The Calumet news., 1911-02-14

and l 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. 'Blanders
has one that he picked up In the
Aomori province Ii has all sorts of
a history --battle, murder and sudden
DEATH" remarked Bob Clayton to his
host.
"AIine has a more modest history"
hesitated Stanley, his eyes meeting
Celia's across the table for an instant.
1T is more of romance, although
there Is n 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, 1t was her old
place as the mistress Of his household.
only it so happened that Nasogi had
never before seen or heard Of Celia,
nor did he know that his master had a
wife
Ethan Stanley looked around the ia
BILE 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, his
eyes avoiding Celia's wistful 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 yonder 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
with extended tray. his beady eyes fas-
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
impassive 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.
"Excuse!" he said difIdently as he
passed from the room. Stanley saw
his face and followed him into the
dining room.
what is the matter, Nasogi" he
asked quickly. "Have confidence. Re-
member l am your friend. Are you in
trouble?o
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-
lieved him dead and had married an
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