Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-01-28
The Stone
Lantern
And How Ii United Two
Families
Nv CLApISSA MAcKIE
By CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation, 1911.

The japanese servant moved noise
lessly about the studio, bringing order
out of the chaos that always followed
one of his masters busy days. The
priceless oriental rugs were straight,
ened, the window draperies carefully
adjusted to admit the fading glory of
n reflected sunset, and Nasogi vanished
from the room at the moment Ethan
Stanley entered from the adjoining
bedchamber
The young man surveyed the luxuri-
Gus appointments of the studio with a
discontinued frown on his handsome
face. With knitted brows he crossed
the room to the easel where his last
picture was hidden rs curtain.
Presently he dropped the curtain and
turned to find the Japanese standing
at attention in the doorway.
"What is 1t, Nasogi?" asked Stanley,
1.-THE telephone calls, sir" replied the
man.
"Who is itT'
'Mr. Clayton, sir"
"Ah. how are you. Bob?" Stanley
was saying over the wire. Certainly.
Delighted. Bring the whole crowd. I
was going to dine alone, but Nasogi
Is a magician and can spread feast
for dozen. Eight-thirty Good. Be
sure to bring your fiddle. Goodby.
"Nasogi, Mr.. Clayton and four friends
will dine with me tonight at $50.
There will be three ladies in the COM
pany. Can you manage it in three
hours?" He looked at his watch.
Most certainly, sir. 1t will be
ready at the hour. will go to the
market again Immediately" In an in
slant the japanese had bowed himself
from the room and Stanley was alone.
He flung himself into deep chair and
lighted pipe.
The pagoda shape of stone lantern
was outlined against the twilight
space of the window and reminded
Stanley of the gray day he had first
seen it in a neglected garden beyond
the gates of Tokyo. 1t was what he
had been looking for ever since he had
come to Japan. He might have bought
a score of stone lanterns in the orien-
tai shops of New York, but his par
ticular stone lantern must be found
by himself in some place where it had
stood--in the garden of some home or
among the ruins of temple. These
things have associations or they could
find no place in his collection.
He remembered the day, gray with a
fine mist of rain. He had bowled out
of the city with his favorite rickshaw
man between the shafts, and when the
first light shower came the runner had
turned into tiny tangled garden
among the plum trees.
AS Stanley found shelter in the We
randa he spied the stone lantern near
ly overgrown with some clinging vine.
"Who owns this houseP he asked
quickly.
The runner named a man in the
at was his daughter
who lived in the house with her hus-
band. They were newly married, and
they called 1t the abode of peace and
10y But the husband went away to
war, and he never came back The
laughter lives with her parents, an in
,OuSOidDic RluOW, anu Lie llLllG uOuSe
s place of sorrow
Stanley thought over the little trag-
sdy that had been briefly played out |
lere, and then when the rain had stop |
bed he sought the house of the owner |
Ind found it easy to purchase the |
itone lantern.
"My daughter will be glad. 1t |
,rieves her to see even distant |
glimpse of her former abode. shall |
ear down the house one day and turn
he place into a playground" said the |
lignided old gentleman.
1t was dark now, and his pipe had |
rome out. Stanley switched on the |
lectrics and then extinguished them.
lighting in their place several softly |
haded lamps
As he dressed for dinner he Won |
lered idly who the girl was that the
Jlaytons were bringing with them.
Bob had said it was friend of his
vife's, and Mrs. Clayton had so many
riends it was useless to puzzle his
ead over that The other couple were
he Testers. The Claytons and the
testers were his most intimate friends
nd had been Celia's, too, before she
nd Stanley had quarreled and sep
rated. Celia had returned to her par
nts, and Stanley had gone to Japan
nd lately had returned to occupy the
tudio alone. Under the circumstances
e rather wondered at the Claytons
ringing along a strange girl.
Years of travel and hard work had
ot softened the blow of Celia's de-
ertion after the bitter, foolish little
He had written once
ut she had never replied to it. He
ried not to think of her In that way
lone there was peace of mind.
Exactly at $50 the elevator stopped
t his floor, and Nasogi threw open
ne studio door to announce the guests.
[aud Clayton and Bessie Lester came
/ first, and close behind them was a
lird figure, at the sight of which
tanley's heart jumped into his throat
nd stayed there for awhile. Bob and
ony brought up the rear, covering the
situation with frivolous talk
nd laughter.
"Shall we take off our things in here.