The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-04-18
which, from its strength and extents

manager, Iacceded to the request, and
was introduced to the visitors. They
were three in number-a burly, simple
looking old man; his wife, buxom
damsel, many years younger; and 8
slim, wiry youth, with sharp restless
eyes, which seemed utterly at variance
with his clownish-cut clothes, and who
seemed to be sort of henchman OF
feudal retainer. They were soon in
raptures over the big iron gates, the
complicated locks, and solid plates Of
walls, ceiling and flooring, the symmet-
rical rows Of dollar-bags, and the gen.
eral appearance of security and strength.
None more so than the slim retainer,
who was even ultra-Japanese in his
curiosity, for he inspected locks and
bolts, thumped and stamped on iron
plates, and inquired necessarily into
the dimensions and thickness of the
walls, required minute explanation
about the foundations-and all with
the most artlesa Beotian air imaginable.
1, as Snowman, allowed them to inspect
everything to their hearts content,
carefully, however, inserting myself be-
tween them and the dollar-bags, for !
had but little faith in the Immaculate
character eYen Of high-bred rustic
japanese, especially when l called to
mind the late robbery. They must have
remained long half-hour before l sug-
gested that they come round to the
"Junior Hong;' and, as 1 locked the
treasury doors behind them, I think /
recollect twinkle in the eyes of the
comprador as he prepared to take him
self off to his opium pipe behind. How
ever treated them to bottle of Held
seick, filled their pouches with Bristol
birdseye, and said goodbye in the most
affectiohste manner at the gate. Then
l started for spin on the running-path,
as our annual athletic sports were
shortly coming off, and 1 was in hard
training.
Itwas pretty dark as 1 came back.
Yokohama in those days could not
boast of a solitary street oil-lamp,
much less gas-jet, and we had literally
to feel our way with the uncertain aid
of lanterns from house to house. Still
it was not so dark but that l could dis
tinguish three figures on the pathway
opposite, in front of large bungalow,
which had been to let for some months
pasta large house, with prolific gar
den in front, in the midst of which was
a huge azalea-bush, another of the
sights of Yokohama. The three figures
were close together; I could distinguish
two men and woman; and, unless my
eyes played me woefully false, they were
nv rustic friends of the afternoon.
However, I thought no more about it,
and turned in to dinner. In another
day or two we heard the bungalow op-
posite had been let to highly respect
able firm of Japanese merchants, who
intended to live there in European style.
Workmen were to be seen day and
night, repairing, repainting, and gen
orally doing up the place; brand new
furniture was discharged at the door in
van-loads; the garden, which had be-
come neglected and overgrown with
weeds, was replanted and trimmed up;
and in very short time the moldy old
residence had assumed spick-and-span
appearance, which made it prominent
feature on the road.
Matters went on in the usually some
what monotonous fashion of Yokohama
at this season of the year; no more
big robberies had been reported, never
theless / still kept the double guard on
the bank premises, and never lost sight
of the idea that any relaxation of vigi-
lance might lure daring schemers to
make an attempt on our dollar-bags
one of these dark autumn evenings.
One evening was returning from my
usual spin on the running path, and
was passing the gate of the bungalow in
front of our bank, when something
struck me as peculiar in the aspect of
the place. On nearer examination, l
found that the giant azalea-bush had
disappeared. At five o'clock, when l
left the bank, I could swear it was there,
but as now peered through the bars of
the gate, there was certainly nothing to
be seen. This was very extraordinary,
for the Japanese are such intense lovers
of all that is striking or picturesqe or
beautiful in nature, that the removal of
an object such as this gigantic azalea,
merely for the sake of convenience,
would be in their eyes a gross act OF
vandalism. was looking farther into
the garden to see if by chance it had
been transplanted, and at the end OF the
piece of ground another unaccountable
sight presented itself. Through side
entrance coolies were unloading cart
of dollar-boxes as fast as they could,
and BY the uncertain glimmer of Ian
tern, 1 could see that the man in the
cart was my burly visitor OF some time
previous, and that the man at the house
door was he of the sharp eyes and in
quisitive turn of mind, associated with
the same visit. What did this mean
If men wanted dollar-boxes in the ordi-
nary course of business, they had them
in during the daytime, and not at seven
o'clock in the evening. Besides, what
could tea and silk dealers want with
dollar-boxes? At the time, / put the
disappearance of the azalea-bush down
to the energy with which the proprietors
of the house were embracing foreign
notions-the dollar-box question was toe
much for me
Judge of my surprise, when the next
morning I found the azalea- bush in its
accustomed place! 1 certainly WASN'T
in any way affected by liquor the pre-
vious evening, for I was in strict train
ing, and the disappearance of huge
azalea-bush would have been a trick too
great, even for the eyes of drunkeI
man to be deceived by it. Putting thi
and the dollar-box business together,
am sorry to say that l began to suspec
my rustic friends, but resolved to wal
till the evening in order to have my sus
picions verified. True enough. as
passed the gate at the same hour as OF
the previous evening, the azalea-busl
was gone, and nothing but bare, un
even spot marked its site.
Well, I knew that azalea-bushes ar
not, even in eccentric Japan, put ou
during the daytime, and taken in a
night to nurse like tender, delicate ez
otics, so l called the comprador, toll
him what / had remarked, and desired hir
to watch for night. He told the sam
story, and my suspicious were confirmed
that something Of an extraordinary ms
ture was going on somewhere in tn
neighborhood of the bungalow over tn
way.
l SCI men to watch for the actua
operation of carting away the bush, bu
on the nights they watched it RENAME
undisturbed. One reported that at mic
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