Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-31

ners' sandals The Eta were not
used to being carried in gilded norimonos, or OF
travelling in any other fashion than on foot.
Consequently, the spectacle Of an exquisitey fin
shed norimono carried on the shoulders Of liv-
cried attendants, created as much stir as it is
possible for the placid Japanese to manifest.
The bamboo curtains of the normono were close
ly drawn. The runners sped swiftly along, pay
ing no heed to the raised shutters or the curl
Gus eyes at the wall holes. On either side Of
the palanquin two couriers or personal samurai
walked.
The runners stopped before the house of Shi-
madzu, and, having thrown aside the curtains,
bowed low as they backed before veiled lady,
who stepped from the norimono. The lady, how
ever, unmindful of her bending servitors, htr-
ried up the graveled pathway to beat upon the
door with her delicate fists.
The early morning visitor entered the house
before the Lady Wistaria had descended from
her chamber. When she threw back the cover.
ing from her head, the proud face of the Lady
Evening Glory appeared with all its cold beau
ty and strange pallor. Her lips trembled so
that she could not keep them together.
She had travelled all night in the utmost haste
to throw herself at the feet of her brother pray.
ing his mercy for the young Prince of Mori
She did not wait for her brother to question her,
but began at once pitiful, disjointed tale con-
cerning her son Toro.
The young man had involved himself In great
trouble in the Choshui province, and was now
held prisoner by the Prince of Mori. Toro, the
foolhardy, initiating the actions of the young
courtier of the Mori clan, had Jared badly.
Caught scaling the walls surrounding the pal
ace Of the father of the Lady Hollyhock, he had
been arrested and brought before the Prince of
Mori. This nobleman had at first intended to
return the youne fellow to his neighbor court
eously, with some satirical rebuke which would
scorch the vanity of the boys father, but just
at this juncture had come the fearful intelli-
gence Of the arrest, secret trial for treason and
sentence to death of the young heir of Mori,
The old Prince, rendered frantic with fear and
anguish, dispatched word Immediately to Catzu
that unless the Prince Kek were spared, the
same fate should be meted out to the young
Catzu Toro.
So the Lady Evening Glory had come now to
her brother to demand, to beg the pardon OF
their enemy, this young Prince of Mori, while
her husband had hastened to Yedo to seek the
aid of the Shotgun. Nevertheless, both father
and mother knew that the fate of their son de-
pended not upon the august Shotgun, but upon
their brother, the samura Shimadzu, for the
Shotgun would scarcely have time to send forces
to compel Mori to release Toro before the exc.
cutl0n OF Aelkl tOOh pace, WHICH WOuIu De un-
doubtedly the signal for the immediate dispatch
of Toro.
The unexpected answer the lady received
from her brother stunned her completely that
she was robbed of all hope. Now she suffered
in turn all the pangs of frantic despair and
agony that her niece had so lately undergone
through her agency.
"What~ cried the samura with stern de.
rision, permit the consumnation of the work
of lifetime of misery and torture to slip
through my aching fingers now? Not for a
thousand nephews!"
Yet he endeavored in his rough and stern
way to comfort his sister with these strange
words:
"Catzu Toro is of samurai blood. 1t behooves
him, therefore, to give up fearlessy his life for
the honor of his family. He ought to bless
the gods for the opportunity
The mother wept prayed, threatened. All in
vain. Shimadzu was inhexible Meanwhile the
hour which had been set for the execution of
the young Prince of Mori approached with more
than the natural speed of time, and the Lady
Evening Glory's couriers, the samurai Genji and
Matsue, waited in agonzed lmpatIence for
word of truce to carry to the old Prince of
Mori.
Finding all her efforts to move her brother
unayailing the Lady Of Catzu sought desperate
ly though impotently to bar his egress from
the room. She clutched the dividing shoji
which opened into the corridor th~n placed
her back against them. When Shimadzu turned
to the doors on the opposite side she rushed be
fore him. and again sought 10 prevent his de
parture Firmly, but not urgently Shmadzu
put her aside, whereupon she fell down at his
feet caspng her arms about his legs, while her
lips emitted strange and piteous outcries
Yet what could the utmost strength of deli.
cate lady do against that Of samurai man?
With one quick movement he freed himself from
her clinging hands. The next moment the La
a., rtita oil Eha end
denly realized that the gods had denied her all
succor, and crawed across the room until she
stood in front Of the small shrine in the place
Of the tokonona. There she Frustrated herself,
but her lips could not frame themselves in petit
ton to the gods