Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-07
c H A TER VII

/" HE pain quite gone from the brain
\ and head. The fever had abated. A
1e5SsSS1 strange sense of GOODNESS and rest
IyAsakSyI pervaded the whole being of Keiki
The Shining Prince fell to dreaming,
this time without hideous nightmare being
wrought upon his mind.
Once more he was standing in royal garden,
where The little winds blew about him laden
with the faint, subtle odor of early spring; where
the birds clattered and cried out Indignantly at
him for disturbing them so early where the
sun arose from behind the mountains veiled in
golden cloud and Travelled over the heavens,
pausing to tint the waters of slender river to
the magic glow of blood and gold. The soft,
glad winds caressed as they called to him now.
Moved to bend the knee in greeting and hom.
age, he had become a sun-worshipper. He stood
waiting beneath a flowered easement, waiting in
silence pregnant with inward feeling. Not a
sound stirred about him; the birds had dropped
to sleep again; but the glory of the had
deepened and spread its full radiance upon the
easement, Then very slowly maiden's face,
like picture of the sun-goddess with the halo
OF the sun about it, grew into the vision, until
gradually the dream-eyes of the Prince Keik
saw naugbt else save that haunting spiritual face
with its eyes laden with love and still suffused
with unutterable sadness
AS suddenly as it had come, the vision faded
away. Darkness passed between him and the
face of his dreams. He sat upon his couch,
stretching out imploring, beseeching hands as he
called aloud with cry of piercing pleading:
"Fuji-Fuj-wara!"
Then he became dreamily conscious that soft
hands were gently pushing him backward. lie
knew that her arms pressed about him,
that she had put her face against his own. He
tried to speak, but she closed his lips with her
own upon them, and answered. in that signing
voice of hers:
at is I, Wistaria! Pray thee to sleep'
Keiki fell into delicious, dreamless sumber.
Beside him, her arms supporting against her bo-
som the weight of his head, Wistara knelt, un.
moving for the space of an hour Her eyes had
that strange, brooding, guarding expression of
the mother.
Some one tapped with the lightness of child
upon the fusuma. Wistaria frightened her arms
about her lover Her face became strained and
rigid Her eyes enlarged with mingled terror
and savage defiance.
The tapping was repeated. Still She made no
response. There was an interval of silence. Then
the sliding door softly pushed aside. Some
one entered the room, and stood against the wall
looking down at the little silent figure with its
face of appealing helpless agony The next mo
ment the samura Genj was kneeling beside
Wistaria.
For a moment she could not speak. so intense
were her mingled emotions. She had thought
herself bereft of all friends earth. In her
father and aunt she could see nothing but men.
acing enemies who had assumed the dark guse
of fiends Yet here Genji-Genji, her own,
big samurai--whose very presence brought
sense of safety and reposc A strange little
laugh, half strangled sob, struggled through
her lips.
In one glance Genji saw that the weight of the
Prince in her slender arms was benumbing them.
Without word he lifted the sleeping Prince in
his own arms and put him gently back upon the
padded robe which served as his couch Then
turning to his mistress he half assisted her. half
lifted her, to her feet. For moment she
leaned against him, dizzy with weakness
In broken, piteous, helpless fashion she be,
gan to cry against his breast. the pent-up anguish
of many days finding its outlet,
Genii gently led her across the room, beyond
the possible awakening of the Prince. His big
voice, hushed to a whisper despite its husSness
was as soothing as a mothers.
care moshi See, the big Gen is here. All is
well! Very well!'
"oh, Gent" she sobb5d, 81 do not know what
to dol"
may have the strength to minister to tine sick"
"Y-yes--I will cease to weep" she whispered
brokenly II will do So"
"That is right"
"And you will not let them harm him, will
you, GEM
"No! | swear by my sword I will notl"
"You are so good and strong, Gem"
Placing his hands upon her shoulders he held
her back, then gently wiped the tears from lcr
face
"IIah!" he cried. "Now she is once again the
brave girl That is right She is the daughter
of samurai, and cannot weep for long"
She tried to smile through her tears but it
was very ptiful little smile which struggled
through the mist.
"Now" said he. "te me everything
"Do you not know all?' she asked
"No. I do not | am in darkness as to how
your lover comes TO be here, wounded and i'll,
but surmise that he was captured while ON his
way to Choshui and prevented from warning his
prince"
"You do not know" cried Wistaria, looking
mp into his face with startled eyes, 'that he is
the prince himself?'
"The prince! Who is the prince? What
prince?"
"The young Prince of Mor. He"-she indicat-
ed Keiki--"he is the same person"
II was Genjis turn to start He made a
movement towards the Prince but Wistara
grasped his arm and stayed him
NAY do not go to him, lie is tired Gen
He has been awake, though unconscious, all
night long and he needs the honorable rest the