The Washington herald., 1920-01-26

~ a g
The father nodded. and the light
In his eyes meant long acquaint-
ance with, defeat Expectancy
his features and turned
them almost youthful. The bit OF
leather was placed in his hand. and
he drew from IL q square of white
silk. 1t was tightly creased, of
f1rmest texture. Traced in purple
upon one side was a line curiously
crooked and trailing. 1t was dotted
and crinkled. fanciful as some river
of the moon. Along the margin of
the silk. certain Chinese characters
were etched,
This is not a mantra, as we had
these words Con felt a
rush of disappointment. But the
old voice went on-"though IL may
be of great help to us. 1t is a map"
The three men studied the purple
line as 1t veered across the silk.
but only the eldest could read the
characters. "A mantra." he said,
would have been your passport
with traders and thieves, and they
would try as always to deceive you,
direct you falsely, IL they were con-
tent not to murder. Whatever their
hate of one another, they league
against the traveller who would pass
their inner boundaries. 1t would
have been a bodily protection in the
desert tribes. IL you had managed
to proceed SO far. But on this silk
Is the route itself. intended for the
return journey of their messenger" !"
What are the words?"
"All prayer-signs. save one, which
raadg aSha A.
village. Andrew"
Stephen March's son knew IL. Bit
teriy. Lexington was trembling
with eagerness. The old man did
not glance up from the silken map.
This begins at Shan-sung and runs
westward. Each dot marks a days
travel, / suppose in favorable cir
No water is indicated
until this point. nearly a month
into the West. These faint stars
show the lay of the hills"
Lexington was asked to tell how
he had secured this treasure-souare.
You found the man for me-"
replied Con, "and that was the most
difficult part. Two nights ago 1
waited on the Kitchen roof of the
Wedger house until Chez Ming had
finished reading his Chinese news
paper. His window opens out upon
the roof. There are only tree-tops
and open spaces beyond, and his
privacy should have been perfect.
He neglected to draw the curtain
until after i had seen the bit of
leather hanging on his chest. You
had told me to expect something or
the sort. although he did not raise
it to his lips before retiring"
Since this is not a manra." con-
cluded the old man.
Here was he boundary of Leving-
ons knowledge on the subject.
Chez Ming had been pointed out by
Andrew March, and a task assigned.
Con had reason to trust his new
friend, even if he felt that the
March interests were remote and
strangely secret
And next morning." prompted
Andrew March. you arranged the
dinner engagement with Cecil
Wedger."
Con smiled. 81 permitted him to
arrange it"
The father leaned back in his
chair. signing. He looked up at the
grave face of his son. and said: TT
may be the hand of God, or it may
be only the hope of our foolish
hearts-failure that is never final
but it seems. Andrew. you have
found another beginning"
The son bowed his head. Stephe n
March added, Lexington has indeed
done very we'll"
Both father and son quietly re-
Earded the young man before them.
1t seemed as il they had known him
long while, that he belonged TO
them. They were aware of the quail
lty that had been suppressed in a
disastrous childhood. The old
father was always searching for
some sign of the violence OF which
Andrew had spoken. and il seemed
to please him to find in Levington's
modesty and calmness a quick gIfnr
now and then, a light that touched
Cons eyes in unexpected moments,
far line to passion. reminiscent of
satyr and centaur and the wine-dim
slopes of abandon. They felt his
power and its many dangers to HIM
self. Above all. they loved a per-
sonal integrity which they found
perfect.
What further preparations? ?"
asked stephen.
Andrew turned to Lexington.
When will you be ready to go?"
Tonight"
The ancient figure in the chair
looked thoughtfully into the fire.
His words made floating pictures
for Con, as if the shadowy golde n
stories of, Chinky Bill were about to
continue before his eyes.
You seek country that may
never be known. Perhaps it is en-
tirely a rumor. a race-old fancy and
fear. You have heard the tales that
are told. If they be false or true
and if the white man has ever pass
ed beyond that border-land of pain.
no one has come back to us with
proof. / have seen the look on the
faces of those who had attempted
the passage, and it was not pleas
ant. my son. The centers of the
world have shifted maAy times, We,
that weird realm of the half-true.
the half-reaI. has gone unchallang-
ed. / think its life goes at too swift
pace for us-something dizzy
about it. Even the wild beasts avoid
these boundaries. The air will rise
and fall about you like a living
presence; your sight will be whip
ped across with bewilderment and
pain. You have seen that their own
bravest carry a map by which to re-
turn home-if home it be-"
In the silence that followed, the
old mans thoughts seemed to live
in the air of the room, and the glow
desert sunlight.
CHAPTER III