The Meridian Tribune (Meridian, Tex.), Vol. 30, No. 14, Ed. 1 Friday, September 5, 1924 Page: 3 of 8
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THE MERIDIAN TRIBUNE
The Lord of Thunder Gate
By SIDNEY HERSCHEL SMALL
(Copyright by The Bobbs-Merrill Co.)
One
AMERICAN
•LEGION®
(Copy for This Department Supplied by the
American Legion News Service.)
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CHAPTER XII—Continued.
-15—
They stood together so. Ellen felt
the tense heat of his hands, the jerk-
ing of his breath. Was staggered and
speechless by that which confronted
her. That which was now inevitable.
What could she say? Or do? Or
think? He was her husband. Once
words fluttered to her lips, unescap-
ing. That Kayama-San should remem-
ber his promise as Lord of the Thun-
der Gate. Died before they found
birth. That she found the touch of
his hands pleasant came near to
nauseating her. She didn’t . . • no,
she couldn’t .. . it wasn’t she who
stood in this silent room with its flick-
erings of light and the voices, so in-
distinct, like memory of an evil dream,
coming from the distance; it wasn’t
she who thrilled to the touch of this
Japanese, who had been so kind be-
fore, while now . . . now . • .
She wished that he would speak.
She wondered if he would . . • kiss
her. The Oriental does not kiss . ..
would he? . . .
Had she drawn away, swayed either
backward or forward, moved a finger,
an eyelid, his arms would have closed
about her tightly in a flash.
a Wells did not know for what he was
waiting. He knew that he wanted her;
close, all of the seductive beauty; to
whisper that he loved her. To see her
smile, to see her happy in his arms.
That she stood there, so much at his
mercy, so entirely at his command, her
nerveless hands in his, awaiting his
will, beaten to it, sobered him.
She had never been so willing be-
fore. Had she been swept away by
the beauty, enthralled by the magic
of the passionate night? Had he? He
could not follow thetrain of his
thought: processes went on, but were
undirected and uncontrolled. He had
acted instinctively before, and did so
now.
He wanted her none the less. What
was the matter with him? What held
him back? She stood there by him.
She was his. His wife. He wanted
her more, far more. But not like this.
Never like this. Not bent to his will.
He could, said his racing mind, have
her as Bob Wells. As a decent chap,
his name as clean as his heart. Was
his heart clean? He wondered. His
name he’d force them to clear. Then
—and then only—
Very slowly, reluctantly almost, his
hand dropped from the silken shoul-
der. leaving, as remembrance, the silk
bunched and rumpled.
"I—must—tell you," he broke the
long silence, groping for expression
that came with difficulty, “that I—
boy," in English, spoken very low,
"but, if you want that vow fulfilled,
and copious tapers burned before your
august self, get busy and keep her
away from me. Otherwise, some day
... I may not be decent enough . .."
He left the thought unfinished, and
was soon asleep.
Old Hisu, returning late, entered the
room softly and lit the night lamp,
marveling that it had burned itself
out. She adjusted the quilted silk
about Wells, very gently, so as not to
disturb him, kneeling to do so.
Then she saw, where it had dropped
when Ellen had bowed her head in
submission, a curved comb of unmis-
takable design.
She held it to the light, the better
to see. Was certain.
"Yoh !" she mumbled as she stepped
softly back into the hall. "What did I
say? I knew Kayama’s way would be
the way of his father !"
She chuckled toothlessly to herself.
CHAPTER XIII
Ellen remained in her room for a
moment before answering the sum-
mons to leave. It seemed friendly to
her: the garden was peaceful, quiet.
For what was she trading this shel-
tering house? Then, fearful of her
own inner thoughts, she walked quick-
ly down the corridor, past the row of
bowing servants, to the gate where her
aged palanquin waited behind that of
Kayama-San and three loads of bag-
gage, as is proper for a woman’s.
In the jolting relic of ancient days.
Wells’ mind became active; what, he
wondered, would be his feelings in the
midst of his own people again? He
cast aside the possibility that any of
the passengers might have known
Robert Wells. Even if they had, The
was perfectly safe. The cut over his
eye had healed, but he still wore the
rakish, disfiguring bandage.
There would be a few hours at
Yokohama. Surely it would be wise
to see that Ellen had Occidental
clothes. There must be some Ameri-
can or English shops where a woman
could buy things. The time would
surely come when she would need
ate vital
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reet patsy
want you—" he faltered, and she
bowed her head again.
As, so Wells remembered with dis-
tinctness, as she had bowed it in the
temple, before the eager-eyed priests.
Did the hands in his tremble?
"I want you to. . . go with me •..
to the foreign land, little wife," he
said at last.
He thought he heard her sigh gust-
fly. Perhaps it was a wind in the
trees. He was not sure. He was very
glad that a torrent of rebuke did not
flow from her, chiding him for • • .
what she must have known. Then, so
gently that he was half unaware of it,
she released her hands from his and
stepped back.
He must say something. Something
to relieve the tension which lingered.
He wanted to be alone, and, in the
same thought, wanted her with him
still.
"See, O-Hana," he said in a bright,
forced voice, "do you see the little
light?"
Her head turned, and Ellen glimpsed
a twinkle showing beyond the wall of
the low hill. He saw the lovely profile,
and a gleam upon her face like a sin-
gle drop of light.
“There was—once—a miracle there."
His voice was uneven, but stronger.
“The fourth lesser demon was caught
in the sacred tree. Entangled, doubt-
less, through the mercy of the gods, or
he would have accomplished much mis-
chief." Wells spoke very rapidly. "A
boy saw it, and thought it was a kite.
He fetched a priest, who, of course,
being acquainted with such matters as
demons, knew better. So a shrine was
built, and a hermit paid to pray there
day and night. And whoever is sick,
or has bowlegged children, or a plague
of insects in his fields, goes there and
prays with the hermit. For pay. The
money paid the hermit by the priests
was money well laid out . .. the shrine
is very rich . . ."
Then, in a confident voice: "The
hermit, and you, and I, and the old
woman in the street, are the only ones
not at the festival. .. . It is very late,
O-Hana . . . good-night, child •. ."
Her hand did touch his a breathless
second as she passed from the room.
No . . . it had been his wish that it
had . . . yes, it did! . . . no. . .
Wells stepped to Kaminari’s corner:
the hideous visage was friendly, he
wondered that he had feared it once.
“I make a vow,” he said, falling into
the accustomed Japanese. "To you,
since you have witnessed this newest
deviltry of mine. There is a knife
between my wife and myself, until
. . .” he felt that he was speaking
foolishly, insanely, to this image,
stopped an instant, then added, a tri-
which contrasted with Ellen’s halr
and made it of pyritic iridescence: a
gown trimmed with sea-soft jade chif-
fon from which the girl’s smooth
shoulders rose Venus-like above a sul-
try sea.
She glanced fearfully in the glass,
gasped at her own image there.
"You see! Madame is very lovely !"
The proprietress was careful to in-
form Ellen that this gown must not
be pressed nor rumpled. "A trunk!
To go with hangings into the hold?
No, no. Madame will keep it in the
box, and with it the stockings and
slippers, yes. A promise, madame!
It is a creation of art." So the box
remained with the hand-baggage when
Ellen told Wells of it.
"Name of a dog," madame the pro-
prietress muttered after Ellen had
left. "The poor little thing. Fright-
ened to death, married to that wor-
shiper of devils. My heart aches for
her. But," spreading out her hands,
“it is none of my business. That is,
it is for my business. She has lost
her soul, assuredly."
The banker had made good the as-
surance that all details should be
cared for. Wells found that his board-
ing the steamer had been made an
event for both passengers and crew.
From some old chest of the steamship
company, who in the earlier days had
chartered junks to nobles, the Thun-
der God flag was unearthed, and
flapped sullenly, in protest.
The captain greeted him with many
bows. Here, as the officer had ex-
plained to the steward, was not. only
one of Japan’s very wealthy men, but
of an old, honorable family. The word
had been passed about. Passengers
lined the rails as he came aboard, fol-
lowed by Ellen.
A cabin-boy trotted after with hand-
bags, an undersized, thin Japanese.
He only, on the great boat, was think-
ing of this Lord Kayama with hatred.
Here was one, so the fellow reasoned
sullenly, who owned many tracts of
land and rice fields and gold and wom-
en: one who did not even glance at
him!Had not the knife found such
lords before, even in the streets of
Tokyo? Had not the radical teacher
said that it was a great and noble
deed to remove from the earth such
parasites—the cabin-boy licked his
lips. He could use a silent knife on
shipboard. There would be a splash.
None would know who had done it,
except himself and the teacher—who
would praise the bravery.
The lord was certain to be alone.
Some night, in the cabin of the lord
when the lights were out—
No suggestion of these thoughts
was apparent in his eyes.
Not to be found lacking in bushido
Wells complimented the captain upon
his beautiful ship. He spoke in state
ly tones, and felt asinine.
"Why, he’s handsome," lisped a girl.
Es eyelids flickered. “I wonder if
LEGION MEET WILL
BE RECORD-BREAKER
•********************************************"***"" IIIIIITIHIM"...........""
If Alice Should Write Her Memoirs .
With three great conventions in
progress simultaneously in four con-
vention halls, the 1924 gathering of
the American Legion and its affiliated
bodies at St. Paul, Minn., from
September 16 to 19 promises to be one
of the greatest veterans’ conventions
in the history of the country. Sixty
thousand visitors are expected to make
the pilgrimage to the convention city,
coming from every state in the Union
and from many foreign lands.
Greetings to the Legionnaires will
be extended on behalf of the conven-
tion city by Mayor Arthur E. Nelson,
himself a Legionnaire, and on behalf
of the Minnesota department of the
Legion by its commander. Formal re-
sponse will be made on behalf of
National Commander John R. Quinn,
of the Legion, by James T. Williams,
Jr., editor of the Boston Transcript
There will also be greetings from
many other organizations. Among
these are the Grand Army of the Re-
public, the United Confederate Vet-
erans, the United Spanish War Vet- •
erans, the Women’s Overseas league,
the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the
Disabled American Veterans, the
Knights of Columbus, the Legion Aux-
lliary and the Forty and Eight. Com-
mander W. B. Haldeman of the United
Confederate Veterans has stated that
he will attend the convention.
At the opening session of the con-
vention on Monday morning. Com-
mander Quinn will make his report.
It is of particular interest in this
connection that this convention marks
the fifth anniversary of the permanent
organization of the Legion across the
river from St. Paul at Minneapolis in
1919.
Among the distinguished speakers
who will address the convention are
Gen. Frank T. Hines, director of the
United States veterans’ bureau; Sam-
uel Gompers, president of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor; Judge Kene-
saw Mountain Landis, baseball arbiter,
and John Barton Payne, chairman of
the American Red Cross.
Impressive memorial services in
honor of the World war dead will con-
clude the first session of the conven-
tion. Miss Alma Forker, of Bakers-
field, Cal., who has been chosen as
convention solist, will sing.
Tuesday afternoon will be given
over to the great convention parade,
in which 25,000 marchers and more
than 300 bands and drum corps will
take part. Election of national officers
on Friday morning will conclude the
convention, which will be occupied in
the meantime with formulation of
Legion policies and in a round of con-
vention festivities.
It is said that society in Washing-
ton is talking rather excitedly and
a little apprehensively about a rumor
that Mrs. Nicholas Longworth is en-
gaged in writing her memoirs. If the
daughter of T. R. should tell the story
of social and political Washington as
she has known it the book would be
the best seller for a long time to come.
The former Alice Roosevelt has the
ability, the sense of humor, the spice
of malice and the daring to tell it well.
It would be an uncomfortable book
for some people, probably; but a
mighty interesting one for most. Per- :
haps Mrs. Longworth remembers the
day when all sorts of yarns about her
own irrepressible self were being re-
lated. She may feel that it is now
her turn to get even.
Yes, Alice has plenty of nerve. In
the famous 1912 convention she was
an interested and most partisan spec-
tator. In that convention, Elihu Root
presided and directed the operation of the steamroller. The T. R. supporters
greeted each bang of the gavel, each adverse ruling with bitterly derisive cries
of "Toot, toot!" Returning to Washington on the same train with the senator.
Alice encountered him in the aisle. He stood aside to let her pass, but the
daughter of T. R. rose on tip-toe as if to whisper to him. The senator gravely
and politely inclined his head toward her; whereupon she "toot-tooted" in his
ear.
Soft Words From the “Tiger of Mexico”
Gen. Plutarcho Elias Calles—
"Tiger of Mexico"—and its President-
elect, is making a trip to Europe be-
fore his inauguration. He passed
through the United States, from New
Orleans to New York, had a con-
sultation with Samuel Gompers and
talked more or less for publication.
He will spend some time in Paris to
enable the women in his party to pur-
chase the latest gowns and hats. His
party of nine includes his two daugh-
ters, Natalie and Ernestina; his broth-
er, Rodolfo, with his wife and daugh-
ters, Lydia; another brother, Arthur.
The general was optimistic about
Mexico’s future. He said he was one
of the first "drys" in Mexico and it
was largely through his efforts that
Sonora, his state, went dry in 1915.
He hoped to see prohibition become
effective throughout Mexico and also
to see the gambling along the border
done away with. Concerning Ameri-
MB
can oil companies operating in Mexico, the General said:
“I am absolutely in favor of oil companies owning property in Mexico, and
there will be no disposition on the part of my administration, when it assumes
office, to take over the property of any of these corporations. We will wel-
come American capital as well as other capital in the development of Mexico.”
"Mexico," he says," has a special affection for the United States. The two
nations should work together in sympathy and harmony. The rule of class and
the era of special benefits for special classes is over in Mexico.”
********************************************************************************************************"***************************************="]
Texas Woman’s Odd Political Campaign
«You See! Madame Is Very Lovely!"
them, for her many boxes contained
only glittering ceremonial kimonos or
opalescent ones for ordinary dress—
and, lord, how he’d like to see her
dressed as—as Ellen should be!
He couldn’t go with her to do the
buying. Nor could he, as a Japanese
should do, buy the things for her. He
would say that he disliked foreign
clothing and the necessary dealings
with the shopkeepers, and she could
have a bit of all-too-rare pleasure.
When he spoke of it to Ellen, her
first thought was full of the fear that
she would not select as she should,
and she suggested that a mission-
woman be asked to help her.
. “You would then appear before my
eyes as a coal-sack," Wells ejaculat-
ed. “No expense is to be spared, child.
You must dress as the finest of seivo-
jin women, that I am not disgraced.
I will pay for everything. Since this
clothing will be worn in America, it
must be—perfect."
Timidly, in the shop, Ellen first
asked for a dress "such as white wom-
en" wear, adding that it must be the
finest. The French girl who waited
on her whispered this fact to the
French proprietress: the name of El-
ten’s "lord" was discovered, and in a
brief moment the shop’s bonanza was
uncovered. Ellen was stripped of her
kimono.
"Madame must be outfitted—yes?—
from the very beginnings!" the owner
of the shop gloated, and before the
girl, passed in procession the latest
importations’ silky daintiness, cob-
webs of lace; stockings spun upon
fairy looms, slippers of the same hue;
stouter walking boots—and finally
madame the proprietress was satisfied.
Then dresses: simple frocks, tweed
street suit, until madame brought
forth with reverent hands an evening
he understood," she added fearfully
in a lower tone.
Wells looked straight ahead. There
must be no telltale expressions. He
had already explained to Ellen, that,
from now on, he knew no word of
English. She wondered at this.
He felt hostile eyes upon him as
he followed the steward down the
deck. In turning a corner, he collid-
ed with a white man, who recoiled
from him, muttering, "Dirty Jap!"
Wells turned hot and cold. He bowed
gravely to the man, meeting his gaze
squarely. The fellow stared at him
blankly, his lips curving in disgust at
the sight of Ellen with this Japanese.
Kayama-San. He was Kayama-San,
The man had not recognized him. The
man was Williams.
What was Williams doing on the
boat? Why had he left his work?
In his cabin, Wells stroked his face
thoughtfully. There was little attrac
tive in that visage, so the glass told
him: it was sinister, implacable. He
felt safe, if he were cautious.
Ellen was to be served in her cabin;
she feared the bold, questioning
glances. Wells, out of courtesy to the
captain who had invited him to his
table, and partly for the amusement
of it, dressed for dinner in full re-
galia. His heavy silk kimono blazed
with the emblem of his house, and
many indrawn breaths told him that
his appearance was found barbarical-
ly heroic. With silk slithering and
whispering against silk he solemnly
took his seat.
With intent ears, he caught many
comments: heard sneers, snarls. Was
unmindful of angry phrases—yeah, a
white girl—can you beat them Japs-
it’s a shame that—some one ought
to act—
He was apart. A desire for a friend-
ly face became uppermost. Abruptly
he left the salon and returned to his
cabin. He unlocked the door between
his stateroom and Ellen’s.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Dinner, Social Event
for Legion Auxiliary
Foremost on the program of the
American Legion Auxiliary convention,
which opens at St. Paul, on September
15, is the state’s dinner, which is also
the leading social event of the entire
Legion convention. This banquet will
be held at the Masonic temple at 7:30
o’clock on Tuesday evening.
Brilliant decorations, beautifully
gowned women, lights, music, combine
to make a function which is not soon
forgotten. Each department has its
own special table, which is decorated
in distinctive fashion by the depart-
ment itself. The variegated schemes
contribute largely to the dash and
splendor of the scene.
National officers, department dele-
gates, national executive committee-
women and all chairmen of the nation-
al committees of the Auxiliary will be
present. The national commander of
the Legion and notables on convention
committees will be guests.
Sessions of the convention proper
will be held at the Central Presbyter-
Ian church and will open on Monday
afternoon. Judge Kenesaw M. Landis
will address the Auxiliary. Election of
national officers will be held on Fri-
lay morning and will conclude the
convention.
Politics is a queer game, but it
would be hard to find a more pictur-
esque primary campaign than that in
Texas, where Mrs. Miriam W. Ferguson
ran for the Democratic nomination
for governor as a vindication of her
husband, James E. Ferguson, the for-
mer governor, who was impeached in
1917. Her husband managed her cam-
paign and they spoke from the same
platform. Previous to her marriage
in 1899 she was Miss Miriam Wallace
of Bell county.
Mrs. Ferguson got 140,906 votes
and stood second to Felix D. Robert-
son of Dallas, 186,996 votes. So Mrs.
Ferguson apparently earned a place
in the run-off primary..
James Edward Ferguson, her hus-
band, has had a varied career. He
was born in Bell county, Texas, in
1871, had a district school education
and spent two years on the Pacific
coast and in Colorado as a laborer,
teamster, miner and foreman of railroad construction gangs. Next he was a
farmer in Bell county. He was admitted to the Texas bar and practiced in
Belton and Temple. Next he organized a bank. Then he entered politics by
being elected governor in 1914 on a "business man’s ticket."
Earl Sande Says He Will Ride Again
fle red in the face: “I love her, old gown, a thing
of amethyst beauty,
Same Manner for Both
The wealthy uncle was talking Ov
the prospects of his nephew with the
lad’s mother.
“How is he doing with his studies?"
"Oh, very well. He shows a great
talent for music, and his manner is
very haughty. His teacher thinks he
will become a conductor."
"Ah! Indeed!" responded uncle.
“Orchestra or street car?"—Stray Sto-
ries
Damage Memorial Steps;
Forced to Pay Neat Sum
Disregard of the fine marble steps,
that adorn the entrance to the Legion
Memorial building at Shamokin, Pa.,
recently cost Vincent Lopez, famous
leader of a dance orchestra that ap-
peared in the Legion gymnasium last
May, a neat sum in damages. In re-
moving their trunks from the me-
morial building following the enter-
tainment, members of the orchestra
dragged their winks down the marble
stairs to the street, inflicting a num-
ber of dents in the ornamental stair-
way. Lopez and his organization ap-
peared in the vicinity of Shamokin re-
cently and a committee of the Amer-
ican Legion and "old Jolin Law"
armed with a warrant attended the
concert. The illustrious leader at
first presented an indignant mood
when the claim of damages was made,
but finally settled in full when con-
fronted with a warrant and the pros-
pects of the city bastile.
The racing public—and it is a
large one—reads every word that is
printed concerning the condition of
Earl Sande, convalescing in the hos-
pital at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., after
his fall at the Saratoga track. Cables
from all over the world show the con-
cern felt in this internationally famous
jockey of the Rancocas stable. An
X-ray photograph showed a broken
rib and a leg broken in two places
above the knee. It was feared at first
that Sande’s leg would have to be
amputated. Then it was said that he
would never be able to ride again.
Sande grinned and said he’d "fool ’em
all." At this writing there seems no
reason why he should not resume his
riding, though he has planned be-
cause of increasing weight, either to
ride abroad or to enter the ranks of
the trainers.
Sande, of course, will not be in
mruzgunu
shape to ride in the International
races in the East and Kentucky that center around Epinard, the great French
horse, now in training at Saratoga. And that is a pity, because he is probably
the best jockey of the day. He rode Zev, it will be remembered, in his victory
over Papyrus, the English champion, last fall. This fall he was slated to ride
Zev again and Grey Lag. Sande has ridden the winner in every racing classic
except the Futurity and his mounts have won more than a million dollars.
Sande is twenty-six years old and married.
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Dunlap, Levi A. & Dunlap, Teel W. The Meridian Tribune (Meridian, Tex.), Vol. 30, No. 14, Ed. 1 Friday, September 5, 1924, newspaper, September 5, 1924; Meridian, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1630739/m1/3/: accessed July 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Meridian Public Library.