Show SLENDER SWORDS t I T Mit iw J I A An Intern tion l Rom Romance ce Dc HALLIE ERMINE RIVES Author A of offa iS J tan eon n Sanderson r deron a. a w He c. c y E Etc tc i CHAPTER XVI I t In the Bamboo Lane fc did mean Phil relished re- re Phi bed his glass feeling a tense ner- ner tern e nt h thad had he listened 80 so Intently made Intently made made to listen to what the men In In- Inthe the next ore nip saying He e could recall recal it orsome reason every word was wor en- en enon his hs mind The visit of ot tier the tie I Ign r squadron Speculators who had 0 nade quick fortunes through anent an dent ent to a battleship He thought of at lok lookhe DOh he had seen on race face ace do tat you want me to do doV n ii s t rd rd the words to himself As Io he to togo go he glanc glanced d half tearfully over sh shoulder l r. r walked along tho the street his brain I What What do you rou want me to do do- do words wove wove- oddly with tho the refrain should he say them over oer and over oer I inland and again It an an echo of anand anand an ant t and again and again he seemed to O In the experts expert's hollow cat- cat t ys ms It I haunted him as he walked yard ward Ao Aoyama ama pa parade rade ground grund to the Jh house use in nl Cha Chao the tho I elof the te ml misty y val valley en as a 1 no ne walked warned ii h lie aw saw some one Ifor If the moment drove droe it from his I Ur He had turned for a a short cut gh a temple and there ther ether face fac to facer facer- the face the girl of the thein ther uri in r whom he had seen wading In Inam foam am at at Kamakura Her slim sUm neck with Ih rice powder rose from rom a soft e fe flowered with wih gold a. a scarlet poppy was dreaming in lack black blak hair Phils Phil's face ace sprang red rM wave ave of o warm color overran ovena her m mIHaru Haru San he cried Iaru wa she answered with wih and made to pass pas him h hi turned and walked by her het side I ice Er pl please ee he entreated If I you OU knew how o often n I have looked for Dont Dont Don't be unkind Ti hY you talk with me said Haru ng ig My Japanese girl girl no no all al same country 6 uP wild wid pretty thing he said ymare rt are ro you ou so afraid of me Forrs For- For rs Cont eat butterflies Jk she answered without t th they y jus' jus break wings I Laughed unevenly Her quickness tort fart delighted him and her beauty stinging his hs blood He put out his Ils land Vand touched her sleeve but she f a hurriedly I el eK she he sal said My know those peo- peo In gate Talk Talk bout bout my Isan ISa San please so they will wf to think t know you ne ne 1 obe obeyed ed the hint but Haus Hau's HausO 5 O s 3 she he saluted her friends were M It I was her first sub- sub employed d In a moment of em- em with the realization that her iwas' iwas near and that she was wa th tho code of deportment that from lood hedges about the ou g Japa- Japa gir with a complicated etiquette gromen women they lad passed looked f Curiously at the foreigner walking L her One On a a girl of Hani's Hanis own cal called after h her r de sho Phil Phi un- un odthe od th query Quer Was she going to to to to the herr Cherry herry festival festival to- to Hs e eyes es sparkled sparkle at the tossed Well Wen he would be there ther appreciated the quick wit wit r The clever little bagI bag- bag I She was as not such suet a a a smal small brown Wife all al Mink I J did that rather rather- well well he J n they had passed out olt of ear- ear They'll think your honorable pan pandI pa- pa n MI exchange New York gifts at ater er o It smile smie of Irrepressible fun was wa r Haru's Harus flush fush You have haxe 10 Is San papa rhu ma Id td Ir IJ our street he have haye some Jam fame for because he so o 01 old and no o ogo go go laughed hed aloud aoud Look here little jh said you and I are re re going to iJ friends arent aren't we He lie looked a atthe the slim nervous nerous arm ar so o soft rm ot flesh fesh so deliciously turned iod l He Ho knew a jade bracelet rh ma that would mightily mighty become bould write tonight and have it I JP When can I see sec y you U again d turned into a narrow deIl deLian dee de- de Il Lian nc e bordered with bamboo narOw fences periling e a little way beyond into ider street of prayer rayer to the gods as he spoke and shook her Lly no no- can tel tell she answered shE IMy ome more tar for My house very low JOw Caught her hand hand it it was almost as asja child's childs with wih Us its delicate wrist fingers Give me mo a kiss and go he ho said h he hrank back indignantly against lings Ings her free hand flung fung up across cehe threw his arms about her rained her to him She wrestled wrested t him with wih little inarticulate S sobs 3 lifted her face tace and kissed hissed Her Herand herand herand and again leased ted her breathing hard the I IJ l a temples throbbing his lips He stood a a moment looking 1 er af white faced and breathless dr own tM thA bamboo lane r he c muttered for you youl l me by till by-till tn by-tn till next time F CHAPTER XII The Tho Trespasser bisbon and the tho found ith Hani Haru in the tho garden pago pago- 1 lith t on its is wide ledge Haru pato- pato ata at ct t. t ln In a dainty kimono of pale paJe otton t on crepe with a a. woven pat- pat blossoms The Tho Te oval Japa- Japa I IQ showed trace now of the pas pas- J aneer nger n cr with which which she had fled fed fedl Thus Thu's l s kisses If I it had bad hai left a i as hidden bidden under the racial I Ia a habitually glosses the e etal otal atal tal feeling 11 Barbara and her ber uncle started r walk walk-hc c was ws to show her the the the strolled with sto ed ib 3 far Zar fr as the main gate ate of tho the com corn g of carriages from the thet theLI LI il t each bles each with tho the golden muni on 00 its lacquered panel panel panel- t passing passin Their occupants f W Om bm m were Japanese and gome omo ore ere in naval uniform their covered vered with wih orders of erH of the foreign squadron tle It t. t said the tho 4 being the e sights of the tho capital capital Day the minister of marine th the official entertainment with a their v. v honor bonor You will wil enjoy that I o Ish said sid tho the bishop that the theL o L who are so fond of talking M strain could see a Japa Japa- Iome ome The stay of these officers elong elon festivity ty Yet to i read ad journal you would think other ther Japanese was vs carrying a athey if they ventured ash ro watched the caval- caval a aval For w ok the news news- capitals had talked g interests and I between the two countries hat at t there was little in this ave ave ve the journalistic necessity Ys fis s and a nervOusness that to oppress highly ct chanceries as it does individuals l s surface current diplomacy diplomacy- even temperate way imas im- im d. d ut as a trained diplomatist I cy he e knew that ho tho most baseless rumor If too log persisted in had grave dan tar ger and he be had welcomed the comin coming O of the squadron for the sal sake e of the effect L on S orein foreign public opinion of the lavish I and open hearted hospitality which Ja pan would offer ofer it When the carriages had bad whirled past he bade the others otherE goodbye and went back to his books Walking up the sloping hill hi of th the tho spirit spirit to the knoll behind it i Barbara felt fel in i tune with the afternoon As they walked she told of the adventure ture o of the he evening before with with the thc wolfhound and of the review review of the th mor morning ing and the bisbo bishop shrewdly regarding regarding re re- garding her thought he had never seen seer L her so beautiful 4 What has happened who happened who has bas hap 0 Barbara 1 he ho asked for he be sud sud- sudi i denly denv guessed he knew what that look meant Her ler eyes dropped and her ber rising color confirmed his idea 4 I I dont don't know know know-do do you 9 I He took out his bis and handed hand band ed cd her ber a cupping clipping from a morning news paper It I chronicled the arrival arh-al arh of the theY Y yacht Barbara She She looked at him bim out of eyes eres brimming brimming brim ming with laughter The Zhe time has come come the tho walrus watrus said To talk To-talk talk of many things Of shoes shoes and and ships ships and and sealing wax wa- wa Of cabbages cabbages- t But But not Ware Warel he be finished All An Allright Allright right right He Hell HeU 11 speak for himself no doubt The paper says he hes he's 6 at Nara but then he doesn't doesn t know you are hero here yet We pushed our sailing saing date forward you re reo re- re member They had reached the huge buge gate ate with its little booth in which a sentry gentry now stood He le lie wears the uniform of the imperial guard the bishop said That Thatis is is the residence of one of the daughters of the emperor Ho turned into the lane that opened opposite It I was hedged with some unfamiliar unfamiliar un familiar thorny shrub with woolly yellow yel vel low blossoms and a little way waY inside stood an old temple gate with a stone toni torii She stopped with an ti tion ton on I Yes Yes he be said there thero is the cha chanel pel Barbara wa was looking opposite the toni torii tori where amid the glowering green a slanting roof lifted holding a cross It I stood out whitely cut against the blue bue a silent witness Facing the dragon swarming gate ate it made her think of pale martyrs martys in gorgeous pa pagan an co countries coun coun- n- n tries of Paul standing before the temple tem tern pl pie of Diana in Ephesus and lonely Christian anchorites in profane lands hands of green reen and gold old Barbara had paused in front of the black space for the for the stained glass win win- win win- 0 dow 4 It I will wi be here bore the bishop said sad answering her ber thought 44 It I is ia to be put in place in time for the dedication service service ser sere vice vico tomorrow morning He stepped to the door and peered into the into the interior You will wi want t to l look ok abOut t a bit no doubt I r have a call can to make in the nei neighborhood suppose neighborhood suppose d-suppose suppose I stop on my way back for you For a few moments after his departure depart depart- ure nrc Barbara Birbara stood listening to the dulled sound of th the workmen's tools The roof of the temple opposite had a curving Tartar like rid et at either end of which was a a huge buge fish its head pointed point point- ed inward its wide forked tail twisted high in air bi She crossed the lane Jane looked into the shady inclosure where the bronze lanterns and the tombstones stood asray as gray gray- ray and as the stone ben beneath ath nor or feet The whole place was drenched in a tone limpid and serene the Sary erv ery infusion in in- fusion of peace Only in the black tem tern tem temple plo interior she caught the dim glow low of candles and somewhere a muffled baton was tapp tain n on on hollow wood Min 1 Mm M. M Min Miti In Min 11 11 Min Mm Min lIn Mm Min In Min Min-Min- Min At first slowly then faster and faster fader till ti the I notes notes' merged and died away iti in a mut nuit- roll rol to begin once more with the slowness of a leisurely metronome The ornate front of the building on the right of the tho yard rard attracted her ber and sho went nearer Beyond the hed hedge e sho she I could see a a portion porton of its garden Re Re- fleeting that this was a temple property and hence no doubt open to the public she unlatched its is bamboo gate and en cu Before her ber curved a lino of flat fat Me Step ping pint stones set iet in clean gray gravel gravel Ou On 01 one side was a low camellia camela tray Sedge edge I spotted with blossoms of deep crimson and on the other a miniature thicket of fern arid and striped ground rond bamboo Beyond Beyond Be Be- yond this rose a mossy hillock up whose green sides clambered an irregular pathway pathway path path- way ay set with tall taI shinto hinto lanterns and large stones stone like gigantic many colored quartz pebbles Hero and there hore the flushed pink of cherry herry trees made the sky a tapestry of blue rose roc and in the hollows grew grew a b burnished purple shrub I that seemed to bo ho powdering the tho ground with the velvet petals of pansies For a moment Barbara shut her eyes eyes eves to fix the fi picture forever on ou her ber brain bram lio ho opened them again to a flood of sunlight on the gilded carin carvings s of the ancient structure Is Its Tt shoji lad ad been noiselessly drawn open and a man stood there looking fixedly at her ber To be continued |