The Calumet news., 1911-02-14
The Stone
Lantern
And How 1t United Two
Families
By CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

priceless oriental rugs were straight
ened, the window draperies carefully
adjusted to admit the fading glory of
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 bS a curtain.
Presently he dropped the curtain and
turned to fud the japanese standing
at attention in the doorway.
"What is 1t, Nasogi?" asked Stanley.
"The telephone calls, sir" replied the
man.
"Who is it,"
"Mr. 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 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 a pipe.
The pagoda shape of stone lantern
was outlined against the twilight
space of the window and reminded
Stanley of the gray day he had first
seen 1t in n 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
tlcular 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 a
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 tiny tangled garden
where q 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 houseY he asked
quickly.
The runner named q man in the
neighborhood. at was his daughter
who lived in the house with her hus-
band. They were newly married, and
they called il the abode Of peace and
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 1t easy to purchase the
stone lantern.
"My daughter will be glad. 1t
90 taf
glimpse OF her former abode. / shall
tear down the house one day and turn
the place into a playground" said the
dignified old gentleman.
1t was dark now, and his pipe had
gone out. Stanley switched on the
electrics and then extinguished them,
lighting in their place several softly
shaded lamps.
AS he dressed for dinner he Won
dered idly who the girl was that the
Claytons were bringing with them.
Bob had said it was a friend Of his
friends 1t was useless to puzzle his
head over that The other couple were
the Testers. The Claytons and the
Testers were his most intimate friends
and had been Celia's. too, before she
and Stanley had quarreled and sep
arated. Celia had returned to her par
ents, and Stanley had gone to Japan
and lately had returned to occupy the
studio alone. Under the circumstances
he rather wondered at the Claytons
bringing along a strange girl.
Years of travel and hard work had
not softened the blow of CelIa's de-
sertion after the bitter. foolish little
disagreement. He had written once.
but she had never replied to It. He
tried not to think of her. In that way
alone there was peace of mind.
Exactly at $50 the elevator stopped
at his floor and Nasogi threw open
the studio door TO announce the guests.
Maud Clayton and Bessie Lester came
in first, and close behind them was
third figure, at the sight of which
Stanley'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.
sShall we take OF our things In bs~e
Ethanw p called Mrs. Clayton over her
shoulder, one hand on his bedroom
door.