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Show THE LOI2D OF THUNDER' GATE mf v Sidney 1; J itolk Small fi"-'s iJfJk h, Illustration b9 l.ft i ''3 v -J Copyngkt by The Oobbj-- tlei-rili Co. CHAPTER XVI Continued. 19 "Permit us to send men. You will remember the danger of which I spoke?" The Japanese was truly flurried. flur-ried. "None will harm me," Wells answered an-swered grandiloquently. The cabin-boy behind him scraped one foot against the other. Sanderson came close to Wells' side. He lowered his voice. "I had better see the steamship people about about the body?" "The proper steps have already been taken," Wells assured him. "Everything "Every-thing has been done in my name, and will be attended to promptly. All details de-tails are arranged. Wait. It will not be long. Toh ! Talk is tiresome to me." Ellen was glad when Alberta guided her off the dock, ahead of her husband, hus-band, but she had no opportunity to object, for all of the talk was not understandable, un-derstandable, and she felt apart from them all. Wells and Williams followed the women to the waiting machine Sanderson watched them all move off, standing morose, gazing at the boat which held, as he thought, his young Bob. Alberta missed him and saw him standing motionless; instantly I she smiled and waved her hand at him, but Sanderson, as if In some rigid trance, gave these signals no recognition whatever. Upon this Alberta Al-berta called to him. "Uncle Sandy! Wake up, dear!" Sanderson gave no sign that he heard, but nevertheless stalked after, ttiem. The Japanese delegation was startled star-tled at this unexpected turn. They had already heard that Aochl's heir was given to unexplalnable things, surely this then was the reason that he had apparently slighted them. That must be it. "He's been like that ever since " Alberta called back to Williams. "It Is very sad," Williams told Wells. "Although this nephew really was well, he did some things " "I understand," Wells agreed. "I know of some of these things. It Is desired that I speak of them to that man who is far advanced in the course of life?" "Excellent !" Williams patted his fingers exultingly against the kimono sleeve. Wells could see the figure at his side expand. What, so he knew the other thought, what would this Japanese Japa-nese know that was not damaging to Wells' case? It would be grist to Williams' Wil-liams' mill. Wells was oblivious to the curious crowd who gathered about the automobile auto-mobile into which, with great swish-Ings swish-Ings of drapery, he was assisted. The cabin-boy. deposited handbags beside the chauffeur's seat and heard the order: "Home." Sanderson was the name the cabin-boy cabin-boy had already heard. He would find where this Sanderson lived. The great man might have Japanese househoys who might even be "of the faith" and the cabin-boy had shorelcave! "Tour foreign life begins, O-IIana," Wells said In Japanese as the machine moved off the smooth runway of the pier. "When will it end, Kayama-San?" "As Is ordered." "The woman Is beautiful," Ellen said in her halting Japanese. "Beautiful as Kitsune." He did not . explain that Kitsune was the fox-woman. fox-woman. "Good as she is beautiful?" "No woman Is good, the gods tell ns." "Would you think me beautiful If I were as she?" "It Is not well to criticize the gods, who make us as we are." He felt that very adrult aud was pleased with himself. him-self. "Of what are you two talking?" Alberta Al-berta asked brightly. "Perhaps, according to your foreign customs, I err In repeating," Wells answered smoothly. "We were discussing dis-cussing your beauty." "No woman dislikes that." Alberta retorted, slipping her hand frankly Into Williams'. "Do they, dear?" to Ellen. "I do not know. My lord does not find me . . . pleasing In his eyes." "Why, my dear!" She looked naughtily at Wells. "If you'll Just place your wife In my hands. I'll rind some one who'll think she's a duck. I think she's ravishing." "A duck should swim in Its own pond," Wells said ponderously. "In Japan a wife Is satisfied with the attentions at-tentions of her own husband. I do not wish my wife to be any one's duck." "Don't mind Miss Hayward." Williams Wil-liams said. "But, seriously, your wife Is very lovely." "In Japan," Wells repeated the phrase grimly, "It Is not according to the code of honorable conduct to discuss dis-cuss wives. It Is plain that I have wucb to leurn la this country." "I'll help you all I can," Williams told him easily. Sanderson had spoken no word, nor indicated that he heard any of the conversation, yet Alberta thought he might be listening. As well, then "Mr. Williams can truly help you. He likes to help," she added, fearing that the Japanese might decline. "There will be nothing he can do," Wells said very quietly and gravely. His meaning was double-turned, but none knew of this save himself. CHAPTER XVII Ellen and Wells were immediately shown to a suite of rooms on the second sec-ond floor; Alberta and Ray withdrew to the library; Sanderson prowled alone about the house. All of them were thinking of the same thing. Sanderson was ashamed of the mood which had caused him to act so churlishly churl-ishly toward Williams. He did not like the man, but for 'Berta's sake, he must learn to like him. It didn't seem exactly right for Alberta to be so gay and happy, with Bob's body on the very boat but young people were like that. Not callous. Just forgetful. Living for the instant. It had been his fault that Bob had gone wrong. And Alberta was all that he had left. She was canny of the money, yes. But her life hadn't always been so easy. It was to be expected. If only Bob had been on that boat, now! The story would soon come out. All of it. Poor Bob! This Japanese lord would tell what be knew of Bob. He wouldn't color It, one way or the other. It meant nothing to him. In the library, Alberta hastily closed the door behind her, and faced, Williams Wil-liams squarely. Every motion of her "Ray . . . Was It My Fault That . . . Bob . . ." eager body thrilled him, her hand had hardly left the knob when she was swept to him, Hps met, and remained together.. Breathless, she pushed him from her. hands on his shoulders. She must speak of the dominant thought, was unable to wait or prolong the eo-stacy eo-stacy of the moment. "Ray . . . was it my fault that . . . Bob ..." "It was his own. No one else's, wrote you that, dear." "Was he as had as you said In your letters? He wasn't like that . . . when he was here. You never liked him. you know." "If a Japanese like Kayama says he was bad. and these Orientals'!) stnnd for anything! why, he It'll be unspeakable when we hear!" "You don't think I'm heartless about Bob? It's because I love you. Ray. Always. Didn't you feel creepy when you found out that Bob had been on the same boat with you?" "I'm glad I didn't know." he answered. an-swered. "I was worried when Gordon Gor-don ordered me home, or I might have found out by myself." "I explained to Uncle Sandy how Bob's actions handicapped you. He understands It all. Y"on't It be grand, liny-hoy. for you to" she thought for an adequate expression "for you to take the helm? Uncle Sandy's tired of work. He seldom goes to the office." of-fice." "This other thing won't get out of my mind." Williams sold after a moment. mo-ment. "I hate to think of Bob all alone." "It was his own fault, Ray!" "Does Mr. Sanderson think that?" "He never admits It. He says that It was his fault. But when this lord tells him, he'll have to." She shrugged her shoulders, blinking to shut out the unwelcome vision. "Let's talk of ourselves, dear. What did you think when I told you that Unrle Bandy Is going to make yiu his Dr- sonal assistant 1 I did rt nil myself. You thanked me but Tve been so lonesome. You didn't" (eternal feminine) femi-nine) "think that the Japanese girls were pretty? Tell me!" Williams told her. The while he held her to him, his eyes traveled about the comfortable library.' Some day, this would be his. Alberta would probably want a fellow to stick to the office, when there was golf to be played, and trips In a "little car" to be made and cases of Scotch to be ferreted out. With kisses, he coulo manage her. And that man Gordon, with his damnable "step oa the work ;" he'd step on Gordon the first time the fellow had a word to say. Alberta whirled off upstairs to go through her wardrobe; there would be one pei'fectly dressed woman that night. She paused a moment outside the door behind which was the room of the white wife of the Japanese. Alberta Al-berta admitted frankly that the girl would be pretty, if she were dressed as she should be. But she, Alberta, need not fear comparison. When they were alone, Wells said briefly to Ellen: "I will rest, and also pay devotions to the god of our house. There will be much food, and more talking, later. It will be well for you to rest, likewise. When evening comes, attire yourself tn foreign clothing, O-Hana." O-Hana." The stage wa3 being set, Wells thought. Just how he would act, and what he would say, and the manner in which he would make explanation he did not know. He only hoped that he could bold himself in; he must act a part. Ellen wondered why her husband she wished that in his delirium on the ship he had spoken his own name -was bringing this body of which she had now heard so much. She knew nothing of any body. It was all a part of the weird occurrence. When would he tell her that he was a white man and that he loved her? , Instinct told her that the two would come together. to-gether. Sanderson aimlessly wandered about the house. He wanted "it" over; yet dreaded actual contacts with fact With no consideration at all, as Williams Wil-liams had It, Sanderson walked into the library: the older man found the air of ease which Williams was assuming assum-ing something close to Insolence. "How did Bob look when you last saw him?" Sanderson asked without introduction. "Why very well,s' the other stuttered, stut-tered, removing the cigar from his mouth nervously. "You tried to keep him straight, Ray?" "Naturally, sir." "How did he handle his work?" "I I'd rather not say, Mr. Sanderson." Sander-son." "No time for delicacy. Come, man I Speak !" Delicacy ! Williams was pleased. Now he might speak without fear. "Well, from the first we had trouble, sir. We decided, you remember, that Bob was to handle the outside work except when there was actual new construction. I left it to him at first. But well, there was a drinking-shop near the beach, and Bob must have found the heat trying. It wasn't until he began to drink with the laborers that actual trouble developed. Then the foreman and assistants left us. Said that they lost caste because the boss you know, the Japs have a code of conduct, strange thing anyhow, we were always having the men walk out. But I've pointed out " "Heard this before, from Gordon. From your letters. Get down to cases." "Bob got In the habit of . . . staying out late. I knew he'd always done this at home, but in Japan it was different. I spoke to him. You know how much Bob minded ! He'd just look at me and sneer. I found It very hard. He'd say, 'Who th' devil Is going go-ing to be boss of this concern some day? You keep your d n mouth closed. You write to Uncle Jim, and It'll be your job.' I imagine, also, sir, that, he knew I admired Alberta. It made It very hard for me." "He . . . must have changed. He was always very gentle. Perhaps It was the Orient. I should have kept him by me." Williams shook his head sympathetically, sympathet-ically, and, unurged, for Sanderson had already heard more than he cared, resumed. "The Japanese In the town were very kind to me. It hurt their sense of dignity to see Bob play the foo to see Bob disport himself as he was doing, for they taught the natives to look up to the white men. You remember remem-ber that we had a report that our work would be hindered, so I had a conference with Marakito, the principal princi-pal man In the district, and found him more than willing to co-operate with me." That was wisely said. Williams Wil-liams decided. If necessary, he could get Marakito to back him up. But It wouldn't be needed : all was complete now, and when that Jap Kayama told what he knew. ... "You tried of course you did, Ray, but I must ask I you tried to restrain him?" (TO BE CONTINUED.) |