The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-27

|
to see him the better.
"Helen!" exclaimed Edith with
conviction, "you simply must get
| him.
But Helen looked doubtful fHe
must be worth such n lot of money,
and I ought not TO spend a cent she
| replied "Of course, he might 90 at
auction-though I'm sure he's very
| valuable y
| Tan-Shin listened eagerly, for money
was distinctly in his line.
"Maybe no one else will want him,
said Edith encouragiugly.
Z. Maybe not, Helen answered hope
fully ''He'1I he sold on Thursday,
and I mean to try to bid him i'm
There were some words in this dia-
logue that, god though he was, he
did not understand, and auction was
one of them, Stif, he knew that
whatever it was. it happened on Thurs
day. and he waited impatiently
Quite early on that day he was re,
moved from the cabinet and placed
great many people sat in ordered
rows He looked about him eagerly.
In pulpit near by, a high priest ESQ
Tan-Shin supposedly chanted unin-
tclligible words necessarily. Before
them all was an elevated red plush
covered sIdnu Jnat lanrSnln knew nv
once to be the altar. He saw several
lesser deities placed upon it for a
time, heard the murmur of the high
priest, and the spurious gods were ap.
parently banished With a glow of
pride he recognized the ceremony and
knew that this was the place of
choosing. These discriminating beings
were deciding which were, the real and
which were the unreal gods, The hour
n v1
he would receive the respect due a
veritable antique. AT last his turn
came
"Lot number 376 in your catalogue,
ladies and gentlemen. A crackleware
piece, rare and valuable. What am
offered to start
So chanted the high priest. and al
though Tan-Shin did not comprehend
what the words meant, the silence of
the worshipers was ample assurance
that his true worth was at once per-
ceived
A voice in the audience broke in
upon his thoughts, and he saw, lean
ing forward, pink flush on each
cheek. the girl who had been his first
boon through the high priest, and he
resolved that the granting of her
wishes should be his initial manifesto
ton.
Then a man made request, but to
Tan Shin s surprise the girl immediate
" followed with another prayer. This
was repeated several times, but he no.
ticed that the girl had been the last
to speak, and that she looked up at
him anxiously
Again there was silence. Even the
monotonous chanting had stopped. Sud
denly there was a sharp sound OF n
pencil being struck. the high priest
uttered one word, "Sold!' and, TO
the chagrin of Tan-Shin. he was
whisked off the altar. AS he was be-
ing carried away he heard the dronlng
of the high priest begin again; "Lot
number 377 in your catalogue, ladies
and gentlemen-'
Later Tan-Shin found himself seated
upon the smooth surface of marble
mantcl He cared little what had hap
pened to him after his isappointment
at the auction and knew only that he
had been bundled up in paper aud car
ried away.
The girl stood in front of him, her
eyes dancing with delight as she looked
"You re all mine now!" she ex-
claimed.
Tan-Shin observed her critically, and
after moment s thought, he said q
strange Chinese word, a word so old
that even in China it is obsolete. but
it exactly described her and meant
charming. and beautiful, and good, and
wholesome and many other appropriate
adiectives.
Thus it was that Tan-Shin secured a
final resting place, and as the days
went by he found that the girl never
ceased her attentions. "Surely," he
thought "she is worshiping,
True. IL was not the form to which
he was accustomed; it was not suf-
ficiently dignifed, and this merry dis
cipe was hardly grave enough to full
fill all the requirements of an eSactine
ritual; but on the whole, it seemed en-
tirely genuine
The shrine in which Tan. Shin was
now installed was a studio Just under
the roof of small house with little
room communicating. into which this
new found patroncss disappeared for the
night. A large easel, directly under a
skylight. was the most conspicuous OBJ
iect within his range of vision and he
soon found that Helen Che remembered
her name) worked at it incessantly. He
was glad of this, because it kept hcI
before him all the time, She talked tC
him constantly, knowing well his dis
cretion in the matter of secrets and
| trusting him implicitly.
| Tan-Shin was therefore, almost happy
| In MS new surroundings, DnC tnere were
| two conditions necessary to make hiu
perfectly content, Since that fatal day
when he had been torn from his shrine
there had been no incense offered tc
him, and the little wreaths of scented
yapor were sweet TO his nostrils Hi;
other trouble came through Helen. She
was constant in her devotion, occasion
ally placed flowers in tall vase be
side him, and chatted continually tc
"my little god - as she called him, hn
as vet she had never asked him to cxer
else his special gifts in her behalf
For m active god who had been strug
Cling with the adverse fortunes Of hit
worshipers all his life this lack of oc
cupation was trying. So he racked hi
brains 10 discover what her needs Nigh
be. II was through Jack that Tan sShir
received the hint of what she wanted
Jack was the most constant visitor {,
the little studio and played conspicu
Gus part in many of the condolences be
tween Helen and the god. Usually th
conversations between the two were O
no interest to him, for they used man,
words, such rs technique and "com
position which he did not understand