The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1908-02-27

1
feet and the low murmur of laughter
Presently the music and the laughter
and the dancing ceased, screen was
pulled aside, and Kinjuro stepped out
from the house of O-Kama and went
in the direction of his own home.
| Snow began to fall from the dark
clouds above. Kinjuro pulled his OBJ
more tightly round his wadded robe
A strange fear possessed him. The
| snow seemed to cry as he trod upon it
| and ghosts and COLLINS seemed to
gibber at him from behind the pine
trees. Surely the Fox women were
prowling about tonight. Kinjuro shud-
dered, and tried to sing line from one
OF O-Kama's songs; but the wind lay
cold fingers on his throat and Kin
luro remained silent. Then, just in
front of him, a great white figure
loomed. Her face was very beautiful
and her stature was greater than the
tallest pine tree.
Il am YukiOnna. l am the Woman
of the Snow" The sound of her
voice was like the sound of a breeze.
Come, Kinjuro, come into the for
est, for | am thirsty tonight
Kinjuro trembled and followed the
Woman of the Snow until they came
into the forest. Finding an open
space, they rested, and Yuki-Onna rnt
her arms tightly round Kinjuro and
her embrace was cold as ice.
"Ha! Ha! my lover, a.e these arms
cold?" exclaimed Yuki-Onna
Very, very cold" replied Kinjuro.
Then she pressed her great white
face against his and laughed softly to
herself.
Are my lips cold?a murmured Yuki-
Onna
Very, very cold,'' answered Kinjuro.
''You will be just as cold some day,
just as fcold.'
Yuki-Onna united the robe and un-
dergarments of Kinjuro, and pressed
her lips against his breast. And Kin
juro knew that his life blood was be-
ing sucked away.
Big Jumps of snow fell with a soft
thud on the ground, and the wind
made sad music in the pine trees.
"This is like the love of geishas, the
love of OKama,' said Yuli-Onna,
still pressing her lips against his
breast, ut wastes and wastes until the
end comes. All the songs and the
dances and the laughter grow still in
the Place of the Eternal Enow This is
the love that grows cold, this is the
love that is called Death this is the
love- But Kiniuro heard no more.
The gods had been very good to O.
Tsaki-San.~. When her lord did not re-
turn they directed her to the, forest
where Kinjuro lay. And when she ar
rived at the open space where her hus-
band was lying near a great pine tree
festooned with snow, great fear
possessed her-a fear that Kiniuro was
dead and that the snow was his wind
ing sheet. Softly she laid his head in
her lap and tried to restore him to
consciousness.
And presently all the loving care of
O-Tsaki-San, was rewarded. Kinjuro
opened his eyes and they were full of
fear.
"The Great White Face, where is the
Great White Face, the" Woman of the
SnoW?' murmured Kinjuro. Look,
she is pressing her lips against the
stars. See, how red they are!"
Hush, dear lord, you have been
dreaming. Trouble not now that
have found you," and tears fell upon
the face of Kinjuro
This is the >love that grows cold,
this is the love that is called DEATH
said Kinjuro, over and over again.
Gradually the mind of Kinjuro grew
more clear, and presently his heart
grew very tender, and a gentle smile
| lit up his face. His lips trembled; but
he could not speak O-Tsaki-San ca
ressed her lords face and wept for
| joy.
Then Kinjuro said, Little Moon
Lady think you that | could see the
three great lights rise up from the
ocean now?'
And O-Tsaki-San nodded and laughed
and sang, and then she whispered
| very softly Sometimes the little pools
run down to the sea and never go back
again. And this is the love that is
called Life"
And presently there were four foot
| prints in the snow, and Love was a
long, long time making them. Black
and White.
~