The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-01-27


inner tidal wave. Andrew March
seized the girls hands. and she turned
70 him frankly. He was saying: But
our little mOther-Eithna-"H He kissed
her hair and she placed her hand upon
his arm as II TO ease his pain. She was
frail beside the veteran Of the sands.
She did not embrace him. and'March
seemed not to expect any demonstra-
ton Of sentiment He regalned self
control and faced Con with an effort to
smile.
This IS Con Lexington" he said TO
the girl To Con: My daughter.
Helen"
Her name leaped In Cons heart. He
bowed over her hand and found him
self murmuring. Princess" In the
blur Of his inward excitement her voice
was like sunlight as II falls rich and
mellow across an oaken staircase. He
was strongly affected by H. There
was an embarrassed moment during
which Con glanced out at the window
a; the moving branches OF the white
oaks. Quickly he swung back. 10 add I:
TT Is a great privilege to be sum
moned."
Helen said simply: II am not sure
how to speak I never saw a white
man up TO shls hour"
She intended this TO be a compli-
ment. for she was smiling; yet he
could not forget the fact that she was
the royal creature who had glanced
across the throne-room yesterday.
why have they been so extremely
careful 10 keep US awayT' he wondered
aloud.
1T Is ASIA" she replied and. truly.
he had forgotten that.
There was no mistaking the grand
child OF the aged Stephen March. She
was the embodiment OF all that men
hold dear. Her eyes made bold 20 tell
all that In another would have been
held secret. II was the old story OF
Asia. Perhaps her days In this desert
fastness had been a monotony Of inno-
cence. but they had not made her smile
n blank. Con could not estimate any
thing beyond the fact that when she
swayed slightly beside her father.
deeply searching for the right word.
her young grace wns matchless.
'Do not be sorrowful." she whis-
pered to her father.
March nodded. "Yes, that IL right"
and his face frightened as he regarded
her.
She crossed the room. lightly. a rap
I'd fitting gait that somehow expressed
the far Eastern feminine. Yet the
clean whip OF the West was there also.
and through her personality these
qualities were a smooth. soft madness
to Lexington. He was aware that all
the journeys OF his life had either end
ed here or just begun.
All the allurlng intlmations that had
troubled the lad Stephen March, when
he had crossed America before the
days Of railroads, were ensouled in
Helen, the same that had drawn him
against the winds OF the Pacific so
long ago, the kingly unrest that had
led him deep into Cathay. beyond the
Tartar wall, 10 the sands OF mystery
and death. Perhaps In some dim way
he had foresensed this daughter Of his
line. with her shining fatal dominion,
a princess In the Cobb.
at is most elightful-you-com
here" she said to Con.
II think I've always headed this
way" he said. because he believed II.
81 cannot imagine the courage that
brought you" said the princess. "Sha
Mo is very-confuslng."
'Yes, It might have been simpler IL
I had known" replied Lexington. And
March was smiling broadly now.
She had finished rearrsnging the
tawny lilies on the table and, with a
courteous Oriental movement OF the
arm, she indicated a deep chair for her
younger guest. Lexington went TO II,
turned II from the window and offered
II TO her. He felt nearly royal himself
as she accepted. Andrew March sat in
the window-seat and Lexington con-
tented himself with the leather sofa
that had been brought In pieces, like
the mission furniture, from Grand Rap
ids, Michigan. The college pennant
was over his head.
II have learned" said Helen, "that
white men are really white. Howf"
I'VE are n bit tanned" admitted her
father. "but for that matter, so are
you. White people usually stay under
cover when the sun shines"
THAT is a part OF tradition l had
not known" she said. II shall tell
Chez Ming"
"Why troublef asked Lexington.
"He knows"
"But II Is not written, and all the
tradition OF the world Is written here,
since the days Of the Tower OF Folly.
You know that Tau Kuan is to be the
school for the perfect age. Chez Ming
says tradition is the treasure Of life"
Rather an Oriental statement" sug-
gested March.
"Yes." rejoined Con, II could men
tion one or two things to be written
into his library"
Iaaukln.