The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-01-18
he Wife Of the Sword m n
pv Will Lexington Comfort.

~, barbor one moonless summer might
anr the eiegc and dropped anchor. or
"a was Russian officer. who hac
the blockade with important DIS
Aches from Stoesscl TO tho Gear. His
nnunications filed, tho stranger ap-
red for a few moments In tho billiard
IN of The IIarbor View hotel, though
rpoke To no one. Indeed, his aloofness
marked The Russian was a bulky
-tawed man. between % and 40. and
ked campaiener.
he next mid-forenoon he assembled the
ding way TO the bluffs overlooking
harbor The deep blue OF the sea,
Ky of fairer blue. and world OF vivid
shine between. were the principals OF
royal morning. Ahead, not far from
gate OF the American consulate sat
roman upon a natural chair OF rock
the edge OF the bluffs. She lifted her
q from her book, glanced at the Rus
4, then beckoned him 10 come 10 her.
rail hand was thrust into his. and she
! cordially
n five years, my good friend
But. Madame Volbars, your husoano
1 me that you were in Shanghai" the
her exclaimed His voice was but III
ltrollcd-
I came here TO be as near as possible
the fortress. What word have you
nght from my husband, Col Porno-
have only glad tIdings to report.
6ame His health is Of the best.
Md have carried n letter 70 you, but
was on duty In one OF the outer iorts
End j left hastily" c,"
- said impauently. Has he taken
4 in any further duels?"
No Madame The Russian officers
n the fortress ara rather occupied WIN
ksIs on a grander scale. Maj. Noloars
bearing out his reputation for being
Kiant for field work"
i should like TO see him-there!' the
vdnan said quickly.
sSornolit perceived the meaning Of her
[Srds The name Of MAJ. Nolhars, the
latest swordsman OF tho Russian army,
I~s not of purest fame in. European ana
|siatic capitals. The Madame was think
( that the love OF her girlhood might
Live were II made possible for her 10
| 'k her husband at his best
f1Ee Is a great soldier, as well as the
1test or swordsmen. Madame
His best friend speaks the woman
| III were my best friend as well-until you
gan so ardently TO avoid me l was In
.kntsin in 1900. You were there some
lexis, as your column made ready for
n. In the summer of 1902. you relieved
at Fladivostok, but you paid no de-
rs to me. You performed an unusual
Vice for Maj. Volbars in Shanghai last
hmer, sparing me humiliation; yet you
brded me no opportunity TO thank
L" She was seated again In her rocky
. hr and had hidden him TO sit beside
| on the yellow, sun-dried grass.
4 you will forgive me-" he stammered-
| lave thought about you a great deal"
Is expression was almost worshIpful
| he regarded the delicate, animated
| h now turned 10 the sea. He could
I think of her as some wondrous flow
reared In the most sumptuoUS shadow
| tropic garden. Her presence expand
| lis sense of things lifted him to a
ler plano of life sensitlZed his brain
aces seemingly, so that every broken
| ! assumed an awakened meaning, and
/ trivial thoughts were charged with
ew warmth of color and strange
mess Of significance. 1t had always
so.
he days are long in this dreadful
\ - she said, " like years whose days
/ long, One needs friend here Why
\ ou avoid me now?"
fingers frightened. 1t was not Por-
IS way to tell her that the only |
\ lge since Nolbars had been the chosen |
and ne the discarded lover n decade
. Was that his love had become more
ming. IL was not within the soldier
ereal tho secret that ne had found
tsler TO cross the mountains of sepa-
IN alone with his rosary of memories
lch bead a pearl each pearl a prayer
IN to endure the anguish OF a glimpse
and then Of her frail figuro and eX-
4ite face.
! e woman would not now have pressed |
zColonel with such a question had she
lied that sho was still the substance
| lis dreamS-drcams which were moro
aim than the hand or lips of other
1en. She would have wept to learn |
his quest of her though uncrowned, |
le up for him a romance of sufficient
lazy and one whose pathos was incor-
pubic. Pornolit was a mans man. hav-
been awarded the red badge for the
1 test by which males judge each |
pr. Indeed, his courage was double
oered fitted for both brute and brain
nee. The finer quality was demanded
10 suodue the man within him who
TO tell her that In all his bitter
|-lderings and harsh service her colors
| peen upon his helmet her image like
light In his eyes.
lou do not answer"
Madame he said, quite steadily, ut
u be that wars have made a lout OF
My good friend, Mai Kolbars in
~ me TO call many times, I remember:
allowed duty to usurp the time for
hinenltles. Service has grown upon
rear so that | am loath to enter
.Lsanetuarles OF happier men, lest ap-
rieiculous To those present. including
was through these words that she
made TO understand that he was COW
~ a deeper truth Sho turned +,
lling glance upon him.
hou seem 80 changed. Col. PornolItr' |
1e interview became too hard for him
arose, fearing that II he tarrIed Tho
or conventionality might break,
n non do You return to Chefu?" she
.Btioncd- ''e
leave tonight. MADAME"
. e had also arisen and WAS extending
nand She perceived his struggle:
that an inltling OF tho truth Vas
h.est 10 her is plain from her last
'he white men In Asia need IN
|r midst leaVener such as you
Col Pornollt, lest 81 lonely wo-
VINO spends her life In waitIng-lose
ntn In her kind Good -bye
released her hand, turned and has
GOWN the rocky path. That
IN his tossing junk Col Pornollt
.eu ms eyes back toward tho liehts Of
~ and his memories Of tho morning
IKE sad music borne out-shorS
MS inc moon-llt harbor.
was mid-August. PornolIt was beck
ms command In the red-ruck OF be-
uIement-tlght-b t-beted days and wine
nights. For forty-clght hours ona e,
is prehensue fingers had thun,ns5
sngupan, an outlying position wbIch
niAhoed n portion of Swallow bav
tlro the end of the third day, the van
ne attsck ana tho rear OF the defonso |
nand-to-hand and the trophy which
tns ioTt went TO the Japanese NJ |
liz solbars' battalion formed tho e~
as rear OF the Russians and noted no
|pner Tor the main force retiring TSa
OF lost half OF his command ''
Eod' Pornolit." he exclaimed that