The evening world., 1919-12-27


once that's why tho line IL out OF
place. She had seen Catten leave by
the sentry-gnte and supposed he had
returned to the harbor. Instead, as
you know, he came back for one
moro drink with me. In the mean
time Chireen went out TO our place Ot
tryst at the banyun-tree, thinking l
might get the thought 70 Join her
Then from outside she saw eaten
return TO the gate, and was waiting
for chance to slip in behind him,
when she heard sounds still farther
on toward the west wall Chireen
had to know the menaing Of these
sounds, which proved to have to do
with the Islanders gathering for an
attack on the bunk-house. 1t was
not until she learned the purpose Of
Jerry's recOunoitre party that she
was ready TO return. The firing on
the bunk huuss gave her the. mean
ing. The explosion under tho castle
occurred while she was sitll far away
near tho blue lagoon.
IL may seem hard TO credit after all
We had gone through that we could
suffer any tension from the mere
presence Of three commercial Euro
pcans, but It was true. walked
down through tue pepper-trees after
a final conference, and waited there
until the Virgin not only cleared bat
made the passage out through tho
portal. / did this through sheer will
power--as a sort OF propitiatOry OF.
fcring. For more than an hour |
stood there, and every moment ! felt
Chireen calling, calling more iuti-
matcly. We had both looked
forward to this hour swiftly at last
/ walked back A Chinese let me
INTO the castle by the north gate.
1t wds very quiet and strange IN the
big sunlit COurt--Cntten gone, ComlIu
gone with the two women OF his
house, Major Holt gone, and the Vel
low Lord from his room OF a thousand
treasures. l wondered that
Chireen did not come, as tapped up
on the door of her quarters.
"Chireen!" / called.
Queer now / can tell all this. A man
puts down in a story things he
wouldn't tell his best friend at a din
ner with wine. | pushed aside the
screen that entered into a mysterious
part OF the house. ." No answer.
| went through the corridor there
and the littlo hall that turned after
three steps down, | smClled tho Jas
mine and heard the water flowing
through earthen pipes, the air playing
across damp, edrthen tiles. 1 knew
--tanCifnIl perhaps-thAt this was her
bathing place. Jasmine and sandal
FOR that, ana the water over the
earthen tiles. | should always rcmem-
Der.
"Chireenl" | called.
And then ! came 10 a wicker door
which swung forward at my touch.
10 al ~ ~, q In |
was aware that she was not present,
This was the end OF the house-her
own room. her own fragrance. The
little pallet lay there in tho chcCkcrcd
Sunl ght and something about il all
made me back out rather than turn
ing on my heel. the gentle breath Of
her like n living thing in a. mind
greatly tortured For a mo-
mont I stood again where the foun-
tain played in the daylight, II seemed
| had never breathCd air so soft, so
moist and fragrant My mind was
dipping back into the ages. seemingly
touching all pain and power Of trysts
in RAibyion and Damascus, by noun
tain spring and desert pOOl--l0vers
making ready at the fountains apart
In the pain Of that queer lifted mo-
ment there was in memory one lotus
pond where the fountain played the
basic theme of AL romance to me
the shimmCr OF sunset. the breath Of
Towering teT> lands and something
immortal OF the face ] knew as Chit
roen now.
don't understand it all yCt--that
inner life moment II seemed I had
to pass alone through that fountain
place, past the wicker door into the
little room beyond and stand there a
moment dreaming. listening 70 tho
dripping tiles and the fountains
sprAy'-tO get the full measure of
Mes cnchantment afterward.
"Chireen!"
Then lightly, fippantly even, from
across the court in the music-r room
hegan our theme. the waltz of the
tryst-Chireen playing as on the frat
day. A grunn went from me, and
was running across the court.
I'm coming" | called.
That was a real beginning-the big
laUrhing, crying story OF two to-
story that never ends
. II seems | don't know when
10 stop. | was Just now about to
put down another scene at the ban
van treC-the shimmering light about
her shoulders and the pertumed
breeze and the red-gold dusk-un-
other time we really found zach
other, which is to say / found my
self.