The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-11-21
THE FARMER: NOVEMBER 21. 1911
ould probe her own wound too deep


 would probe her own wound too deep ly.
 The after dinner piazza exhaled the bouquet of evening cigars and the chatter of tourists. Far below, across the gorge, lights twinkled in native doorways and shoji glimmered like Oblong yellow lanterns. The air was heavy with balsam odors, and beneath the trees, sparkling now with mean descents. tiny black moths had re- placed the sunlight flushing dragon flies. Sitting in semicircle on straw mats. the sarnisen players at length mingled their outre, twittering ca dences with the soft thunder of the water.
 As the musicians finished their last number and dropped away Patricia yawned and rose. Here she Ob- served, Sis where little Patsy puts her face and hands to bed. This noun tain air is perfectly demoralizing!" The two girls went upstairs together.
 At her own room Patsy put her arms around the>other and kissed her. sOh, I wonder if you're sure!" she said. Then she fled inside.
 Barbara threw open the window of her room and drew low stool to the balcony. "l wonderr' she said aloud With elbows on the railing and chin in hands, she looked long and earnestly into the dark void. Why was she no long able to warm to all this beauty and meaning? z,
 She started. A horse was coming up the hill, his hoofs studding softly in the loose shale. The rider dismount- ed at the porch, A moment later. crop in hand, he passed beneath her win dow. The light fell on his face. Bar bara's heart bounded and then stood still, for she recognized him.
 'There has never been another wo- man to me, Rarbarav' Mocking voices seemed to shout it satirically from the emptiness, and against the dark Ha- rus face rose up before her.
 She shivered. She went in and closed the window. drawing down the blind with a nervous haste.
 But she could not shut out that face, and in spite of herself her thoughts had their will with her. What was Daunt doing there? Patsy had said that he was in Chuzenji. But that was only a handful of miles away. He looked worn and older-he had been suffering too. She hugged this knowledge to her heart. He knew, of course, why she had ended it all. uor,, xUo1,I1 hovo told him
 She clinched her hands and began to pace up and down the room, now stopping to peer with bright, misera- ble eyes into the mirror, now throw ing herself into chair. Once she put her hand into her bosom, groping for her fathers picture. to withdraw it with an added pang, for she had forgotten. She had lost the loellet the afternoon of her drive with Patricia.
 A knock came at the door, and a bellboy handed her pelciled note.
 She read it wonderingly, then. hasti- ly smoothing her hair, went quickly along the hall to the sitting room.
 In the dimly lighted room figure came toward her from the shadow. It was Philip Ware.
 The youth who stood before her now, however, was not the Phil Bar bara had seen at Mukojima. There was no hint of spruce grooming in his attire. It was overlaid with the dust and grime of the road.
 t'So this is Phil. I have often heard of you from your brother. Have you seen him?"
 "No," he said. "T don't want him to know I'm here yet. I-I came to see you" He paused, twisting his cloth cap in his fingers.
 He was in a desperate strait. His brothers silence since his visit to the house in Aoyama (of which Phil had learned from the seryanD had seemed to mean the worst. The place had contained sufficient documents in eyi- dence as to his mode of living, and the reflection opened gloomy vistas of poverty from which he turned with abjeet fear and dread. There was one alternative, and this, grisly shadow had stalked beside him since an even ing when he had dined with Bersonin. It had peopled his sleep with terrify- ing visions which even Haru and the brandy had been unable to banish. and his waking hours had been haunted by the experts yellowish eyes. Be tween devil and deep sea. lie had heard of his brothers engagement, and the wild thought of appealing to him through Barbara had come to him as forlorn hope Now, face to face with her, he found the words difficult to say.
 "Won't you sit down?" she said, and took chair opposite him, looking al him ilquiringly.
 'T ought to apologize for a rig like this" he vent on, glancing at his SOFT! raiment, but I came in a friends mo tor, and Pm going back tonight, thought you wouldn't mind, now-noW that you are engaged to marry Austen You are. aren't you?'
 She. inclined her head. "Yes," she said slowly, 'I have promised to mar | ry him."
 "Then you know him pretty well and you know that he-that he doesn't altogether approve of me.''