The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-06-12

shove the tops Of some black ana
ragged cedars on q distant hill, and 1t
would be some time before its silver
rays touched the surface OF the lake
to awaken into life the closed buds Of
the moon lotus.
There was the chirrup Of countless
insects in the garden grasses, the cry
Of an owl, the slipslipping of straw
sandaled feet on the matted floors
within as the servants went to and
fro. After a while those sounds died
away in a burst of happy laughter
from the kitchen entrance and disap-
peared down q hedged lane.
The moon rose rapidly. Russell
strolled down to the shore Of the lake
and threw himself on q white marble
bench. In his white clothes he be-
came part of the snowy bench.
The magic Of the moon lotus was
working.
There came a whispering rustic az
Of the opening of hundreds Of flower
petals. but he derided the fancy. With
one Idle hand he could have touched
the nearest lotus had he wished.
The moon flooded the lake, and even
- he gazed the dark patches OF
leaves and buds stirred and almost
imperceptibly their appearance chang
ed. Where all had been darkness was
now a field of pink bloom and there
was q heavily sweet fragrance on the
air.
At that moment Russell Lane de-
clared he would believe anything he
saw-and yet, almost instantly, his
credulity was strained to its utmost.
There came a soft sigh near at hand.
His eyes shifted from the lake to the
bank beside his bench.
A girl was standing there, half
poised on the shore of the lake, one
foot on the low stone coping, her
hands clasped loosely before her. She
was slender and dark-haired and garb-
ed in loose Japanese robe Of some
pale shimmering fabric that seemed
woven of the white moonlight and the
pale pink of the lotus blooms. Rus
sell could see her profile. for she. too.
was gazing in rapt delight at the
phenomenon of the enclosing of the
moon lotus.
She had not seen him-she was en-.
tirely oblivious of his presence.
Who was she? The spirit Of the
moon lotus made visible for one magic
hour? Russell looked at the pale
robed form and then at the pink glory
Of the blossoms.
In the second that his attention was
diverted she saw him and shrank back
with a startled exclamation and he
knew that she was flesh and blood
and Of his own race. Instantly he was
upon his feet and apologizing for
frightening her.
1T was too beautiful to disturb by
mere words" he explained. "The
Whites are away this evening and told
me Of the opening Of the flowers; It
Is rare sight"
yes, indeed" she said in a soft,
deep voice that matched the dar..,
beauty of her eyes and the creamy
loneliness Of her skin. II live next
door to the Whites and I have just re.
turned from Toxic. I thought the gar
den was deserted, and I could not re.
sist coming over to see the lotus
blooms"
'They tell me that there Is a legend
connected with the opening of the
moon lotus"
It was on the tip Of Russell's tongue
to give utterance to this daring re.
mark. but at that moment the girl
turned and her foot slipped on the
stone coping. She would have fallen
In among the lotus flowers IL he had
not caught her in his arms.
For an instant they looked In each
others eyes, and in the brief interval
each one realized that the fate meted
out to every maid and bachelor who
looks upon the enclosing Of the moon
lotus was theirs.