Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-29
The Argus Daily Short Story
The Red Lotus-By Clarisso Mackie.
Copyrighted. 1870 by Associated Literary PresA
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! impassive idol In the niche, as If seek
ing some explanation of the mysterious
sound and the strange influence that
seemed to rob them OF all vitality-to
leave them helpless and inert before
the inscrutable face.
Between the feet of the squatting
god was a small bowl Of some strange
substance in the form Of the beautiful
red lotus flower of the east. In turn
| they touched it with their fingers and
| admired its beauty. When it was
again on the altar their gaze chung to
| II, and as they looked the petals seem
| ed to expand and float on the misty
vapor as on some quiet, gray bosomed
lake. Again the long sigh swept over
them and with it breath of exquisite
perfume from the lotus flower.
With a mighty effort Longwood tore
| his gaze away from the flower and
made toward the place where he be-
| lieved the door to be. Ayers followed
with laborious painting breaths as one
who battled against heavy waves.
! Solid walls evaded their eager search
always the curling. clinging vapor. re-
ceding. advancing in larger pillows I'M
til. choking and gasping. they found
themselves once more at the feet of
The god. where petals of the lotus flow.
er writhed and twisted like tongues of
rosy fame.
Once more the strange whispering
sigh swept over them, a sigh heavy
with ominous foreboding. 1t died
away and was repeated, and then fell
the oppressive silence.
IA 1T
'If it comes once more shall go mad"
| he breathed hoarsely.
ut will come once more. There IS
the name, you know-the Temple of
the Five Signs. There must be one
more" Longwood's voice was tense
i with restrained emotion.
And so they listened in the silence,
with the heavy perfume Of the red To-
tus encompassing them like rosy
cloud, until they seemed to stand to-
| gether isolated from the world in the
midst of eddying shadows and vague
murmuring sounds, with no object in
| view save the implacable face above
them and the writing flower at its feet.
Hours seemed to pass before the
faint whispers of the last sigh stirred
| the shadows. When it had passed
over them and died away in a shudder-
| ing moan Ayers was crying like little
child, while Longwood stared wide
| eyed at the diminishing flames of the
lotus flower on the altar.
AS If by some magic influence the air
cleared of the swirling incense. objects
came plainly into view, and the per-
| fume of the lotus flower changed to
the acrid smell of opium that clings to
many Hindu temples. The lotus flow
er was gone. and it's palpitating beauty
had given place to the delicately tinted
| bowl they had at first admired.
Ayers regained his composure and
| faced his companion with defiant eyes.
"You may believe me to be a fool,
| Longwood," he began, when the other
| interrupted him. II know. too" he
said slowly. LET US find Lester"
Without another word they went
through the low door and out upon the
street, where the begging priests cring
ed away from their white faces and
| where the solitary lanterns dotted the
blackness of the street. Ayers scratch
ed a match and looked at his watch.
Seven o'clock. 1t was Gas when we
entered" he announced grimly.
Longwood made no answer.
A half hour later, still silent, they
| found Lester at his bungalow. He
was a tall man, 1.-THE and slender and
not more than thirty years of age, yet
| the thick hair above his forehead was
| as white as snow. His keen dark eyes
| questioned them.
| Ayers nodded. We've been there.
Lester. 1 owe you an apology for
| doubling your experience in the tenn
| pie. If it was anything ike ours
He shuddered and threw himself into
| a chair.
How did you guess we had been
there?" asked Longwood. with a
strange dread in his tone
Lester swung open a door on the in
ner side of which a mirror was pam
eled. In it's surface they saw reflect
ed Ayers flaxen head and pale face
and Longwood's jet black hair with a
single white lock on the forehead.
Il knew by that said Lester grave
Is. "And-let me see your hands,"
Tho two men hold nfit THAR hands