Rock Island Argus., 1911-01-18
The Argus Daily Short Story
The Stone Lantern-By Clarissa Maclie
Copyrighted. ls1o by Associated Literary Press

The Japanese servant moved noise
Iessly 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
q 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
discontented frown on his handsome
face. With knitted brows he crossed
the room to the easel where his last
picture was hidden hS a curtain.
Presently he dropped the curtain and
turned to fud the Japanese standing
at attention in the doorway.
What is it. Nasogi:" asked Stanley.
The telephone calls, sir" replied tho
man.
"Who is it?''
"Ir. Clayton, SIR
"Ah, how are you, BobT" Stanley
was saying over the wire. Certainly
Delighted Bring the whole crowd.
was going to dine alone. but Nasogi
is a magician and can spread a feast
for a 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. L 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 q pipe.
The pagoda shape of a 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
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 a tiny tangled garden
where a small house stood deserted
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 houser he asked /
quickly.
The runner named a man in the
neighborhOod. 1T was his daughter 4
who lived in the house with her hus- /
band. They were newly married. and .
they called il the abode OF peace and 1
Joy But the husband went away to /
war. and he never came back. The !
daughter lives with her parents, an in /
consolable widow, and the little house
is a place of sorrow"
Stanley thought over the little trag-
edy that had been briefly played out
here, and then when the rain had stop
ped he sought the house of the owner
and found it easy to purchase the
stone lantern
my daughter will be glad. II
grieves her to see even "A distant
glimpse of her former abode. / shall
tear down the house one day and turn
the place into a playground" said the
dignifed old gentleman.
It was dark now. and his pipe had
gone out Stanley switched on the
Aectrics aud then extlnguished them,
lighting in their place several softly
shaded lamps.
As he dressed for dinner he won
dered Idly who the girl was that the
Clsytons were bringing with them.
Bob had said Il was q friend of his
wtfe's. and Mrs. Clayton had so many
friends II was useless 70 puzzle his
head over that The other couple were
he Testers. The Claytons and the
Lsstars were his most ultimate friends