The San Francisco call., 1895-10-13

called by most foul name in all the rest
of the world
The girls head dropped. She could not
even guess her shame. But 1t was pic
tured in his face. ~
"What-is-that-mos -most-foul-name"
PROSTITUTION, if l must say"
CAN thatY'
geisha-yoshiwara," he added
desperately.
"An' - tha's what = the purple-eyed
women-thing-'bo me?"
Eyes; forgive me-you are innocent. 1
am not"
30 Skakal JUS one minute go I was
happyr She sat up again, though she
did not raise her head. "Ah! Jl-Saburo,
all the days an nights an months an
years l have waited an prayed. Alas! the
gods have both answered and denied my
prayers-for l ask only to see you. An L
when you see me am JUS a evil geisha.
Forgive me, Ani-San. / would die rather
than"-she sighed. "Jus'-jus' | shall al
ways be sad in hereafter. An will you be
a fddle kline to mech, JUS a liddle-ac-
count | got be always sad P''
He took her hand gently and said yes.
"Ah, Ji-Saburo, can you not kiss me2
JUS this once more? 1t was so sweet! /!
Loog! thing JUS that iddle while ago
that you gon' to always kiss me, an'-how
you call that other? Ah-ah -ah-you
will not? Alas! geisha-not
a joro. But my hands? They are clean
they naever done so wrong. Kiss my
hands-lig' you do the purpleeyed woman
see. l beg?"
He kissed them one after the other and
was gone.
She groveled at the Butsu-dan. Then
she rose and fastened to the door. He
was just disappearing.
''Sayonara!' she sobbed, 'forever an
forever-sayonara! !"
Her husband came in. She faced him
savagely.
"Oh, all the gods how hate youW
He tried to salute her mockingly.
IF you touch me l will kill you," she
cried.
One moment of amazed silence Then
he struck her. AS she lay at his feet she
heard hlm say to the man-servant.
Find Goro the nakodo. Let him re-
turn her to her father. Take all the pres
ents she brought
She was divorced.
Her puritcation began at the great tenn
pie Asakusa. l cannot stop to tell what it
cost. But at the end the Bonxes assured
her that she was again as a virgin. So
she meant always to remain:
Ji-Saburo had disappeared at Ping-yang.
He was with the first army corps that led
the attack on the front. He had planted
the flag of his regiment upon the first
rampant in the very face of the enemy.
The world knows the fury of the Chinese
to dlslodge that emblem of alien authority.
Oshima's troops were forced sullenly back.
Ji-Saburo alone remained by the flag he
had planted. Then Oshima himself took
his place beneath it.
Soldier we will die here alone rather
than retreat" he said. But Nagaoka also
sprang to the side of his commander. With
a savage shout his retreating regiment fol-
lowed him. Again the rampant was won.
And again the Chinese swarmed upon the
flag and its handful of defenders. Nothing
could live in that hell of metal and fame.
Savagery that had not yet learned defeat,
Taved here as in primeval carnage. The
flag went down-lost in the heaps of
slain. And JiSaburo went down with it.
That his old mother might erect little
tablet at the shrine if he were dead-to find
him If alive-was the task that Glory .un-
dertook. Everybody helped her. But it
was long, and she became a nurse. Soon
there was not a field hospital where the
wan face of the spirit Nurse" as the SOL
dlers affectionately called her, was not
known. If the soldier had his eyes closed
by her hands he died with better hope of
Nirvana.
Anu one uay Vne great commander him
self Came to see her and thank her. She
told him quite simply all her little story.
And he, looking into her worn face, told
her, with generous untruth, that Ji-Sa-
buro had been made colonel, had gone
home TO marry her, had not found her
there. He would be with her in six days
now. She must rest great deal-sleep-
and Ji-Saburo would come.
courier left for the front within an
hour. He carried to Ji-Saburo this mes
sage:
Your general commands you to appear
here within six days. He awaits you.
Fail not'
And Glory did as she was commanded.
But her resting was the subsiding OF the
spirit. She smiled happily on the prepa-
ratlons they made Tor her wedding. 1t
was stately military function. This was
the generals command. She was in the
service, he said.
And Ji-Saburo also obeyed like a soldier.
In six days he was at her bedside. She was
dead. The peace on her wan face had
come, they told him, with her last word.
which had been his name.
JOHN L. LONG, in Moods.