The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-01-26

shoulder one hand on his bedroom
door.
Certainly! You all know the way.
Celia he found time 10 murmur as
her hand rested in BIS for brief In
slant this is II surprise-a pleasant
surprise.
u am glad you feel So" she breath.
ed quickly. They urged me to come.
and gave way to the impulse" Then
she had disappeared with the other
women. while her husband Joined the
men at the fireplace.
At table there was much curiosity
about the stone lantern ISLANDERS
has one that he picked up In the
Aomori province. II has all sorts of
a history-battle. murder and sudden
death" remarked Bob Clayton to his
| host.
Mine has more modest history"
hesitated Stanley, his eyes meeting
Celia's across the table for an instant.
1T is more of a romance. although
there is note of tragedy hidden there.
in"
"Tell it," they urged in concert. al.
thought Celia Stanley's voice was
scarcely heard.
Nasogi, with his strange intuition of
things as they should be, had arrang-
ed the table so that Celia sat opposite
her husband-in fact. 1t was her old
place as the mistress of his household,
only 1t so happened that Nasogi had
never before seen or heard of Celia.
nor did he know that his master had
wife.
Ethan Stanley looked around the ia.
BILE and with a slight stiffenng of his
shoulders proceeded to tell his guests
the story of the stone lantern.
And So" he said in conclusion, his
eyes avoiding Celia's wistful gaze. 1.-The
abode of peace and joy lies desolate
The widow, broken hearted because
her loved one did not return from the |
war, makes her home with her indul- |
gent parents. and somewhere in Man |
churia's unfriendly solitudes there lies |
the one who did not return In tn |
studio yonder is the stone lantern tina, |
lighted the garden at night when the !
plum trees were in bloom and when
the wistaria hung in long purple clus-
tiers from the trellises. The abode Of |
peace and joy has become the house
of sad memories"
There was silence then for several
moments. Even Nasogi had paused
with extended tray, his beady eyes fas.
tened on the narrator's face with un-
mistakable excitement. The conversa-
ton shifted to another topic and was
for the moment forgotten. The Japa-
nese moved noiselessly to and fro, the
impassive mask of his face now and
then breaking into queer distortions
that might be construed as expressing
joy or sorrow or mingling of both.
Before they adjourned to the studio
for coffee and while they fingered at
the table the Japanese glided from the
room. When they entered the studio
he was standing beside the lantern
his hand on the stone in
manner which in any other person
might have been construed as GEES
ture of tenderness.
Excuse" he said difIidently as he
passed from the room. Stanley saw
his face and followed him into the
lining room.
"What is the matter, Nasogi?" he
asked quickly. "Have confidence. Re.
member am your friend. Are you in {
.roubleY
A look of proud reserve froze the
emotion from the mans face: then.
With Stanley's encouraging smile, tears ,
anne into the onyx eyes. and his head
bowed humbly.
Master, the story of the abode of
oeace and joy! A soldier returned
rom the wars to claim his beloved {
wife. Ere he reached home he was !
confronted with the story that she be. s
ieved him dead and had married an
'ther, and rather than disturb his hap
'iness and because he was jealous that i.
he had cared so little for his memory
he soldier turned back and went to
he new country that in another land
lie might become wise and great and
earn to live without the love of wom-
n. And the place lie came to was
great city, and after few years
lad passed he served a new master.
ne who brought into his studio the
cry stone lantern that had once stood
n the soldiers garden in faraway Ja- !
an. The soldier recognized 1t imme-
lately, but he did not understand un-
II he heard his masters story" r
"You will want to go home at once" g
aid Stanley heartily. "Get your
Kings together. Nasogi, and start to
light. Come to me for money before
GU 60"
"When my work is DONE" said the u
ian gratefully as he began to clear o
he table.
And the lantern, Nasogl-you will
'ant to restore that to the abode of .
eace and joy?" .
Excuse said the Japanese softly
II my honorable master will keep 1t .
recollection of much happiness .
conferred upon a foolish servant 1t =,
Ill cause me gratitude. My garden
Ill have joy and peace even If 1t 4
cks the lantern" he said happily.
Mine will have the lantern. while