The Glenwood post., 1924-07-10
CHAFTEK XIV


San from the evening meal. The long
hours Of exertion, the ceasless worry,
had brought Wells to the point where
he would be unab!e to Withstand or
tight the onslaught of any infectious
disease: the clean air of the ship had
braced him, and the ship itself had
cleared from Japan with a clean bill
Of health This for time saved him.
But heartier meal than usual, eaten
with rapidity, brought on q sudden
indigestion. Wells wondered If he was
about to faint: he staggered slightly In
his walk, and knowing ones intimated
that some Of the baggage of this jap
anese contained potent waters. He
had been barely able to get to his
cabin. Strange, he thought, that there
was no key ~
The steward reported to the cap
tain that the lord had a sickness. The
steward had knocked. There was no
answer, but he had heard mutteriDgs
within. Therefore he inquired of the
lords wife. who was surprised.
"See to 1t that Kayama-San is prop
erly served in his Illness" the attend
ant warned the cabin-boy. who sour
ried away to the cabin.
1t was true! The lord Of many
rice fields tossed upon the bed. Soon
1t would be dark. Very soon. The
cabin-boy hurried down below decks,
and slid knife under his white coat.
"In death alone are all men equal as
It now is" the radical said! 1t would
be very dark. and the lord would he
sick-and alone.
Wells did not believe that he was
really Ill. He had these periods of
weakness occasionally; none like this; f;
none blurred his eyes so, nor made
the furniture of his cabin dnnce-he
flung himself upon 'the bed. He just
couldn't be sick! 1t would bring the
ships doctor Prying eyes. Where
did the red spots on the wall come
upon the bed feverishly.
Ellen listened. when the steward had
Drought the news. Kayama was given
to silent spells, when he spoke to no
pne. She hestated to call to him
through the door; she feared to en-
ter his cabin Sounds seeped through.
BE cried, in pain.
The little devil-dispeller fell from
the keyhole as she opened the con-
Meeting door. Kayama had been good
to her. She saw him lying gray upon
the bed
, The Kayama she had known WAS
gone. The color of his face was that
Of old white wax; his mouth seemed
stretched to the cracking point; nee-
ther tprnsd up at the corners nor
down, put bleak slit jagged acrou
/, his face. Ills eyes were closed. The
bandaxs had slipped away, revealing
nothina Of scar beneath, for the
/. wound had been slight.
For all the distortion Of counts-
Aance, be looked boyish. She searched
for any shred of reason In him. but
khe deadly mask told her nothing at
Ill. Then his lips moved. and, ~
founded, amazed, she heard him speak.
His eyns, sishtless with fever, opsasd,
fastened upon her. In one haAd As
held & samurai knife. very lean at tAe
blade,
what IL 1t, Kayama-Sanr nllsn
!, spoks first, In q whisper.
He .eroaked his reply. ."WilliamA I
am gang to kill yon."
XIII me, Lordi"
"Yo1 sold me out. You loved A.
oerta. You made me lose Uncle Jip's
respect. That's why you had mo drink
. vine and carouse with the Japs.
Thers can be NO other reason. xm
not fool"
He sat up. His frame was shaksn
a. II with palsy. Tremendous e6vrt
took him careening to his feet. the
knife In his hand.
She turned like wild creature, Wild
and olanched with horror. He was
mad! Ellen swayed. started to run,
entaEgled a foot in her long kinsno
and stumbled forward to stay hsrsslf
BY the table. He followed her. blind-
ly, instinctively. AS he touched her
arm. she turned to him pinched fOce.
Walls looked at Ellen hxsdly. Some
whisp of his inner rage caught light
from the silken touch. He gaeped
|. supported himself against her and kelH
headipng on the bed again
Fever thoughts raced through Wells
!, UNCONSCIOUS mind: I've called aloud thai
some one must shout his name. re.
memhering that thus the dying may
|, be held to earth, for the hssins snul
can b. induced to return.
"Kayama-San," Ellen whispersd,
|, This contentsd him, and hs lay
quietly.
Ths sirl tried to remember III
4 worde hs had used. all Dngiish werds
| but TIE terrible scene had driven then
far away. What. she wondered. VA
Kayana afraid Oft Thsre was eene
thinsi Why the suddsa depafturs
the lsag Mlsacss, the avcllaAes q
people - ths ship. ~ battanesI
which, cieaklike, snvelope1 hint
ohsall ~ cali the destoff xAya
{ina was slck. seriously, pseAaps. Xs'
- fnAsaA nAonle Ha-hA bad -