Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-01

ply and suppose | have shocked his
sense of propriety. You know there is
so much ceremony involved in the in
terchange of letters in this country
that l am continually getting myself
in hot water in that respect" Lane
Wendell smiled ruefully
81 don't see how the Jap could take
offense ut n kindly inquiry. no matter
how unceremoniously It was framed"
protested Jessup. rising and stretching
his form luxuriously.
You don't know EN-" declared Wen
dell. also rising. Come on and take Il
walk with me-"
Perhaps we will run across your
missing Jinrlkisha man"
mo such good luck"
Their idle strolling led them along
pleasant thoroughfare into the open
country. Here. at the parting Of two
ways, they met a peasant girl. a seller
of bamboo baskets. who looked at them
from calm, childish eyes. She held
forth d round basket and spoke softly
in the vernacular which Wendell I'M
derstood
Honorable sirs, have here the root
OF the moon lotus. VIII you not be
pleased to buy?'
your flowers look dead. o Blossom
of the Plum" said Wendell courteously.
They are only sleeping, my lord"
said the maid timtdly.
"Incrediblew murmured Wendell.
Pardon my exceedingly bad man
ners, oh, honorable sirs," she humbly
begged, "but pray which one OF you
is the iIlustrious American, Mister
Wendell?"
"She has probably followed US from
the hotel" said Wendell in English
as he gave her his card, upon which
was inscribed his name in both Eng
lish and Japanese characters.
Il am deeply grateful for your kind
| ness TO Il most unmannerly girl" she
| murmured as she presented the basket
to Wendell. She did not look at the
! coin he gave her, but dropped 1t In
i her wide sleeve, and with a pretty
! obeisance clattered away on her wood
en- clogs.
what do you make of it. JessupT"
said Wendell as they turned back to-
ward the city.
~ won't be ass enough to say you've
made conquest, for it was a most
businesslike proceeding. You're sure
there isn't bomb concealed in that
basket?'
Wendell peered within. Nothing
except the plant and a slip of paper
with japanese characters-probably
the directions for causing this magic
plant to bloom"
She called 1t moon lotus didn't
she?" asked Jessup late that evening
as he Joined Wendell in the latters
apartment.
Yes. I've read the directions. They
are simple. All we have to do is to
submerge the whole plant in warm
water. set it in the moonlight and
wait for results. Here's a copper dish
and I've ordered a jar of warm water
-ah, here it comes now"
They waited until the servant had
left the room and then Wendell wheel
ed a small table into the moonlight
that streamed through the open win
dow. He filed the shallow copper
dish with warm water and plunged
the bottom. Then he put out the lamp
and drew a chair beside Jessups, close
to the table.
Now let us see what will happen
he said with a note Of curiosity in his
voice.
The moonlight streamed full on the
copper dish and showed the plant
lying dankly in the bottom. In few
minutes, however, there seemed to be
a movement there as il the plant was
stirring.
Presently something writhed up and
unfoIded into a green lotus pad; an
other came and another. Then from
their midst there shot up brown bud
threaded with paleness that gradually
unfolded into a great pearly lotus bios
som that lay on the green leaves like
a fair pearl in its casket.
$50 that is the moon lotus" muir
INJURED Wendell 1T is very wonder
ful-surely a symbol Of resurrection"
what a wonderful little people they
are" was Jessup's tribute to the magic
Of the rapid evolution of the living
flower from the dormant roots. Wen
dell-what is that?' Jessup pointed a
quivering finger at the heart of the
moon lotus.
Wendell, who had been searching his
memory for clue to the identity OF
the basket girl whom he was sure he
had seen before that day, pulled him
self together and looked.
/ My pearlr' he cried in an swed
tone.
And from the center of the waXen
leaves Of the moon lotus he rever
emily picked the large pearl which had
been stolen from him a fortnight be
fore.
Verify. the ways Of the japanese
are as delicately Intricate as theiI
carvings" commented Jessup. as they
parted for the night.
But Wendell made no answer A.
last he had recollected where he had
seen the basket girl She was non,
other than the beautiful daughter o.
that prince Of the mikado's court from
whom he had once purchased the gem
!