The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-07-22

Gnu topics. AT last mrs. Long says, with
apparent carelessness. ''How does ii
happen that your mother and you have
not called on my ~niecef"
Sallie colors and hangs her head, un.
provided with an answer. people say
she is a Japanese, and I suppose they
feel shy" is the awkward excuse she
manages to get out presently.
"She is no more a Japanese than you
are" says Mrs. Long, looking at the
blue eyes before her with a laugh. s'She
came from the South, and never was in
Japan in her life."
"Oh," says Sallie; overcome with
terror at the idea of the false tales she
has been spreading.
"Your Information throws some light
on the matter, but there is more in it
than that" Mrs. Long says How
ever, that is very well for a beginning.
And now CO." giving her a good
natured little push, ''and next time be
sure your wonderful stories have some
foundation in fact"
Meanwhile some darker and more
disagreeable hints have reached Mr..
Conrad. and he determines to trace
them to their source. Il will have a
settlement with Black Tomorrow" he
says to himself, having reached that
point in his researches. But MI. Black,
having been appraised that Mr.. Conrad
wishes to see him, wisely takes an early
train the next morning, and when want
ed is no to be found.
The unfortunate Brown is left to de-
fend himself as he may, and finally
makes a clean breast of it. 81 did not
mean any thing but a bit of fun" he
says, penitently, seeing that Mr.. Conrad
is really reused.
Fun at the expense of a lady and q
stranger is hardly in good taste, Mr.
Brown, and l shall be obliged to YOU If
you will take as much pains to put the
matter straight before the public; it has
quite sufficiently d~isagreeable conse-
quences already for my wife to saw
nothing of myself. To enable YOU to
do SO, I will give you a brief account of
my private history. / accepted for two
years a position as professor in a col
lege in Japan. After the expiration of
my term I preferred to return to this
country, and during a visit to New Or
leans met and married my wife, who
was a Miss Penelope La Fargo, and has
neve seen Japan in her life. She has
a French ancestry, as her name shows"
81 beg a thousand %pardons," said
poor Mr.. Brown, and retired much
crest-fallen.
Mr.. Conrad returned home, and with
much laughter told the joke to his wife.
do get into the corner, Pen, and let
me feed you with the chopstick'-play-
fully pushing her with a billiard cue
Ghe table 10Y having arrived. "a
chopstick of this size is a great conven-
fence, for l Ear readily put one end into
the rice pot on the kitchen fire, and so
give you your dinner smoking hot"
After this Bromley devoted itself to
making amends for its past GOODNESS,
and Professor and Mrs. Conrad were
overwhelmed with invitations and at
tentions. Every pleasant, sociable peo-
pie" was the favorable verdict, and
Mrs. Long declared that such popular
relations were quite a nuisance. The
Japanese joke was a good story, which
the Conrads reserved for their friends
at a distance, for the Bromley people
were a little shy of reference to the
matter. They, however, took much in
terest in Mr.. Conrad's experiences in
that country, and by the time he left,
nearly every one, down to little Jimmy
Parker. was quite well informed on the
subject.
"They certainly have made us amende
honorable, and it is a first-rate little
place, after all, Pen, is it notp" said MI.
Conrad, quite ~regretfully, as the train
moved of, and they waved farewell to
the party of friends who had come to
see them start on the day of their de-
parture.
Yes" she said. smiling; '.and 1 sup
pose there is nothing more to tell them
about Japan ."-Leigh North in Harper's
Bazaar.