The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-10-10
"Are we safe here2" asked the girl,

"Are we safe here2" asked the girl,
clinging tightly to Wendell's arm.
"As safe as anywhere in Nagasaki
just now" he replied "Sit down here
and If you do not like to look at the
image face the doorway"
He drew a number of clean white
mats from the floor and piled them be-
side one of the pillars of the temple.
"Oh, 1 like the face Of the Buddha,"
she fastened to say. at Is SO calm
and peaceful-after the storml' She
broke down and began to sob softly.
Wendell turned and went softly away.
Left to herself, he argued, she would
quickly recover her poise.
Within the thick walled temple one
heard vague rumblings of the storm.
Wendell moved slowly among the vari-
GUS smaller shrines and marveled at
the singular absence of the priests. He
decided that they had sought refuge in
some safer place, perhaps some larger
temple near by.
The votive table was laden with Of
ferings of flowers, rice and wine. On
the steps of the shrine was a small
black lacquered box Wendell picked
it up and found it to be one of those
tiny portable stoves which the Japa-
nese are fond Of using. Inside was a
small brazier of glowing charcoal. and
In one of the drawers were teacups and
tea, and In the other compartment
were tiny rice cakes. Some priest had
dropped his tea equipage In his hurried
flight.
Wendell blew the Goals into flame
put on a tiny copper water kettle and
presently made tea In the Japanese
fashion in the small porcelain bowls.
These he carried to the girl.
She was sitting up now, and he
could see her face quite clearly. She
was very lovely with wide gray eyes
and sweet mouth.
Tea" she asked incredulousIy.
He nodded And rice cakes, too If
you want them,' he said "You will
feel better afterward."
They sat together on the mats and
drank the tea and ate the priests rice
cakes. When they had finished Wen
dell dropped handful OF coins in the
box and returned 1t to the place where
he had found it.
Listening, he decided that the storm
had abated in measure and, going to
to the door, thrust his head out into
the portico The world was bathed in
glory Of golden sunshine.
Come" he called to his companion. 8
Il think we may go now"
She Joined him and cried aloud at
the Transformation. The temple garden
was In ruins. Along the roadside peo-
pie were fastening to their deserted
homes. The road was muddy.
AS Wendell helped Alice Lowell up
the hfn toward the storm beaten city,
he felt that something new had come
into his life with the typhoon Love
had come riding on the crest of the
storm. It had passed him for an In
slant, but he had caught it. He
laughed exultantly and the girl turned,
and their eyes met In long glance
When she turned her eyes away her
face was rosy, but it was not the sun
sets glow. 1t was rather the fair
morning sunshine of love.
He went with her to the hotel, where
her friends were frantically searching
for her. His meeting them and listen
ing to their thanks for his timely res
cue was like a dream. The only real
thing was the girl and himself.
As he said goodby in the hotel gar
den, he looked down into her dark blue
eyes.
you are going to be here awhilef"
he asked.
"a month";" she answered.
and l may come and see your
"Ah, hope you will!'' she cried i'm
pulsively, and then she blushed once
more
That is the reason why Ray Wendell
decided not to leave Nagasaki
On their wedding trip, year later,
they came to Nippon, and a priest
served them with tea in the temple
garden. And he told them strange
tale of the day of the great typhoon,
when the storm gods took the tea and
cakes from his cabinet and replaced
them with many yen. And Of course
Wendell filed the little drawer with
copper coins once more, telling his
wife:
''In memory of the day when met
you, dear"