, and he would favor
either, alternately. We would graveiy
discuss the problem till final inebria-
ton over his opium-pipe illumined his
fancy into impatience of detail, and
he would joyously adopt one phrase
irrevocably.
To-day the Phrase-Maker was pond
cring deeply. At times his lean face
IVES turned curiously upon the writh>
ing geo ia the shelf-lilSe shrine. as IL
ns sought to win tberefrom words fo4.
his me aning. Or else he laid cunning
snarea .Y entrap me into speech that
would salisfy his ear. So finally l put
a hand on his ribbed breast under the
green jacket and reused him. Ha
passed the spiced gum over his shriv-
rled lips and motioned to Lee Quoy to
clean his pipe.
II have spent ten years trying to
NOV about 1t, and cannot and the
az n said, automatically. 4