The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-04-25
THE GEISHA GIRL.
by SABA YACCO.

pure wilderness on the Geisha quarter il
Tokyo.
The lanterns in the teahouses were al
ready Pickering family as their flames
diminished. The night Waterman, max
ing his rounds, could be heard heraldins
the hour of dawn in his monotonous
tones, when Takao, the most beautiful
Geisha girl in Tokyo, sat by the window
Of her room, with a sad heart in her eyes
If she had been beauty of the occi
dent she would have cried and sobbed
aloud, but in oriental countries we hide
our sufferings.
She was poor girl, daughter Of one
of the poor nobility Of Japan.
Takao had excessive beauty and dis
tinction Of manner, for she was very
proud, but she had humbled her spirit, SO
that her parents could be saved from ex.
IRENE poverty.
For this reason, according to Japanese
custom, she had entered the Geisha
quarter, receiving the sum of 800 "yedos''
to bind her presence there for three
years.
In short while Takao became the
queen Of the Geisha, and all the nobility
and rank of Japan assembled at her tea
house.
Among the gallants who paid their re-
spects to this beautiful Japanese woman
was Tuzaburo Shimada, knight and a
soldier.
He was poor compared to the other
suitors for Takao's hand, but he was the
handsemest, biggest, finest Japanese man
Of them all, and Takao loved him.
She had never told him this because
In Japan women are not brought up to
be demonstrative in their love affairs,
but she knew that Shmada loved her,
for he had told her that some day, when
he was rich, he would make her his wife,
and what could he say more?
But still Takao was much troubled, for
where love is in the heart there is often
sadness too.
So she was thinking, wondering If her
sweetheart would ever become rich
enough to take her to his home.
1t takes long time, and one can think
a long while about these things-that is
why Takao found herself sitting by the
window in her teahouse watching the
sun god slowly steal in golden splendor
over the harbor and the hills in the dis
lance.
The night before great feast had
been given in her honor by Sendaiko,
feudal lord Of Japan and the wealthiest
man in the country.
Repeatedly Sendaiko had asked her to
become his wife, and repeatedly she had
refused him, for in her heart was the pic
+ur op T,v IL Lot.
whom she loved.
Sendaiko had pressed his suit earnest
ly, with great ceremony, with splendid
festivals, with presents and with prom
ises, but without success, for the heart
Of Japanese girl is made only for one
lover, one husband.
Sendaiko was at first surprised, and
finally grew angry at Takao's persistent
refusal. She accepted his fetes in her
honor and the presents he gave her be-
cause in the Geisha quarter she was
obliged to treat all visitors with cere-
mony and respect.
AS the moon goddess disappeared in
the mist Of early dawn and the sun god
peeped in at the window where Takao
sat his yellow eye saw queer sight.
the teahouse carefully, and everywhere
he found sparkling gold lying untouched
about the floor.
In one corner he found pair of great
scales, and most Of the money bags were
placed on one side of these scales.
The night before Sendaiko had laid a
wager with his friends that he would
buy Takao's love for her weight in gold.
During the feast he had the scales
brought in, and while the attendants
piled the gold on the scales Sendaiko
coaxed Takao to balance her weight
against his money.
Laughingly she had complied, and as
she stood on the scales Sendaiko said:
'"This, all this, will I give you if you
will become my wife,"
Takao leaped instantly from the scales
and in the presence Of the company re-
fused to marry Sendaiko, even for her
weight in gold.
Sendaiko, enraged at the public humil-
'ation, refused to accept her answer, and,
leaving the money in the teahouse, said:
Tomorrow will take you to my coun.
try, which is called the. country of SEN
laiko, in the northeast part of Japan"
And when they had all gone Takao,
trembling and frightened, sat down at
The window Of her teahouse and looked
Tor her sweetheart, Shimada, to rescue
ler.
But he did not come, for he had been
tent on mission into far distant coun-
;ry by the influence of Sendaiko.
Suddenly the door Of the teahouse was
pushed open, and some men crept stealth
ly in.
Before Takao could utter a cry Of
harm she was seized, her head was
wrapped in scarf, and she was carried
tut of the teahouse to the seacoast; there
he was placed on ship anchored in tho
larbor of Tokyo and owned by Sendaiko.
When the ship was well out at sea,
sendaiko had the beautiful Takao
brought before him on deck. and, hold
ng sword to her breast. he demanded
( she would marry him, for he loved her
realty and would make her his wife.
Takao, true to her sweetheart, again
efused.
The attendants of Sendaiko tried their
vest to restrain their master, but in n
'assion of rage he plunged the sword
nto Takao's heart, and her body was
brown into the sea.
As all Japanese stories have moral,
he moral of this one is to show that love
a the heart of a Japanese girl Is greater
han fear of death.-Translated For New
.ork World.