The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-11-24

| CLAIMED. word for the strange Japanese brain fever which is | akin to madness. 'sShe must be cared for at once." He leaned and spoke soothingly to her.
 A spasm seized Haru. "They will | none of them listen! They will none of them hstenr' she screamed in Jap anese. 'They call it the fever. and they will not hearI And tomorrow it will be too late! Are all the gods with Bersonin-San"
 At that name the admirars face changed swiftly. "Leave her with me-" he said. "and wait in the anteroom." The aid withdrew with the secreta. | ". The two callers had risen, but the admiral stayed them. "We have gone far along the road of confidence to- | night" he said in low tone. ''If you are willing we will go to the end" He bent and drew the girl to a sit ting posture.
 ''Tell us," he said gently, "what ! brought you here"
 \ As the three men listened to the swift, broken story there was no sound save the rustic of the wind outside. the clack of night watchman and the ticking of the clock on the marble mantel The crouching form. the sod den garments, the passionate intensity of the slim, clutched hand. the fire in the dark eyes-all lent effect to a nar- rative instinct with terrible truth. The ambassadors knowledge of the collo- quial was limited. but he knew enough to grasp the story's main features. 1t capped the edifice of suspicion and fur nished direful solution to what had been mysterious. Once the admiraps eyes met his. and each knew that the other believed Terrible as it's mean ing was-pohting to what black depths of abysmal wickedness-it was true!
 The admiral listened with a counte- nance that might have been carved of metal, but the faces of the others were gray white. Later was to come to both the pathos and meaning of the sacrifice this fral girl had laid on the knees of her country's gods. but for the hour all else was swallowed up in the horrifying knowledge. struck through with the sharp fact that one of the partners in this devilish enter prise, however expatriate. was of their own nation. To Daunt this was inten- sified by his own acquaintance with Phil Memories swept him of that worthless, ribald career. the evil inti- macy with Bersonin, the gradual dom- finance of the bottle, which in the end had betrayed him!
 With singular separateness of vi- sion he seemed in ightning-like fash es to see that betrayal-the blind in- fatuation. the slow enticements. the reckless. intoxicated triumph. the final surrender. He seemed to see Haru, her secret won, running, pantfng, through the wind. He saw Phil walk ing at last from his drunken slumber- to what shame and penalty? He shud- dered.
 l When the secretary entered at the crisp sound of the admiraPs bell he started at the pallid countenances in the room The Japanese girl stood trembling, half supported by the ad- miraps arm. The latter spoke in a voice that held no sign of feeling. It was to present the young man to the girl in the most formal and elaborate courtesy.
 1.-The Ojo-San deigns to be for but an hour the guest of my mean abode." he said. Instruct my karei that in that unworthy interval he may offer her august refreshment and afterward pre- pare her proper escort and conveyance. Meantime send my aid to me-"
 The secretary's gleam of astonish- ment yelled itself under oriental lashes. and tinge of color warmed the white ness of Haru's cheek. He bowed to her profoundly. As he deferentially opened the door she turned. back, swayed and sank suddenly prone in a deeQ. sweeping obeisance.