New-York tribune., 1911-02-19


things doubly sure. You know | am older than you
And of course the young woman bowed 20 the lutg
ment of the elder according to the time honored u
in Japan
60. when a little after midnight officer led IL
- Korean woman into the empty cabin the wife d
Charmed Life was waiting for them. On the ben1
beside her a candle was burning 1t picked out Il
pale features OF the woman who sat waiting, lnldl
gngerly as if afraid The cabin had no other furnitrr
than the rude wooden bench. II had no wooden hct
but plain, cool, hard earth.
After the exchange Of formal salute. the officer e
the two in the uncertain light OF The g candle
When she heard the steps Of the officer outside th
cabin, the korca1 sunk to her knees on the earno
floor prostrating all the Korean prisoners were W
to do in the primitive courts OF their own country. TX
wife of Charmed Life stepped to her at once, bove
ceremoniouSV; then seeing that the Korean did nc
lift her head from the earthen floor touched her shoI
der with the tip OF her pink finger hen her pale ie
lures tense and drawn second ago, melted ~ the darn
est of smiles in the world She turned hlr open har
palm upward and motioned the prisoner 90 the ben
on which she had been keeping company with the sol
ary candle. Courtesy Is courtesy, and nowhere shol
it put on its holiday costume more Scrupuousy thai
on field of honor She was Young, this S,uda woman
she was of the New Nippon. All the same 1t was in BE-
blood the centuries OF her Samurai training II 9ene-
could not be washed away from ones nature within
generation
The Korean woman lifted up her head but seeme
wonder struck; no light of understanding was IN he
eyes.
"The bench, said the wife Of CharueI Life -Voa'
you deign to hang your honorable waist Bowing *
waved the prisoner once more with h.r open pan
toward the bench.
The Korean woman was dumb with mazement
the meaning of the Japanese woman broe slowly up@
her understanding. Without a word -He shook d.
head from side to side and prostrated herself once moe
THE wife of Charmed Life resumed her seat bes'a
the Pickering candle. She said 90 The Korea
"Have you dagger!
The Korean raised her head and stared.
"The dagger, is it in your girdle' repeated u'
avenger
"No,' answered the Korean, and her voice We
steady calm, unafraid. "No, the dagger the oifCg5'
took away from me, the dagger with your Husbands
blood"
~You are unarmed, then''
"Yes"
"Here then, take this" and, walkirt over to "oet
the Korean sat, the young woman Offered her @ SDo.
dagger The Korean did not take il; be only stare
at it, SpeecheSS
"Deign to take it. 1t is OF the same t.mper as inint
Seer SO saying, the wife of Charmcd Life pulled ~
her dagger from her own girdle, unshca1i boh o~o'
so that the Korean might Judge with 90 own eve
"But why-why should take the -gerf / am, am
die at your hand this night said the Aorean SiiiP!
"But you must! And deign to rise. ..
"Why?' and in the steady voice OF Oh, Korean "'"
a note Of defiance.
Il am not your cXeCutioncr.
"But YOU are to avenge the death of your man. eve
as | have done last night-ah, how deeply my d'SS'
struck home" said the Korean .,
ayes, am to avengc, yes. Take the lager. u,
"But why? | am ready to die ! have done y.
work. am satisfied Do your Will Her gHe
as defiant as her voice 81 don't wan, he dagsS -,
"But have told you am no eNecuuon,r ana V~
the exccutioner strikes at the unarucd l)iShono -
sword by striking you defenSeleSs' Never axe w
dagger Make haste! Rise and face me- My ei"~t
must be armed and ready when strike. .stxo
and from III,
"Take the dagger" said the avengcr 'mpaten"ss s'
"No, nor slowly, doggedly. Il don want IT, ~