Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-10-01
CHAPTER XII

Neither looked at the other. In
stinctively Wells felt that which bad
whelmed him was overcoming Ellen
Also
One thought alone was paramount,
and without companion, i'm Wells
whirling brain. He was the lord, Ka-
yama-San-or so she thought. The
lord did not ask nor demand. He
offers request, and thereby confers
a supreme favor upon any one fortu-
nate enough to be so designated. :.
She had not argued, had not quib-
bled, and he saw in this acquiescence
something beautifully touching. A
superb plea of nature appealing pas
slonately against mans crucifxion of
purity upon the cross Of sOphistica-
ton he did not think of it In
these words he did not think
he was far beyond thought. He
heard her breath come quickly, short
and painfully. That she already re-
GREETED her swayed decision he could
not know. That she moved so silently
because she knew nothing to plead
that would have interested him. He
was hot with the heady wine of pos
session.
They repassed the high-pitched foot
bridge linking the miniature islands Of
garden, repassed the tagged path
that half-circled a Undiscovered pond.
He did not look at Ellen, but saw her
white reflection in the water. Invol-
unfairly he took her hand, and so they
walked onward, at last mounting the
winding path, shrub-bordered, that
leads to the house of the Thunder
Gate.
Only one Of the panels of the main
room was open. They must pass close
together through it.
The hanging lamp had gone out, and
only the tiny lotus-lamp of bronze with
It's sputtering taper in the rape seed
oil burned unsteadily before the sec
ondary shrine. There was no sound
within, no patter of feet nor muffled
laughter.
He could not see her face could
only mark its oval. Very slowly he
took her hands. He who had been so
full Of subtle reasonings, of argu-
ments, of decisions, who had so
yearned for action resultant in the
loneliness of his companion being
drawn within the circle of his arms
he, the man of impulses so foreign,
was silent and motionless as II
chained. He heard the pounding OF
her heart and thought it was his
own. A great peace brooded in the
ancient house.
Wells drew her hands together and
very slowly, as if moved by some
mechanism within him, placed his
other hand upon her shoulder.
The moments passed. Neither spoke
nor moved, except that once Ellen's
head raised-perhaps an inch, no more
so that each saw deep into the 9th
er's eyes. Wells hand pressed against
her shoulder.
They started hearing the whistle
of a blind woman in the streets; 8
long sweet call, plaintive; one sus
tanned note first, then two short ones
In another and lower key. To warn
the passers to take heed for her sHle.
since she cannot see.
Blind! Oh, more than blind! Here,
said the throbbing night, here was his
Joy, his life and happiness. Take It,
murmured the trees, for the bloom IL
soon gone from the fruit. Take It,
every heretofore subdued sense told
him, for the night is going !. 1t is
the hour Of the Highest Star, the hour
of love, of capture and giving
and the night is passing fast. :.
He had no time for argument now.
He only knew that, trembling in bis
half-embrace, was the girl that he
loved. that the night was sweet and
made for rapture. His heart whis-
pered her name again and again like
litany.