The Detroit times., 1914-01-03
CHAPTER w.
Sarasvati

4
shadow. The stars had gone out
passing silently like sentinels whose e
watch is done, and the frail sickle
OF the moon dropped behind the hills. y
leaving the world TO last hour OF
rest The very air slept. No breeze
stirred the sacred pool. whose surface
stretched gray and sullen beneath the
! deserted sky, and the leaves OF the
/ Do-rees at the waters edge hug
hung silent in the waiting hush
/ which precedes the dawn Darknons
painted itself on darkness. N
mighty pillars OF the temple thrCwM
thelr deeper shadow against the ~
! 1lgnled heaven eftti at their base niJIf
fingered sable and impenetrah&;
only In the midst OF the watefBx
single spark OF light shone out annie
lhe gloom. The pool caught the -
necuon and drew il into its depth
where 1t glowed somberly like the re-
eye or some monster hidden bo1OW
The placid surface. Majestic and op4
pressive. the gopuras rose up Oh
| either hand and watched the Distant
horizon for the first heralds OF the
coming day. And at their feet the
sanctuary lay wrapped in dreamlessl
| slumber.
Two men came out OF the black
shadows by the great gateway. They
crossed the first court and without
! speaking reached the waters edge.
where barge lay moored They en-
tered and cast of, and the younger of
the two took the oars and rowed to-
ward the island shrine whose lights
signaled to them through the dark.
ness. And still the silence remained
unbroken save for the soft glirgle of
the water against the gunwale and
the splash OF the oars as they sent
long ripples over the sleeping pool.
Presently the rover stopped and
rested for a moment, his face lifted
to the sky.
Surely there is no silence like this
In the world" he said In a whisper.
ut seems a living thing"
The Spirit OF Generations untold
| oroods here at daybreak," his COM
panion returned POLITICALLY. Are you
afraid?"
The other answered with a laugh.
OF what? Was / afraid last night
when those devils brushed against
us? And what is there to fear, after
all-Death=2- Mell-we- all die Il
He rowed on. and the elder man
smiled grimly to himself in the dark
| ness.
You are young, and the young are
always tired of life" he observed in
his cultural tones. "But here II Is
not death we fear--a thing more
subtle than death"
Fate. perhaps? | feel her very
! close to one here"
she Is with you always-in your
own heart. But you know her not.
Your soul sleeps, and sees not her
greater sister. But in such hours as
these she awakes-and knows" The
speaker stretched out his powerful
arms. ut is good when she awakes
IF only for a little.' he said. Then
Is God in u.s."
Hurst nodded absently. The blood
red eye drifted past them. and he
watched IL in fascinated silence. An
icy breath. which seemed to rise from
the stagnant water, brushed his
cheek. "A moment later the keel
grated against the ground Yet he
did not move. He looked across at
his companion, whose bearded face
had become family visible in the new
mysterious brightness of the atmos-
phere. And he laughed again, but the
laugh no longer sounded so harsh.
/ There was a note OF uncertainty in IL
which he strove to suppress with an
angry Impotence.
Il believe-after ALL am afraid"
he said grimly Tell me what you.
see. What is behind me? / tell you,
my nerves gone-God knows why.
This silence--this atmosphere "a
worse than hundred OF those devils
| orgies. What are you looking at"
Hetlig made no answer. He crossed
the space dividing them, and took the
younger man by the shoulders.
Look yourself!" he said In sharp
undertone Are you a coward?"
Hurst turned slowly. He felt the
ghostly light upon his face, and vet
for moment he looked away. fearing
ne knew not what, overwhelmed by
the instructive recognition Of a re-
fefttfcss destiny which stood and
waited. Then he raised his head. I'm
mediateiy before him rose the rocks
against which their barge had struck.
and above them the graceful outline
or the island shrine. The door stood
open. Like a picture painted on a
canvas OF darkness. he saw the faded
golden walls. the low altar upon
whose bejeweled table an idol. cross
legged and bearing Sivas sacred tri.
dent. sat In threatening supremacy
single lamp hung from the center
| or the low roof; its subdued light 1T
! up the gods loathsome features and
sank like a crimson haze upon the
altar steps, where countless lotus
blossoms lay massed In dying lowell
ness.
Hurst saw these things unconscious
ly--as details In some dream whose
central figure held him spellbound. be-
lreft OF thought. almost OF emotion Sa-
rasvati knelt before the altar, her
back TO IT, her face turned TO the open
doorway, her eyes fixed sightlessly on
the dark waters beyond As though
the lotus blossoms had exhaled their
spirit into a wOman's form, she rose
from out their midst. Whitehead. una
dorned save for the flowers which
crowned the dark glory of her hair
and fell In garlauds from about her
shoulders into her unconscious hands
Her face was little raised her
lips, cut in lines OF nobL
were little parted, as though she
'thirsted Yet her eyes were dead
They stared out from the perfect oval