The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-11-01

but Day fancied that the impassivity
Of his face was broken by a quiver OF
surprise.
Did Mr.. Burdick appear to be par
ticularly concerned about any matter7
Was he troubled in mind?'
HE had that appearance" returned
Hatsu cautiously, after long thought
"In what way?" asked Day sharply.
HE talked much to himself, and he
was usually a silent man." said Hatsu
thOughtfully. ''One day. the very day
he passed out into the hands Of the
gods, l found him wandering about the
rooms, looking into hole and corner,
and he was muttering words"
what wOrdsY'
II could not make for sure, honor
able" returned the man after another
interval Of thought. but 1t seemed that
he wished to hide something. for he
said over and over that he must con-
ceal 1t, yet it must be found. Hidden
and found. hidden and found those
were his words.
Il was alarmed at his behavior, and
! ran out for help. When returned
he was stretched ON the floor of this
room senseless. and it was later in the
day that he died without a word"
"And you found nothing in the room
the thing that he might have tried
10 conceal?' questioned Day.
Nothing. excellency." returned Hat
IN.
Day dismissed him, and later in the
evening when all the servants had re-
tired to their quarters John Day made
an exhaustive search of the house. He
left the library till the last, and 1t
was long after midnight when he turn
ed into that dimly lighted room.
He looked around.
Where would he conceal a large dia-
mOnd as big as hazel nut II be had
been minded to conceal such a gem?
Under the rugs? Within the vases7
In niche Of the carving? Within that
/ grinning idol?
There were a score Of places to
choose from.
he began with the rugs, cropping
carefully over every inch Of their sur
face for the missing stone.
The rugs refused to divulge the Sc
cret.
Then the innumerabIe curfos. The
grinning idol when shaken gave back
dust OF sardalwood and a smell Of
joss sticks. The ivory elephant re-
fused to offer any hiding place.
The Kokuro vase on the mantel-
! piece
John Day looked at its graceful out
lines. There was Il gray surface traced
with delicate cherry boughs and fly
ing birds. The neck was very small
He took II down and examined 1t. The
missing diamond would never have en-.
tered that tiny Ori6ce. yet 1t must be
some " here.
Suddenly in the silent house there
came II sound.
john Day extinguished the light, re.
placed the vase and stepped behind q
carved screen.
Into the darkened room came a bent
form holding lighted lantern. The
glow Of the light showed the tense
features Of-Hatsu. the house boy.
He looked furtively around, and
then his feet led him swiftly to the
mantelpiece. where he took down the
nvKurV vase. He glanced over MS
shoulder into the dusky corners. turn
ed the vase upside down and shook II
vigorously. just rs he replaced II
there came the sound Of another step
In the room, and there was the evil
countenance Of the gardener peering IN.
| Hatsu turned, saw him, and instant
y the two men leaped for each others
throat.
} They wrestled silently. each one
| struggling for a death hold. John
Day. standing there behind the screen.
marveled at the deadly struggle.
What was It that each one desireA-
the Kokuro vase?
He stepped forward, removed the
vase from its place and slipped It In
his pocket Then as the forms remain.
ed silent en the 2oor he glanced once
at them. and. convinced that they
woUld fight It out between them, he
went upstairs to his own bedroom and
locked every door and window.
! he wrapped the vase in q cloth and
the. shattered It against the edge OF
his trunk. When he unwrapped the
brsken pieces there fell into his hands
an envelope rolled into . tube. In one
end was something round and hard.
The envelope was sealed with Bur.
dicks private seal. and On the outside
II was addressed to the firm Of jewd.
ess IN New York Of which JsAm Day
was new q member.
He slipped the sealed envelope into
hts inner pocket, and then, his search
ended, he went to the library to dis
cover that the fighting servants had
vanished. He never saw either oi
them again.
John Days trip around the world
ended there and then. he took the
next steamer for San Francisco, and
SIX weeks later he stepped into the
private Office Of his firm with Henri
Burdick's confession and the missing