The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1908-07-01
now what that silence means. tool"

now what that silence means, tool"
Mine pressed his fingers very tight
y in her own for answer.
Dear Hayano, have you heard any
thing about me of late?"
mo, little one. I have heard of
your marriage, that is ALL"
The baby boy cooed softly to him
self, and then laughed because he
held in h. wee hand cherry Llos-
som.
what was that sound?" said Hay
ano. hastily.
THAT was my child, my little boy.
He is very happy tonight. l don't
think it's very kind of him to be quite
, so happy tonight"
II am so glad yo- have little
child" said the man, eagerly. "Some
day | shall be able to teach him, glad
in the thought that he is your child. I"
"Hayano! Don't talk like that!
1t hurts me.
Listen. Have you heard of the
| fisherboy, Urashima, how he married
the beautiful daughter of the Sea
God?"
"oh. yes! But please tell me the
story again"
=" 'Tis sad story; but Urashima is
very much like other men. His beau
tiful wife gave him all her love in
that great palace under the singing
sea, where there were wonderful jew
ole rod D,,k
presently Urashima grew restless. He
wanted to go away and see the world
again. His wife gave him box and
told him never to open 1t. But when
Urashima had seen the world he
opened the box. A wonderful cloud
came out and sailed away into the
blue and vanished. And Urashima
became very, very old man and
never went back to the palace of the
sea again"
Mine paused, and then continued:
"Hayano, If woman's heart is big
with love it cannot hold a man for
long. Like Urashima, he goes away,
and never comes back again. He
opens the box of the woman he once
loved and scatters the sacred treasure
to the four winds. Tessan was like
that. And now he has put me away.
But it is better so. Watching his
GOODNESS grow, day by day, was terri
BILE, terrible! l wish the spring had
not tapped at my heart. l think it
was the ghost of spring long ago
that tapped"
Hayano gave half stihed cry, re-
leased his hand from the grasp of
Mine, and silently took the child into
his arms, and caressed the small head
and felt with one finger the tiny wet
mouth, open little in wonder.
"Hayano. Hayano, what is the mat
ter?" said Mine, in a pitiful little
voice. "Oh, wish the clouds would
go away from the moon. l want to
see your face again so much!"
But 1t is such an ugly face, Mine"
said the man, trying to laugh with
burning tears in his eyes.
There is so much feeling behind 1t,
dear man of my heart"
tioy ohO otul ttus llc ldu utNtT
heard Mine speak like that before.
He went on caressing the child, and a
thrill of unspeakable joy quivered
through him when small fingers
wriggled against his chin.
"Hayano," said Mine, very tender-
ly, Il want to tell you something.
want to tell you that l never loved
Tessan as love you now. A year ago
you desired my happiness. Dear
lord. all my happiness is in your keep
ing 1iow!"
Wait till the moon comes out be-
hind the Clouds" was all Hayano
said, as he rested his face against the
small head of the boy.
Presently the moon shone forth
and lit up the quaint figures sitting
under the cherry tree. Mine, with a
sharp cry of pain, saw her old friend
in the robe of Buddhist priest, a
priest holding in his arms q little
child as II it were his own.
Then Hayano said, in a voice husky
with emotion: Little one. l cannot
marry you now. l have entered the
service of the Lord Buddha. 1 have
taken the vows Of celibacy, and they
cannot be broken. / have always
loved you, Mine, but l did not know
until tonight, until it was too late.
that could make you happy. And
the pine trees work with their thou
sand needles star pictures, and the
wind comes, and the pine trees fall
without having finished their weav-
ing; but life goes on just the same.
doesn't it. little boy, that shall teach
some day?"
Once more tho moon became hidden
in cloud. There was silence under
the cherry blossom; but the far away
waves broke upon the shore, and they
seemed to murmur, Urashima.r-
Black and White.