The daily Alaskan., 1912-10-22

iHs u | hat ut tlaIeu
 "Certalnly. O-uonu," said cordially. Remember if nothing happens ! shall want you back again"
 "Yes, master. 1T nothing happens"
 He made obelsauce and left the room. went out into the peaceful quiet of Che moOnlit garden aud pondered what O-1onu had said Co me. knew that for these Aslatics the earth. air and water are people with good and evil spirits Demons haunt the groves and springs, and the night brings forth a thousand terrors to the tlmid mind
 So there was the fox woman who had frightened my servant so badly If | walked in the cedar grove would | meet her or must be an oriental to see with his eyes and to be affected by hts evl splrltsy
 So ! walked through the tiny garden of the Lousc had lenspd ! threaded Che maze uf miniature flower beds, stepped over baby streams, brushed past dwarfed trees. until | came Co the bamboo fenre that had a gate in lt
 Through the gate passed into a back lane much used by uadespeople and bordercl on either side toy straight young pear trees
 The moon shUne down through Che trees. and the leaves hlckered on the path under my feet fresh sweet breeze brushed my cheek lt was ali very beautiful and peaceful One did not want Co think Of fox women or other evil demons on night like this.
 The pear bordcred Iane ended in the grove of dark cedars, nnd l entered the grove with an involuntary thrill, for thc moon only threaded the thick foliage here and there and made a delicate tracpry of light on the slip pery needles underfOot
 When the trees had closed quite around me l. was prepared for almost anything Co happen except what really did happen.
 An at once | was conscious that l was not alone Some living thing was near me, something that moved and brcathed and had life.
 | looked down and saw nothing
 looked up and saw the moonlight Altering through Che boughs. looked Co the right Of me-uothlng. I whlrled around to the left-nothlugl And yet I could have sworn something disap. peared beyond my reach with every movement l made.
 I spread out my arms and whirled Ike a dervlsh and some sound came out of the dim grove of cedars. It sounded Ike a soft chuCkle.
 paused then and argued with my self against the cold terror that was creeping up my spine In spite of the strong common sense | thought ] pos sCssed.
 Something was in the grove with me. What it was ! would discover even h | had to gaze upon tbe face of the fox woman herself If the fox woman was a spirit. she would be cold and dead and HfcIcss. She would not be warm and breathing and vital as was the person or thing that was near me.
 l would fud out
 WhIstIing carelessIy I walked slowly on and almost instantly | felt the pres euCe close beside me again. Now ! was sure that it walked behind and as we were coming to an open moonllt space waited until we reached it Then | turned suddenly and looked.
 And | saw the fox woman. She had the form Of a graceful woman and her gown was rich with gold embroidery. She wore queer sort of silk hood and from thc hood there pcered her face. It was dreadful | cannot describe t but when ! looked upon it ! knew she was the foy woman. the evil spirit who had inspired such terror In the heart of my simple servant | did not blame him.
 ] was scared myself
 Then with a sudden Impulse [ grasp ed her arm and H was warm Hesh be meath the sUapn Sleeve She struggled to free herself. but [ held on and drew her into the moonlight | tore od the sIkcn hood. and with lt came her aw fuI face.
 Then there shrank before me the form 0f a frightened Japanese woman not n spirit hut a woman in The flesh | made her turn her face Co the moon. light and then ! smiIed
 For it was O Houu's pretty wife who had SO frightened ms In the horrid dis guise
 She wpni st0rmiIy when | approached her Her pride was injured that ! should have unmaskcd her Al last she sw0re me Co secrecy and told me the story.
 It seems that OHonu had smiled upon a pretty servant maid in my house. and his wife was intensely jealous She had masqueraded as the fox woman, hoping that he would be frightened and take lt as a warning not to dirt with the pretty servant She had frightened him and was stlll finger ing iu the grove watching to see lf he would hasten to his home when l bad come forth and surprised her.
 She had taken me for her husband. F,r ,-95 y-sor}D- Touauasn cloak