Connecticut western news., 1911-03-02

stant, ''this Is a surprise-a pleasant surprise"
 'I am glad you feel so,' she breath ed quickly. They urged me to come, and gave way to the impulse" Then she had disappeared with the other women, while her husband joined the men at the fireplace.
 At table there was much curiosity about the stone lantern. "Flanders has one that he picked up in the Aomori province. It has all sorts of a history-battle, murder and sudden death" remarked Bob Clayton to his host.
 '"Mine has a more modest history" hesitated Stanley, his eyes meeting Celia's across the table for an instant. "It Is more of a romance, although there Is a note of tragedy hidden there in"
 Tell it." they urged in concert, al- thought Celia Stanley's voice was scarcely heard.
 Nasogi, with his strange intuition of things as they should be, had arrang- ed the table so that Celia sat opposite her husband-in fact, it was her old place as the mistress of his household, only 1t so happened that Nasogi had never before seen or heard of Celia, nor did he know thRt his master had a wife
 Ethan Stanley looked around the ta- ble and with a slight stiffening of his shoulders proceeded to tell his guests the story of the stone lantern.
 "And so," he said in conclusion, bis eyes avoiding Celia's wistfuI gaze, ''the abode of peace and joy lies desolate. The widow, broken hearted because her loved one did not return from. the war, makes her home with her indul- gent parents, and somewhere in Man churia's unfriendly solitudes there lies the one who did not return. In the studio wonder is the stone lantern that lighted the garden at night when the plum trees were in bloom and when the wistaria hung in long purple clus- ters from the trellises. The abode of peace and joy has become the house of sad memories"
 There was silence then for several moments. Even Nasogi had paused " tened on the narrator's face with un- mistakable excitement. The conversa- ton shifted to another topic and was for the moment forgotten. The Japa- nese moved noiselessly to and fro, the impass1ve mask of his face now and then breaking into queer distortions that might be construed as expressing joy or sorrow or a mingling of both.
 Before they adjourned to the studio for coffee and while they fingered at the table the Japanese glided from the room. When they entered the studio he was standing beside the lantern rubbing his hand on the stone in a manner which in any other person might have been construed as a ges- ture of tenderness.
 "Excusei' he said diffidently as he passed from the room. Stanley saw his face and followed him into the dining room.
 What is the matter, NasogiT he asked quickly. Have confidence. Re member I am your friend. Are you in troubleP
 A look of proud reserve froze the emotion from the mans face; then, with Stanley's encouraging smile, tears came into the onyx eyes, and his head bowed humbly.
 Master, the story of the abode of peace and joy! A soldier returned from the wars to claim his beloved wife. Ere he reached home he was confronted with the story that she be- 
 other, and rather than disturb his hap piness and because he was jealous that she had cared so little for his memory the soldier turned back and went to the new country that in another land he might become wise and great and learn to live without the love of wom- an. And the place he came to was a great city, and after a few years had passed he served a new master, one who brought into his studio the very stohe lantern that had once stood ip the soldiers garden in faraway Ja- pan. The soldier recognized 1t imme- diately, but he did not understand un- til he heard his masters story"
 "You will want to go home at once," said Stanley heartily. Get your things together, Nasogi, and start to- night Come to me for money before you go."/
 -'When my work is done" said the man gratefully as he began to clear the table.
 And the lantern, Nasogi-you will l want to restore that to the abode of | peace and joy?"
 Excuse" said the Japanese softly. l "If my honorable master will keep it as a recollection of much happiness l he conferred upon a foolish servant it will cause me gratitude. My garden will have joy and peace even if 1t | lacks the lantern," he said happily.
 Mine will have the lantern, while | it lacks joy and peace" said Stanley | rather bitterly.
 But Celia's hand was thrust through |