Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-21
LOVE IN A POOL.
BY THEOPHILE GAUTIER.

poet, 'noVeIist ana CRITIC. aHthor q MAGE aTs.
m m9isflls Re Roma MeePin etc. 'A'af me
This is a love story of China. 1t
concerns two rich retired Chinese, one
called Tou and the other Kouan. For
years they were the best of friends, and
then, as friends often will, they had a
falling out, for no particular reason,
Indeed they soon forgot the reason. but
they became enemies and could not be
reconciled.
Now, the beautiful homes of Tou and
kouan had been built side by side.
THEY even shared the same pretty pond
which lay in the middle of both their
gardens. These gardens and the pond
.sade the most superb landscape set
11g in all of China.
When they became enemies these two
f1ch Chinese had to separate their
ZONES one from another. They could
no. get their price to sell or one of
them would have moved away. To
separate their gardens they built a
that this wall could not 60 down into
the water. The wall went across the
middle of the pond, supported on piles.
AS time went on each of these mer-
chants had child at about the same
time. Neither knew of the good for
tune of the other. Mrs. Tou was the
mother of lovely girl and Mrs. Kouan
was the mother of a handsome boy.
The friends of both families knew of
their feud and never discussed the other
with them.
The boy was named Tchin Sing, which
means Pearl The girl was christened
Ju Kouan which means Jasper. Both
were so beautiful that those names fitted
them perfectly. Both grew up to be as
bright in intellect as they were hand
some in physique. They we're eXcep-
neither knew Of the existence Of the
other.
When the time came for Tchin Sing
to think Of marrying he took no in
terest in any of the girls whom he
knew. Though many marriage con-
tract was arranged, he always found
some excuse. 1t was the same with Ju
Kouan. Neither boy nor girl was at all
inclined to love any one met thus far
in life. Their parents began to de-
spair and to wonder what was the mat
ter with them.
The mothers of the children each had
a dream. The mother of Tchin Sing
dreamed that she saw jasper stone OF
great beauty upon his breast. The
mother Of Ju Kouan dreamed that her
daughter was wearing a marvellous pearl
about these dreams he told them that
happiness could be achieved only when
the jasper and the pearl were united
Since neither mother knew of the
others child or its name, neither
woman guessed the meaning Of this
omen.
Now. it happened that Ju Kouan was
one day leaning on the balcony of the
rustic pavilion in her fathers garden
precisely at the moment when Tchin
Sing was leaning on an exactly similar
rustic pavilion in his fathers garden
The weather was fine; there was not a
cloud in the sky nor wind enough to
move the leaves of the quivering aspen
and not ripple on the glass-smooth
surface of the pond.
Ju Kouan was amusing herself watch
ing the wonderful rejecting powers OF
the clear water, when on glazing at
that part Of the pond which lay by the
dividing wall she saw the reflection of
the opposite pavilion that spread to
that point through the arch. She had
never noticed this optical effect. which
both surprised and interested her.
But what most surprised her was to
see leaning upon the rail of the bal
cony in position exactly like her own
a figure very much like herself. Tchin
Sing had taken OFF his boys cap, and
he was still young and beardless. But
the illusion of tWinship did not last
long. Ju Kouan quickly felt by the
beating OF her heart that it was no
girl whose image was reflected in the
water.
Until then she had not believed that
earth held the being created for her,
and she had often longed to be able to
search the universe for him. But when
she beheld the reflection in the water
she knew that her beauty had sister,
90, IHof,,
annoyed at this, she felt exceedingly
happy. The pride of being unique
quickly yielded to love, for from that
moment Ju Kouan's heart was forever
given.
The exchange Of but single glance
not even directly, but by reflection, is
sufficient to bring about true love. Let