The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1903-07-02

u Saya san SAT cOntenteuly upon Ne
small heels and nodded In the sunshin,
beneath the fragrant cherry blossoms
In the piled up masses of her jet blacl
hair. Happy o Saya San. for thu
American lord had hidden her remain
ruler Of the small domain that he had
taken over from young Burroughs
There had been some anxious moments
| for o Saya San before her fate was de
cIded; then young Burroughs went hii
way after the manner of the English
drIftwood that goes up and down the
China seas and Welladayl o Says
San had sorrowed. but that was yes
terday, and today was today, and. like
a wise little woman. she rocked to and
fro on her heels clad In her best kimo-
no and swaying the huge fan to and
fro. From under her long lashes her
bright eyes took stock of the six feet
OF sinuous flesh and blood that swayed
and swung In the hammock as the
breeze flung down wonderful snow
OF pink and white from the cherry
boughs-
Totally obllvious of her scrutiny,
Royal lay and looked out over the
eternal blue OF the bay. the straw
roofs and gilded kiosks of Yeddo town.
cursIng the gods with mighty curses
for the sake of things existent and
most Of all for the sake OF things that
were-exactly like scene on Japa-
nese fan He had dim, elusive men,
DRY OF u prim old parlor in the far
Kentucky valley. where had hung a
silken banner covered with strange
flights of bird and beast and a tea
house. with an impossible geisha
stunning upon some spurious form
OF guitar. 1t had been brought from
somewhere oversee. and his mother
had valued 1t highly. But there came
a day when he could stand the shipper
Ing face no longer. and. with infinite
trouble. he had mounted chair and
table until he tore 1t down and rended
the silk into ribbons. and then there
was an afterward. Before him lay the
same blue of bay and sky and the i'm
possible little tea house, and, worst of
all. he could not stamp out this pic
ture- He turned to shut 1t from his
aching eyes and beheld o Saya San
peeping at him around her fan. There
would be an afterward to this picture
also. and again he cursed the god of
folly and almost cursed the memory of
Dorothy's face framed In the gold of
the Kentucky sunset.
He had not deserved it. She had
listened all too readily to the half lie,
more deadly than the blacklist truth,
that Matthews had taken care she
should oyerhear, and he-he had been
too proud to defend himself.
The beat-beat Of the Doris" waltz
came back to him. He could almost
smell the perfume of her hair and see
the lovely. laughing face as he had held
il close to his heart that night-see it
grow cold with scorn as she turned
away on her fathers arm. There had
next day when he had forced Mat
thews. by the virtue of his strong right
arm. to write the letter to her retract-
ing the spoken lie. The savage had
rioted within him as he saw Matthews
PROSTATE with the mark of his hand
across the abject face. But even that
could not efface the fact that Dorothy
had believed him guilty.
In his madness he had accepted his
uncle's offer to go out to Yeddo as his
and take charge of his
immense interests there. Shrewd old
Wallace Royal had a notion of the
trouble through which the lad was
passing and hurried him into II before
Royal knew what he was about.
Royal 6. Co. were a power In
small way where the army of coolies
went up and down from the great
to the sea and the tea
.hests went In constant stream from
he gray fields. gathered In the gray
lawns OF orient skies, through the
olare and light of Yeddo mart and out
,versea to busy, practical America. 1t
vas a small kingdom. a mighty trust
'or the man that was yet a boy, but
Jim Royal would have parted with the
whole Of his prospects, would have
gone forth the veriest beggar. could he
nave undone the mad moment when he
had returned certain little blue en-
Eelope unopened and sent back her let
.ers. He had kept her picture; why, he
could not have told; but there 1t was,
,ased In the big silver heart that she
had given him. He never opened 1t,
but 1t lay close to his heart. insensate,
ret pregnant OF a thousand fancies.
As the last long finger of the sun
set touched the gilded railing o Saya
San crept timidly out. Royal looked
at the little yellow hand with It's
dyed finger tips. that rested upon it
and drew long breath. He looked
1t o Saya SAN, and he thought long
thoughts as the soft velvet Of the
gray cleaning shut out the gold Of
the Asian sky and wrapped him into
the arms of the old sweet mother, the
wonderful east One by one
the stars woke up and. answering the
lights OF Yeddo, threw long
jeweled banners down the bay. Royal
looked ut D Saya San. The small
ivory white face CLEANED like lotus
flower. moon pale against the dusk.
Up from the garden came the languor
IF lilies and the freshness OF spring in
the cherry blossoms. and a sound OF
music beat up in pulsing waves from
the city. Royal looked at o Saga San,
and the small figure swayed toward
him. He had not deserved it then;
be would deserve 1t now
There was one mystery that o Saya |
San might not touch. a great silver |
heart that lay upon tbs breast Of her |
lord. Once she clutched IL in her pref
y yellow fingers. but he had snatched |
t away with words that she could not |
o Saya San never trou-
Dled the silver heart again. Il
Moons waxed and waned above the |
little house that looked over the bay.
md when the feast OF cherry blossoms |
:ame again there were three that |
iwelt there. and o Saya San Rugged |
he small bundle of bright eyes and |
'ink flesh, laughing her pretty silvery
inkle that was like the chime Of lit |
lie bellS-lOtus moons that carried q