The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-12-02
'Nriu1nphS Ola
M)onquelleX
BY MELVILLE DAWSON pOST
1000 NEA Service Inc
THE THING ON THE HEARTH

angie OF vision along the crevico OF
tho dooralli was sharply cut midway
Of this now enlarged fireplace. prom
tho direction and llft OF the Masters
face. lac Was Watching something
above this line and directly over tho
pedestal OF the sndiron. l watched.
also. nattening my face against the
sill. for tho thing to appear.
And II did appear.
"A naked foot became .iowly
visible. a. tho someone wore descend-
ing with extreme care from tho eisva-
ton OF the andiron 10 the great mar
biz hearth. under this strange on
largemont. now some distance below. :
The bis Oriental paused. and
looked down at me.
Il knew then. Excciiency. that
tho Master Was iostl The creative
energies Of the spirit suffer no divi-
sion of worship. those Of tho body
must be wholly denied. had warned
the Master. And la travail. Excel
icncy. ! turned over with my face 10
tho floor.
but there II always hope. hope
over the certRinties OF experience.
over tho certainties OF knowledge
Perhaps tho Master. even now. sus-
tanned In the spirit. would put away
tho dovocntion. No. Exccllency,
was not misied. knew the Mas
ter was beyond hopel Hut the will
TO hope moved mo. and turned
back TO the crevice at the dooraili :"
He paused.
There was now a delicate odor.
everywhere. family. like the blossom
OF the little bitter apple here In
your country. The red emhers In
the fireplace gavn out a steady light
and In tho glow Of n. on tho marble
hearth. stood the one who had do
scended from tho elevation OF Oh.
andiron.''
Again the man hesisaied. "a for an
accurate method Of expression.
In the flesh. Exccllency. ,here
was color that would not appear IN
the image Tho hair was yellow.
and tho eyes were blue. and against
the black marble Of the fireplace the
body was consplcuously white.
But IN. every other aspect OF her.
Excellency. the woman was on the
hearth in tho flesh rs she f. In tho
clutch OF tho savage male figure In
tho image.
There Is no drcss or ornament.
~ you viii recall t.xccilency. Not
even an car-iewei or an ankIet. az
tho tho grever Of tho Image felt that
tho inherent beauty Of his figure
could take nothing from these o@tsn-
tAtions.
The wonan's heavy. yellow hair
was wound around her head. as In
the image. she &hivercd a little.
family. like naked child IN an I'M
accustomed drauRht OF air. altho she
stood on tho warm. marble hearth
and within tho rcd glow of tho firc.
The volc. from tho male figure OF
tho image. which I had brought tho
Master. and which stood a. tho and
iron. was beginning again 10 speak.
Tho thin metallic sound seemed 10
splinter against thu denss silence. ~
II went forward In the ritual pre-
scribed.
but the Master had already de-
csded: he stood now on tho great
marble hearth with hts papers
crushed together. And as looked
on. thru the crcvics under the door
sill. he put out his fro. hand and
with his finger touched tho woman
gently. The flesh under his finger
yielded. and STOPPING over. he put tho
formula into the fire.
| Like one who has coma TO thu end
OF his story. the huge Oriental
stopped He remained for some mo-
menfs silent Then he continued In
an even. monotonous voice:
| II got up from the floor then. and
purified myself with water. And
after that went into an upper
chamber. opened the window 10 the
east. and sat down TO write my re-
port 10 the brotherhood. For tho
thing which I had been sent TO do
was finished"
| He put his hand somewhere into
the loose folds Of his Oriental gar
nent and brought out roll OF thin.
veilurn-Ilke onion skin. painted In
Chinese characters II was Of i'm
mense length. but on account Of the
thinness Of the vellum. the roll
wound on tiny cylinder OF wood
was not above two inches In thick
ness.
''Exceiiency.- he said. y have care
fully concealed this report thru tho
misfor;unes that have attended mo.
II r. not certain that shall be able
20 deliver u. WIN you rive II for
me 10 the jewel merchant Wander
dick. in Amsterdam rfe win send
II 20 Mahadai in Bombay. and II win
20 north with the caravans
I put the scroll into my pocket and
49,