The Washington herald., 1910-12-15


hung about, and there were paper flowers,
dusty and fiy-specked. upon the stand
AT the feet Of the idol was bowl fun
of ashes in which were many joss sticks.
Three were lighted. the others had burn
ed out There was also a small lamp
with a lighted wick floating on the nut
oil inspected it all very seriously.
King rummaged in his trunk. and soon.
grinning, beckOned 10 me, / went over to
him and saw, IN the tray, large, Zero
ciOus- looking mask such as are used IL
the Chinese theaters and at the
feasts OF the dead Beside 1t was
pair of huge brass cymbals and
a snake-skin tomtem. King held up the
mask.
"oh. you used to be an actor. eh'" I
said
He grinned and held the thing in front
OF his face. II certainly was horrible
He took up the cymbas and struck one
clang. Then ne put them away.
Heap good for debbil. Dive him away
quick," he said. Maybe some time l thy
him, You think sou
I laughed and went back 10 the
library, where Joy was already waiting
for me.
She was standing by the window seat
lNRhlAE NAAs NAAAAAAs III a A4eAi tf--Ar ADaN IL
thought when / entered. My footsteps
made no noise on the heavy rug. and /
thoughtlessly touched her on the shout
der before she was aware OF my ap-
proach. Absorbed in her trouble. un-
strung, the surprise startled her with
sudden irrational terror; she leaped
away as il from the touch OF a snake.
Then, seeing me, she dropped upon the
window seat. her hand upon her heart
"Oh. you frightened me So You see
how nervous | am. / didn't hear you
I'm a goose"'
took no step toward her. but stood
there gazing at her, A sudden idea had
come TO me at the sight Of her fear, and
Immediately a plan was unrolled before
me, a perfected thing, a solution OF the
problem. perhaps At my fixed. stony
attitude. however, she took new alarm
and cried out:
What is il. Chester What is it,
wait a moment" I said quietly, '1et
me think 70 out" Ny tone treasured her,
but she was still agitated as she watched
me while / turned it over in my mind.
Then / took a seat beside her.
ITS desperate chance. but il may
work"
'You have a plan?" she asked anx-
iously.
Yes"
What is it?'
4 can't tell YOU. IL will be much bet
ter for you not 10 know"
"Oh, I'm afraid not 10 know It's dread
full to be oonspiring against that poor girl
It's like plotting a murder. / can't bear
the thought Of it, You must tell me-"
1T will be hard enough for me-you
couldsnot stand it," ] said You'll have
70 trust me, for l shall save you in spite
OF yourself. But I can't share this with
you"
You'll not injure her. Chester"
How can I. when il viii be your own
face that / shall confront? 1t win be
your own voice that I shall hear. I
wonder if / can do it,
"Oh. I must know or / shan't consent"
she declared. What right have we to
destroy her, after all? She has right.
perhaps. to her life"'
Joy" l said. you must think Of it as
a dream. as I said. In our dreams we
suffer and enjoy, but so long as there is
no bridge between that and our waking
state, il need not matter to rs. What
must be done is no more than a surgical
operation. It viii restore you, l think.
to health"
But what of herr"
Smell merely disappear. She'll take
her place on the map again and join the
rest OF you"
you won't teIl me%'
81 can'tr'
She rose proudly. Then ! DO not con-
sent" she declared. Il can suffer still
I'll summon new reserves of strength
and I'll fight it out as ii has begun. III
forswear happiness, love- peace. I'll ae-
cept my fate-unul ! can stand il no
longer. Then, I have my own remedy
and I shall not be afraid to adopt il.
There's always that way out, No; I'm
stronger than you think. and it's quite
settled. Non come outdoors and let's
get some fresh air. It's like a haunted
house in here"
] tried no longer to persuade her. but
I had already decided that I would put
my plan through without her consent, If
necessary. II happened, however, that
this course was not nee essary.
We went out into the sunshine and the
fresh air and the perfume of June roses.
In front of the house she stopped and
called the collies. They came trooping
joyfully about her
where's Nokomis?'' she asked.
Hasn't Nokomis come back yet? That's
aueerr'
/ saw. then. that she had not been
told. 1t was shocking 10 have to infict
this new blow upon her. after all she
had been through, but it could do no
good to conceal the fact any longer. AS
she turned to go around 20 the stable.
I took her hand
send the dogs back ] said.
She did so, with a question in her eyes.
I took her arm and led her down toward
the turn of the lane.
"Nokomis viii never come back. JOY"
l said.
''Why?" she exclaimed. Then she saw
the answer in my eyes. and she grasped
my arm. as if she were about TO fail
oh don't say-Nokomis isn't dead?'
she whispered
1T was my fault, JOY; ! should have
had her taken away out of danger. But
was too late"
/ took her to the bed of ferns and
pointed to the dead collie still lying
there.
She ran 10 the spot and looked. aghast.
Then, dropping TO the ground, she took
Nokomis' head tenderly and laid it in
her lap
''Oh, Nokomis, Nokomisi" she mourn
ed. her little hand smoothing the ruff
fed neck aftectionately.
I told her how it had happened. and
she gaZed at me, dry-eyed. till I had fin