Show the he Lori Lord of f Thunder Gate I e- e i BUYING A WIFE IJ I Si Ina In a low drinking race i-a i ce a-ce ce In the Japanese town of dissolute son Kayama I ithe the wealthy Lord of Ho lo Thunder Gate boasts of a arl rl ho he Is la to purchase with gold told len hen from his father Follow- Follow J K i g g. a fight In ln the place a drunken ate Ite man speaking perfect Jap- Jap Jap unconscious Kaya Kaya- h ocse ile oae Is left ir dreading his fathers father's anger ea a way of escape He changes b thes with the unconscious hUo man to whom he bears a resemblance leaving t pote rote In the garments promising j ln food shelter and money If li will Impersonate him Kayak Kaya- Kaya k for a a. time Leaving I Kayama ayama robbed and slain The white whiten Is taken uno un- un i n as Kayama o n to the house of Aochi ia ts name Is Robert Wells Wei Wells s his ho do was born and passed in Japan awakes bej beH be- be j H ered but to familiar f scenes house almost from age agre does docs not perve per per- a ve Ive the deception He had de- de mined hl his hid unworthy son should put to death but Wells Wells' deI de- de I leads him to think a formation Is possible I v CHAPTER II II Continued Continued j 3 3 31 35 If 1 i 5 they walked down the corridor r was thinking as quickly as his fled led ed head would permit What MIsako Isako called him Ka Kayama hayama ama had this servant called him lma ima a. a That thing hed he'd seen seen seen-or or had reamed Beamed amed It last It-last last night that god thunder god The god of ot Kaya- Kaya 1 i house house of ot which his nurse had so told old him In his baby da days s 's He confound It It hed he'd see It for a time anyhow how curious Ious look of malignant hatred Incredulous pleased surprise was ochi's hIs hI's face Wells Yells saw that the j e eyesight must be fallI fall fall- II po F h he e constantly screwed up I his jows 18 as If to peer more closely i i flit JIt t true that you ou chastised Itola Hoin I keeper i ls Is bowed bowed That Is the truth truth truth- ther here b ere re the old man asked gr grimly e er gold ld d acid TI t A bag of It Come where nY II den ave aye no gold father Ifs Aochi pondered over oyer He lIe cond con- con d H the matter mutter long so long that his aged mind shifted and his J i jUt It up Of what were we talk- talk W I 1 remember Of lobo Itola Ael I iJ e a seen It lt M Sly My servant told Jj open hand was like the tho ng g. g It closed as It struck eyes blinked He lie descended to That trick you ou must have havera ra r. In another country Kayama f ell that you ou learned something lieu I 1 had fears of that trip I have j ked your speech It Is just a n nl l lr along It IB is not so crisp as It JIbe be scratched his head Come son on It would seem eem that your bigger er than It has been but buteT butr r eT en n of our house are powerful rca ama t Stressed Wells' Wells bandaged arm She Elie I white man winced Immedi- Immedi d tl expression changed chang u arc ashamed he announced I I fare misfortune to m my house I that thata I a n thin thing should occur To be bemm d mm dT to my ver very gate ate b by the hus- hus f fI f a rice picker To have bar- bar with ith him for her lost honor r cF han than tal take e a knife to haggle a the pa payment ment over oyer a single gold s. s t. t f to fear to fight tight thus suffer- suffer fhe he pinched the arm arse again a again a t arm and and forefinger forefinger er probing lu ids cut cue above D ve your c eye e And yet et Vr n n keeper was a stron stronger er man ji do not understand It Ka Kayama M am tired from so much talk 1 Is is Ls smiled Perhaps I have haye been ft m my father Think that thata t a n a wiser different son rev re- J to you by hy the goodness of the j That the troublesome fellow t. t vas as Ku Kayama ama Is gone 1 1 reached n a like hand hund toT to- to to- to T Wells and opened the neck of oft t 13 mono rl ll he cackled There is the J g mark It seems more red rod Let us say that a miracle has N brought rou ht about That the gods even Iven you sense to Q behind him he drew a long r i F Wells saw the lions Hons of ot Shinto swarmed the sheath and i led about the exquisite hilt hUt 1 lifted the blade t fed d you ou Kayama Now the old i gone a thing thine of the past Prist Inbody In- In f a body was floating down the It It 1 that runs past the Inn of or I the he I gear earl to rest at last ast upon a n ahr hr twig g bank of mud and fland the honor 1 ml house Is thus appeased I grow grow ait ful ful Ka Kayama MK U should rest father futher n lu at Is true I have not slept t. t I 1 Ifor for rest un and devotion I Il iet l rv r tired he door he paused Also very s y In my mj new son he added am and fen pleased with his conceit i oily found him Just before the for the noonday meal prostrate p p lor tl the household shrine his wrin- wrin t h jj ace smiling Aochi had get last stage of the ceaseless Jour Jour- ra gelt Telling Wells between muffled end eric eric- each member of the Or of old made obeisance to the now drof a J f the Thunder Gate Cate lre tee n s' s head hend whirled Old stories w e through his mind 1 the tales of Jf if tr the nurse urse He Ile marshaled them t he could Into an nn orderly array j was no time for con- con I B By Y S SIDNEY i-i i HERSCHEL i i SMALL Copyright by The Merrill Bobbs-Merrill Co to to whom Indeed should he explain the tale talc and who would beleve believe be- be leve lieve He had been accepted as ns Kayama Kayama Ka Ka- yama ama by the fiend of the house He He he was Kayama for a bit anyhow He TIe crossed crossell the floor slowly returning with a naked sword which he laid across cross the dead mans man's arms to keep away evil e spirits Tapers were lit It Incense curled in the hot close air of the room Servants hid away the household shrine Finally a screen green covered with flying herons of gray was placed about the tIle bod body and fima returned to his room The ancient servant maid awaited him I was a n season older than thun the lord ord she greeted g Wells ells The willow has outlived the pine She bustled about with steps step man many preparing preparing pre pre- paring white garments for Yells Wells to todon Ion don I saw Sans San's father die I have ha seen San Aochi-San die Who knows but that you ou yourself might be he stricken See to It she U she waggled haggled a n finger er at him him that that a little son trot about this house Kayama She held up a white unembroidered kimono for him Wells dropped the blue kimono he had been wearing to he the floor The bit of paper feM fell with it it t fluttered he stooped seeing writIng writ- writ lag Ing ng thereon Read while I compose m myself self he fc asked the woman It Is doubtless of no Importance I do not know from frolD whence It came My y eyes are old Lord If It be nothing I will burn It In the brazier Wells glimpsed the characters for the and Ka Kayama ama picked up paper read ead slowly Slowly and with dawning dawn dawn- ing ng comprehension The swine he said aid aloud In English Poor old od Aochi Hes He's happier that I did happen happen happen hap hap- pen along Wonder Yonder when the beg beggar ar arwill will show up again What a mess I Foreign words San Kayama-San on the he day clay you ou should be he thinking of the many virtues of your departed father the he servant chided You have on tae white while robe The fhe priests will be walt walt- ing ng The great grea t hell bell of the temple was vas already alread reverberating reverberating- slow slowly and regularly punctuating Wells' Wells wonder of f this unreal situation Peal after peal of the great bronze bell shook through the hou house e of the Thunder Gate Wells took his place In the procession procession sion lon that had already formed at nt the tate hate of the house All were white- white hooded and robed In white from head to o foot There were no relatives es 0 only 1 I the he men and women servants of or the house louse the leading priest ringing a tinny Inny Dell and Kayama Wells The whole affair was dreamlike to him ilm Shadow Shadowy Impressions only yet et unimpressed Eyes centered on Wells ells Slowly trying trIng to remember everything that Misako had told him of for she had been at this very verr temple many times she had said he rose bowed low lit litan litan litan an Incense stick and stuck It t In a abronze abronze abronze bronze vase ase at feet lIe He recited recited re re- re- re cited d clearly the Words of Perfume for or the departed These he lie had heard icard and angered his father by hy repeating repeating re re- re- re when hen he was a child Members of the household foil followed owed him ilm him each thrusting a blazing fuming bit of Incense Into the bowl bow that hochl Aochi might be he away quickly and safely suie Voices broke had been beena a noble kind lord If stern and strict Who ho could su say what Ka Kayama ama would be Man Many a prayer er was muttered forthe for forthe the new lord that th the gods give him wisdom Your devotion oton Is pleasing to us the head priest Informed Wells VeIls We feared eared that your OUr journeys journe s 's In the o jin countr country might cause you ou to for for- get There will be gold Jold brought to the I temple tempe Wells said sud remembering Gold Is not a covering for devotion You will smiling smiling sl slyly slyly bring the I gold yourself San Kayama-San Sar You remember remember re re- re- re member the price It will be Ralph ample honorable priest Ample The price Is 15 tb fixed 1 None on 1 shall complain of th the generosity generosity gen Jen- of nf the Lord orl of the Thunder Thunder Gate Wells WeBs said provoked pro b by the In InsI Insistence insistence In- In sI of or the other The priest looked at him curiously You did not speak of generosity before he- he fore Kayama San You would have ha offered more gold od for the maid Then suddenly nl Surely urel you Oll have not forgot our bargain The maid Is la read ready for you ou upon payment of the si sll rolls rons of ot gold When will you rou come for her Wells considered this A bargain had apparently been Iwen made fluid between n nKa Ka Kayama and the tc temple mple folk Hed He'd carry It out An additional st servant nant more or less what less what did dill It mutter matter He knew w that she he would he be well verged for what Japanese maid Is 18 not Inthe In Inthe Inthe the nee needful ful duties It would nl also o. o he safer to he be waited upon by hy some one unacquainted with Kayama For I some time somehow his masquerade might totter and the mask slip Today I devote to contemplation of or orm m my departed fathers father's many virtues that I 1 profit by them I will come to to- morrow Witty VitI the thc six rolls of gold Ku Kayama- Kayama San I will bring them CHAPTER III It Is the hour for bathing the old od servant t told Ka Kayama ama when he be returned re re- turned I am tired Wells feared that this would not satisfy her I I s She c. c however er Drought brought a volume to him Compose yourself then Kaya Koya- ma San Here Is the First Book In It so It-so so I have heard heard Is Is written that thatto to the young should hould come the young I 1 am nm old There should be a g gayer yer maid waiting upon you ou She would drive the sorrow from your our eyes Tell me Lord does not young oung blood course In your our veins Wells smiled I go to the temple tomorrow little mother It seems that I am to bu buy a maid there ther Those priests Much gold you will pa pay Her hands fluttered It flIt willbe will willbe willbe be good to have a n maid In the house housea a again aln And a n babe Wells elis thought In excellent AmericanA American A fat fut chance he was thinking s Your maid mold will pray each night that she be he mumbled given gl a son man on the servant senant I will see to It that she protect your our comforts that each cach wish even cven thoughts unuttered be fulfilled Wells shivered Wh Why hadn't soma one Instructed Instructed- instructed or or Jr didn't American mothers do such things Alberta 7 Alberta Had Hall she ever during their engagement engage engage- ment considered anything and hadn't she been among the first to condemn him ur unheard heard With a start he remembered her beauty only to find that he considered It as imper impersonal as a painting Footsteps In the hall aroused him A priest shaved of head a comfortably comfortably comfort comfort- abl ably plump fellow bowed as he shuffled shuffled shuf shuf- fled fed Into the room He refused the offered offered offered of of- cup of tea Intimating by gestures gestures gestures tures that he wished to speak to Wells Swells In private The abbot has sent me he whispered whispered whis whis- hoarsely There are missionarIes missionaries missionaries mission mission- aries in the next village They will view the temple They have pr prying Ing eyes The abbot wishes you to come for the maid I am am deep In devotion honorable priest You will find comfort In your our sor sor- row Be sure to warn your servants to be silent until the JIn depart The matter Is Important Be sure to bring the gold Why h not Wells ells thought Better Detter get It over with He clapped his hands giving orders he was bringing a maid to the household Let none mention It Why hj did the priest sa say that drat Prepare for her The woman serving-woman hurried for a aga agay agay ga gay robe Funerals were forgotten Wells VeIls was soon read ready and accompanied accompanied accompanied the priest Already Arend Wells saw the problems attendant attendant attendant at at- upon buying a maid He must tell her that she found no favor In his hise e eyes which eyes which would be difficult In view of the fact that he lee had bought her How could he tell her The rhe jangle of little bells announced the first prayer prayer hour as he entered the temple yard ard Heavy hangings to the left of the Idol Ido were brushed aside and the eldest priest entered It has been decreed he said r g-r gravely that temple-maids temple ma may be sold but only as wives Later they may be relegated to a lesser position But each must be properly married Is this satisfactory San Kayama-San With Without Without out permitting Wells to answer and Wells Yells was already thinking of the form of his protest In hn having his own Ideas as to the binding of n marriage arriage ceremonies he lee droned Immediately Into the ritual as Is proper for the bridegroom m must st not see the woman until the they are actually married Complete he told the shocked Wells he lie had a n favor to ask The priests have ha never lIe seen such a woman Ka- Ka San Is It permitted that they gaze upon such beauty that they ml might remember It 1 What difference Wells Yells no nodded ded as ns sent Wells saw seconds second's b a byplay Just Justas as the curtain parted that was not Intended intended In in- tended to he be seen the trembling hands of a n priest touching bright hair the twisting of a n womans woman's figure as If It f to offer combat then the drooping of ot ofa ota a hopeless head hend Good Goo 1 l he heard the priest say Keep your e eyes ees es discreetly to the tl floor 00 t Walk alk slowly and with guiding guiding guid guid- ing hard hOl d he led the girl Into the room Fascinated Wells Wells' e eyes es held to the weirdness of the picture to this rose In a Satsuma bowl The priest was willing that thIs tills moment of ot awe nwe of ot expectation be protracted and as wa was natural the first upward sweep of the girls girl's ej eyes s caught and held the theone theone theone one bright spot In the room Wells Wells' brilliant robes t The maid says she Is all allwhite allwhite allwhite white and begs his forbearance Can you Imagine how she comes to be a slave clave of the thc priests TO BE CONTINUED |