Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-03-07

THE COMING OF AUSTEN WARE.
Dusk purpled over the rice fields as the
train sped on Still the man who had wit
messed that farewell sat crouched in his
seat in the forward car. stirless and
pallid.
AS he peered out into the glooming dusk
all kinds of thoughts raced through his
mind Who was the man? Was this the
resurrection of an old affair that he
had never guessed? No, when he left her,
Barbara had been fancy free! 1t was
either a steamer acquaintance, or one
come to quick fruition on romantic soil.
He took out cigar case and struck a
match with shaking fingers. Had it even
come to clandestine rendezvous? She
had gone ,one way, the man another?
Gradually, out of the wrack emerged
his dominant impulse, caution. He mad
many things to learn; he must find out
how the land lay. He must move slowly,
re-establish the Old easy, informal foot
ing. Above all he must lay himself open
to no chance of a definite refusal. A
plan began to take shape. His telegram
had told her he would arrive in Tokyo
next day. Meanwhile he would find out
what Phil knew.
He left the train at Yokohama under
cover of the crowd. In half-hour he
was aboard his yacht. Two hours later
he sat down to order his dinner on the
terrace of the hotel cool, unruff1ed. i'm
maculately groomed. A hundred yards
from the hotel great floating wharves had
been built out into the water. They were
gaily trimmed with bunting and electric
lights in geometrical designs. A series
of arches fianked them, and these were
covered with twigs of ground pine. Ware
had guessed these decorations were for
the European squadron of dreadnaughts,
of whose arrival today's newspapers had
been full.
AS he looked over the menu, man
sitting nearby rose and came to him
with outstretched hand. He was Com
mander DeKay, a naval attache whom
Ware had known in Europe. They had
met again. few days since, at Kyoto.
He Hospitality insisted on the others
joining his own party of Ave.
Ware was not gregarious, and tonight
was in a sullen mood. But with his ha-
bitual policy, he thrust this beneath the
surface and in another moment was bow
ing to the introducticns: Baroness Stro-
loft, her sister, chic young matron
whose natural habitat seemed to be Paris;
the ubiquitous and popular Count Voy-
Mich, and a staturesque American girl.
whose name Ware recognized as that OF
clever painter of Japanese children.
80 you have just arrived, Mr.. Ware?'
the baroness said II hope you're not
one of those terrible two-days-in- Japan
tourists who spoil all our prices for us.
''I expect to stay a month or more, he
said. And as for prices, l shall put up
as good a battle as / can"
The talk flew briskly hither and
thither, Swimming the froth of the capi-
tails causerie: recent additions to the
official set, the splendid new ball room
at the German embassy, and the increas-
ing Importance of Tokyo as diplomatic
center-the coming imperial Cherry
Viewing Garden Patry." the annual pal
ace duck hunt at the Shin uma pre-
serve. and-at last!-the arrival of the
new beauty at the American embassy.
"A real oner' commented Voynich,
screwing his eye-glass in more tightly
And that means something In the tour
list season.
Wares fingers flattened on the stem
of his glass of yellow chartreuse as the
artist said: I'VE are in the throes of a
new sensation at present, Mr.. Ware;
case of love at first sight. It's really a
lot rarer than the novelsts make out.
you know We are all tremendously
interestedr'
"Rut he knows her." said voynich.