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Show The Lord of 1 Blunder Gate "I TRUST YOU" SYNOPSIS. In a low drinking place In the Japanese town of Mltafflrl, Kayama, dissolute son of the wealthy Aochl, Lord of the Thunder Gate, boasts of a grirl ha is to purchase (with gold stolen from his father). Following a fight In the place, a drunken white man, speaking perfect Japanese, Is left unconscious. Kayama, dreading his father's anger, sees a way of escape. He changes clothes with the unconscious uncon-scious white man (to whom he bears a remarkable resemblance), leaving a note of explanation. Leaving. Kayama Is robbed and slain. The white man, as Kayama, Kaya-ma, is taken, unconscious, to the house of Aochl. His name is Robert Wells. Wells awakens bewildered, but to familiar scenes. In Aochl's house. Aochl, almost sightless from age, does not perceive per-ceive the deception. He had determined de-termined his unworthy son should be put to death, but "Wells' deportment de-portment leads him to think a reformation la possible. Aochi dies that day. Wells finds Kaya-ma's Kaya-ma's note, and understands. Priests remind him of a bargain he has made, to buy a glrL He goes to the temple and purchases the girl, to all appearances white, though the priests assure him she has Chinese blood. She tells him she is white "all white" and begs him to spare her. The narrative nar-rative goes back to Wells' youth, motherless son of a missionary in a Japanese village. His father sends the boy to America to be educated. James Sanderson, wealthy San Francisco contractor, contrac-tor, welcomes the boy, his sister's son. In college Bob does well, but is considered "wild." Wells meets Alberta Hayward, orphan daughter of his uncle's former business partner, and Is Impressed. Im-pressed. She is really in love , with Raymond Williams, but seeing Wells as his uncle's heir, she flirts with him, while scheming schem-ing with Williams to encompass his downfall. Bob's father dies. Williams and Wells are ertven engineering en-gineering charge of a bridge at Fushlkl. Japan, which Sanderson is building. Williams Is Wells' superior. Maraklto, agent of Japanese reactionaries, seeks to retard the work. Williams Indorses In-dorses Maraklto's idea for a aeries ae-ries of entertainments which will appeal to Wells' "wlldness." He tells Wells the Idea Is to propitiate propi-tiate Marakito. and that he will so Inform Sanderson. Then he arranges that Sanderson shall hear stories that poison his mind against his nephew. Believing Wells is dissipating, Sanderson orders Williams to discharge him. Wells cables Alberta, explaining. Her answer drives him, an outcast, out-cast, across Japan. As Kayama. Wells promises the girl he has bought that he will not molest her as long as he Is "Lord of the Thunder Gate." though his passion pas-sion prompts him to take her. CHAPTER VIII Continued. 10 "I was taught to read and write English. There was nothing to tell who I was. I only knew a word or so. But Tsl-K'ung saw to It that each sound I made was copied upon paper. So he discovered that my name was Ellen Alnsmith, after speaking to the mission women of It. The mission women wanted me. But It was work, work, pray, pray with them." Wells could understand that. "My father was willing, but I withheld the hem of my trousers from entering the mission. "Young men wanted me. Tsl-K'ung would not hear of that. Wisely, he said that a yellow jewel had beauty, a white Jewel likewise, but, side by side, each destroyed Hie harmony of the other." She looked at Wells for agreement, but at his Impassive face went on more quickly. "Then Tsl-K'ung was supposed to have helped a blond foreigner " "I know the rest, O-Hann-San. But your hair and skin and eyes did none question?" "My father had spent e year In the treaty port. Also, It was told, perhaps by Tsl-K'ung himself at first, that there are women with hair as mine who lived In the Hsikan desert. Many have marveled at my hair. Do you think It worthy?" "It Is very love-- . . . unattractive," unattrac-tive," Wells Informed her. "The night grows cooler. We shall return to my house." "I trust you," Ellen whispered. "Also, your name has an outlandish sound. I will call you O'Hana." He glared at her. "As for the rest, I have already spoken." Ellen awake In the morning filled with Instant, momentary fears; before her eyes drifted again the protests of Tsl-K'ung at her seizure, her muffling In a blanket, the hurried Journey to the sea, the hiding In some strange house, the appraising unfriendly, faces, a second voyage . . . and then the temple. Of how she was decked, for what purpose, she had no need of even her scattered wits to guess. . For the time of the Seven Prayers, consumed while a maid dressed her hair, she was given to composing her-elf. her-elf. The maid wlttered as she worked. She must speak, being young, even If the new mistress could not understand. Of the great good fortune In becoming the beloved of Kayama-San. of the Joy that would come to the house, the decking with flowers, the prayers and ringing of bells and feasting, when there was born son. "See to it that the babe be not like yourself." came the caution. cau-tion. "He must have a brown skin, and eyebrows like Rayama-San's, for those are the mark of the house And there will be the ceremony of the lightning flash, to be placed upon the child's brensv by the priests, through which yon mint be brave." (The mnld poke of thla after, and was beaten By SIDNEY HERSCHEL SMALL' (Copyright by The Bobbs-Merrill Co.) by the head serving woman, who told her bitterly that this white-skin was but a plaything of the lord's. . . .) The maid brought her a polished mirror when the toilet was complete. "Will he think me beautiful V Ellen wondered, instantly hating herself for the thought. And yet Kayama was not like the other Japanese she had seen. He was big. His eyes were kind. He looked at you, not through you. Not like the others. What would the Intimacy of everyday life bring? Should she run away? Where? To whom? She had no money. She sensed without actually knowing that she had been married to Kayama. She would be brought back to him. At the same moment Wells, already upon his cushion, beside a low stand with tea-things, was thinking of the same thing. He had bought the girl to permit her to escape. He could have helped her to go where? Investigation Inves-tigation might tell who the Alnsmiths were. If properly conducted. Did he want to Investigate? What would Aiberta think of it? What she already thought. He remembered remem-bered the scathing, biting words of her cable. And what did he think of Alberta now? He had carried her Image In his wanderings. Image idol, rather. A broken Idol. The girl trusted him. She said so. She feared him but trusted him, that was it. He might tell her. Would she believe it? He doubted that. He wouldn't believe It himself, If some one told him. And, gosh, but she was pretty. He'd like to take her back to America himself. He sat erect. Back? He, like the girl, had no place to go. He was Kayama. Ka-yama. i And, by' the Thunder God, he was going to remain Kayama, even If the real fellow returned. Leave that scoundrel with a white girl? Not a chance. Then . . . what? He had a life to lead. What would come of It? He was here, alone, afraid of his very words, of his actions, lest they betray him, for now he had two to consider, not himself. He didn't count. Hadn't. Suppose . . . suppose . . . He inclined his head In greeting as Ellen entered. Under the critical eye of the oldest servant the girl's training train-ing began. The pot must be held so. The cup so. Move the arm upward, gently ; downward. Bow to the lord. Rinse the cup. "lour arm has a gracious curve," Wells praised her, when tears of vexation vex-ation at her own clumsiness welled in her eyes. The lesson Is complete. Hrsu, bring me the household papers of Aochl-San. I shall discuss them with my wife. The purchase of supplies sup-plies will be In your hands, O-Hana. I shall explain how this is done." With the receipts, accounts of the household, house-hold, he felt that he could do this. He had seen Misako do it many times. Wells saw at once that Aochi had been a careful man. Each bolt of purchased pur-chased silk, each cental of rice or millet, mil-let, every payment, was marked as to the purpose and use to which it was put. He found many notes of payment that made him glad that the watching girl did not understand the characteristics. character-istics. "A thousand yen. Gambling debt of my son. Three hundred yen for an unpaid hotel bill in foreign lands. "Fifty yen. Paid to the temple, that my son's ways be changed by the gods. "Three thousand yen that my son be freed from the army. I fear that the courage of our line is not in him." "O-Hana," he said abruptly, "if vou were Japanese and you loved me. wjuld you care that I" he examined the account "gambled, and was a coward, and worse?" "If I had love for you, Lord, you would not be so." Would Alberta have said that, like that? He looked earnestly at Ellen, so intently in-tently that red flooded her cheeks. Like the heart of a pomegranate flower. flow-er. Wells thought. She'd stick to a fellow. If ... If only . . . Suppose that Kayama returned? Today! To-day! Wouldn't all of this simply he a page In his book? Out Wells would go, and along the road again. Why not . . . why not . . . He looked at the girl again.' Here was no feeling such as lie had for Alberta. Al-berta. He felt that lie would, from this time on, throb for the sound of her footfall, yearn for the scent of her hair. He wanted to say: "There has been sin In me, Ellen, but not of my making. mak-ing. I . . . have never loved before. I love you. but I will not touch you." Before the expression on his face the girl was abashed and worried profoundly. pro-foundly. Knyama-S:m was In trouMe. What, she did not know. Vaguely, she wished that she might help him. "Is it because of what I said that you are downcast?" she asked timidly. "No." shortly. "Is It that . . . the household think it all strange that . . . that . . ." Wells had not considered the household. house-hold. "That what, child?" "That . . . we do not sit . . . s'de by side on the cushions ... I would he willing to ... if It would nuike it easy for you . . . until they . . no longer question ... or you rorurn me . . . or . . ." She w:i swirling in deeper waters thnn she knew. Here :;s nncnn-;ci ns cn;el:y. hut nore the les Kt;cr for rl :!t. Ills answer r:tme 'n LT:'vf!y measured meas-ured tout's belittl i- 'ti1 i f'Tu-iaa of his eyes, and the little twitching of his fingers. "Would you like It so?" he said. "It would . . . not hurt me. Would It, Kayama-San?" "No." "Nor you?" "I cannot be hurt." "Would it help you? You have been good to me." "Why do you wish to help me? Be cause I have not. . . because . . ." "No, Kayama-San. My honored father, fa-ther, Tsl-K'ung, said that when there, came Into the breast a feeling . . . ttiat when you felt ... I do not understand ... I want to help. I feel that It would be worthy." He half held out his arms to her, only to see her, Instinctively, draw back. No words might have withheld him, he realized that his desire must be a splendid misery of self-denial, repressed, re-pressed, must hug a fetter. Yet what more did he need? Suppose Sup-pose he told her that he was of her own kind? That would remove the barrier ... If she meant what she had Implied. She would be silent, surely. An hour, a passing wind through their lives, this it would be If Kayama himself returned. Why not fill the hour with blossoms, with perfumes per-fumes and Joy? "My dear . . . my dear . . he said huskily. Not only had Ellen never tried to stem so fierce a torrent of love in all her cloistered life, nor ever shuddered under such dry heat in a single word, she had never dreamed of so much passion In man. Strangely, it moved her also. Why, she did not know. Sha longed to say something. It was painful, pain-ful, yet delicious; her hood-blind heart exulted. For a moment there was nothing to restrain him. He regretted the words as he uttered ut-tered them. That she did not become large-eyed and bodeful, horribly nervous nerv-ous of him, he put to the fact that she did not understand. Good Lord, the girl . . . trusted him. He was very glad that she had not understood, under-stood, and with hands still unsteady returned to the papers again. A curious change came over hi? face. The girl saw it run the gamut of detached interest, amazement. In credulity. His hands shook with ex citement His mouth tightened. A hard line was drawn about the Hps She heard his teeth click together. Up down. He read the paper be fore him quickly. Reread It. Turned to the attached sheet of parchment. Aochi, one of the Inner council 01 the Imperialists, had demanded from Marakito an exact accounting. Har he not paid many hundreds of yer into the fund to prevent more foreigt capital from being Invested in Japan' How did the affair progress? Mara klto told him. There itust be mor money paid Into the treasury. Thi white man who directed the buildln; of the bridges could be bought. Th( other was strangely honest for e selyo-Jin. But there was a plan foi him, also. Marakito assured Aocb that all would be well. At the end it was written that tt subordinate engineer had departef upon unknown paths, and that the la boring was well behind the stater time. That It would assuredly ht days in arrear of the stipulated lengtl of the contract. Wells sprang from his zabuton. Hl cheeks were flushing, his eyes bright. "Would you like to go to tin strange land In which your peoplt lived?" he asked with careful re stralnt. The girl bowed. "Where yov, go . . ." His first actual coherent thought was what would Uncle Jim say at thif evidence? What was up at home' Why had Williams done this thing to him? Of Alberta he thought nothing at all. except to wonder. . . . What was going on? Why not re turn as Kayama, and find out? Listen He would hear. If he went In, blunt ly, as Robert Wells, with his proof, li was unlikely that he would discover what was happening. Should he take Ellen? The situation became more difficult. She was his wife. As mat ters stood, she did not fear Japanese Kayama. What If he were her kind? To take her must he explain? Perhaps Alberta loved Uncle Jim's money. Perhaps this girl would do the same. And she was already his wife ! and he'd never know. If he could trap her Into an admission that if he. Kayama, were but white . . . it was worth a chance. Why not risk it? Bluntly lie fared her. Here's a situation that calls for a strong man. Have you confidence in Wells? (TO BE CONTINUED.) |