Putnam patriot., 1911-01-27
The Stone
Lantern
And How 1t United Two
families
By CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1871.
By CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
ciation 1911

The japanese servant moved noise
lessly about the studio, bringing order
but 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
discontinued frown on his handsome
face. With knitted brows he crossed
the room to the easel where his last
picture was hidden ht a curtain.
Presently he dropped the curtain and
turned to fluid the japanese standing
at attention in the doorway.
What is it. NasogiT' asked Stanley
THE telephone calls, SIR replied the
man.
who is it,"
mir. Clayton. sir.
"Ah. how are you. Bob?" Stanley
was saying over the wire. Certainly
Delighted. Bring the whole crowd. l
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
boursY He looked at his watch.
Most certainly. sir. 1t will be
ready at the hour. l will go to the
market again immediately Ia an in
sstant the japanese had bowed himself
from the room and Stanley was alone
He flung himself into a deep chair and
lighted a 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 a 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 BOWED our
of the city with his fayorite riekshaw
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 asserted
among the plum trees.
As Stanley found shelter in the We
randa he spied the stone lantern near
~ overgrown with some clinging vine
.Who owns this houseT he asked
quickly.
The runner named man in the
neichborhood ut was his daughter
who lived in the house with her nus
band. They were newly married. and
they called it the abode of peace and
low 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 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. 1t
grieves her to see even distant
glimpse of her former abode. shall
tear down the house one day and turn
TIE place into a playground" said the
dignified old gentleman.
1t was dark now, and his pipe had
gore out. Stanley switched on the
eiectrics and then extinguished them,
Ilyhting in their place several softly
shaded lamps.
As he dressed for dinner he Won
Aered idly who the girl was that the
Claytcns We're bringing with them
Bob had said il was a friend of his
wife's. and Mrs. Clayton had SO many
friends il was useless to puczie his
head over that The other couple were
the Testers. The Claytons and the
Testers were his most'i1tinate friends
and had been Celias, too, before she
and Stanley had QUAR- 81 and sep
arated Celia had returned 10 her par
ents. ana Stanley had gone 10 Japan
and lately had returned to occupy the
studio alone. Under the circumstances
he rather wondered at the ClaytonS
bringing along strange girl.
Years of travel and hard work had
not softoncd the blow of Celia's de-
sertion after the bitter. foolish little
tlisagreemeHt He had written once
hut she had never replied to II. He
tried net TO think Of her. In that way
alona there WIS peace OF mind.
Exaetl,. 1T $50 the elevator stopped
at his dooy. and Nasogi threw open
the stu,lia Cccr to announce the guests.
Maud CIasson and Bessie Lester came
ii first. ard close behind them was a
third figure. at the sight of which
SANKEY'S heart jumped into his throat
and stayed there for awhile. Bob and
Tony brought up the rear. covering the
aWkward situation with frivolous talk
and laughter
Shall we take off our things In here.
MANI" called Mrs. Clayton over her
ohIalder, one hand on his bedroom
d6oe.
sYerrainly, You all know the way.
ca he found time to murmur as
~ hand rested in his for brtef IN