Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1917-10-11

| WuSsd In k0& 16fu1S al cxsstlbS SslAI
o~s and vague murmarang sounds
| with no object in vsew save the I'm
plasahle face above them and thu
vrithing flower at its feet
Hours seemed to pass before the
faint whispers Of the last Sigh stir.
red the shadows When it had
passed over them and died away in
: shuddering moan Ayers was cry.
ing like . little child, while Long
wood stared wide eyed at the dimin-
ishing flames Of the lotus flower on
the altar.
| As If BY some magic influence the
air cleared of the swirling incense,
objects came plainly into view, and
the perfume Of the lotus flower
changed to the acrid smell Of OPT
um that clings to many Hindu tenn
pies. The lotus flower was gone,
and its palpitating beauty had Civ
en- place to the delicately tinted
bowl they had at first admired.
Ayers regained his composure and
said slowly, "Let us find Lester"
Without another word they went
through the low door and out upon
the street, where the begging priests
cringed away from their white faces.
Ayers scratched match and looked
at his watch.
"Seven o'clock. It was 6:45
when We entered" he announced
grimly.
Longwood made no answer.
A half hour later, still silent,
they found Lester at his bungalow.
He was q tall man, 1.-THE and slen-
der and not more than thirty years
Of age, yet the thick hair above his
forehead was as white as snow. His
keen dark eyes questioned them.
Ayers nodded. "We've been there,
Lester. I owe you an apology for
doubling your experience in the
temple. II it was anything like
ours"- He shuddered and threw
himself into chair.
"How did you guess we had been
there" asked Longwood, with
strange dread in his tone.
Lester swung open q door on the
inner side of which q mirror was
paneled. In ito surface they saw
reflected Ayers faxen head and pale
face and Longwood's jet black hair
with single white lock on the fore
head.
81 knew by thatw said Lester
gravely. "And-let me see your
handsp
The two men held out their
hands, palms upward.
On the thumb and forefnger Of
each right hand was q small blood
red stain shaped like the petal Of .
red lotus flower.
"You can't obliterate it," con-
tinued Lester, with a note Of pity
in his voice. ut is the lotus mark,
and every man who has laid profane
hands on the sacred bowl will carry
that mark to his grave, and it will
be an early grave, too, unless one
can cover it up. That is one way
to avoid the espionage Of those who
avenge. The other way He
paused, and his voice lowered.
s'rhe other way?" asked the two
men eagerly.
"Is to leave the country, to clear
out forever, and yet sometimes
vengeance follows unless one covers
the mark" He moved to the cup
board and took down a bottle Of
some liquid and poured a little on
his handkerchief. He rubbed the
palm of his right hand, and there
sprang into view small and per-
feet flower Of the red lotus.
owe merely touched it and went
down into hadesp breathed Ayers
heavily. "And you-you"-
81 held it in my hand and went
still farther" said Lester coolly as
he replaced the bottle and took
down another one containing
milky substance. With small
sponge he covered the palm of his
hand, and the red flower faded un.
der uniform flesh tint. "Here,
hold out your hands," he added.
"Water will not harm this cover
ing. Time will wear it of, and it
must be renewed. I will give you
the recipe. We who use it call it
our life preserver.' 1t will be yours
too"
"Why do they leave the blasted
thing exposed like that? Why isn't
there some warning that it must
not be touched?" demanded Ayers
as the red stain vanished from his
fingers.
Lester smiled. "The temple is
not for unlimited foreign devils to
enter save at their own risk. If
you had been warned of its malev-
client influence. would you have
touched the red lotus ?"