The Washington times., 1919-02-05

ture framed in black lacquer, a picture
not painted or printed, but wrought
with vari-colOred bits Of jade and
coral.
And in the middle Of the wall oppo-
site her on a high table sat a gold
Buddha- Before him was a bowl OF
water upon which seemed to hoat gold
lotus blossoms. and In which swan
wide-tailed gold hsh from Nippon
Two slender tapers burned At the
sides Of the bowl and nlaments OF
smoke curled upward before the deep
ly placid face Of the golden god. She
stepped toward him and her move
ment set in motion a tinkiy set Of
bells, golden bo-leaves see to dangle
against suspended pieces OF glass.
Her study Of the Orient had been
careful and she knew that this was
no ordinary Buddha to be picked up
in a japanese eurio store. There was
no boss upon his forehead. She knew
that here was a shrine of one who
held to the higher faith and the more
deathlike devotion of those who fol;
low in the path Of the Great Southern
Vehicle OF Buddhism
Against the wall at the side Of the
Buddha and in the corner farthest
from the two high windows was
huge cabinet. Carved from the heavy
wood OF the teak tree, It had been
cunningIy and laboriously wrought
into a landscape counterfeiting an
iris garden, the blossoms Of the
plants themselves standing ont in
bold relief to serve as handles for
the door.
Captivated By the beauty OF the
room she had ali but forgot her own
predieament when, looking behind a.
low screen in the corner, she saw a
Regaining her wit she called ''Main
39OO."
As she waited there was a noise
behind her. She turned in time to see
the man who had been a chauffeur
a little while before now dressed in
the gorgeous raiment OF a mandarin
crossing rapidly toward her. In an
other instant he had seized her hands,
had replaced the telephone receiver
on its hook and then had wrapped
his powerful arms about her.
Neither her struggles nor her
screams caused him to say one word.
Not even did his face betray any
change Of feeling when suddenly she |
sank her teeth deep into the folds
OF his silken arm, trying vainly to |
reach his flesh. without q word he
carried her struggling to the door Of
she cabinet, opened the door with !
one hand. thrust her within, closed 1
the door and locked it with a huge
brass paddock that she had seen
loosely from the iris handle.
Inside the cabinet she found that
a little light entered from four holes,
two at the very top OF each side and
two at the very bottom. She was
silent for a moment and heard the
man leave by another door than the
one she had found, leave and lock 1t
behind him with a key that turned
heavily in the lock.
The cabinet inside was very mar
row. so narrow. that she barely could !,
urn sIdewise in it. She could reach
the top with her extended hands. and
L was so wide that she could touch
one side with her fingers while rest
ng her other shoulder against the
opposite side.
Resolved to get out OF so narrow a
ell il it were within her power, she
all her strength and tried
o force open the door. But she
Ould not. She tried In every possibl,
yay to break the ends, to force the
Ioor where the paddock hung, to kick
through the panels. But she could
10 nothing. For what must have
een half hour she struggled. and
hen she was forced to rest.
Breathing deeply because of her ex-
rtion5, she did not hear the door to
he room open until she heard voices.
he listened, still as death.