The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1900-11-09
A Japanese
Love Story.
BY sada Yacco.

The lanterns In the tea-hOuseS were
already pickering family as their flames
diminished. The night Waterman. maxi
ing his rounds. could be heard herald
ing the hour OF dawn I'm his monoto-
nous tones. when Takao, the most beau
tiful Geisha girl In Toxic, sat by the
window OF her room, with sad heart.
III 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. a 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 sould be saved from
extreme poverty
For this reason. according to Japanese
custom, she had entered the Geisha
quarter, receiving the sum Of three
hundred "yedos" to bind her presence
there for three years
In a 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
respects TO this beautiful japanese wo-
man was Tuzaburo Shimada, a knight
and a soldier.
He was poor compared TO the other
suitors for Takao's hand, but he was
the handsomest, biggest, finest Japan
csc 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 Shimada loved her,
fer 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 II her
sweetheart would ever become rich
enough 10 take her to his home.
u takes n long time and one can
think a long while about these things,
that is why Takao found herself sitting
by the window in her tea-house, watch
ing the sun god slowly steal in golden
splendor over the harbor and the hills
In the distance.
The night before a great feast had
been given in her honor by Sendalko.
feudal lord Of Japan and the wealth.
lest 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 picture OF Tuzaburo Shimada. the
knight whom she loved.
Sendaiko had pressed his suit earn
estly with great ceremony. with splen-
did festivals, with presents and with
promises, 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 persist
ent refusal. She accepted his fetes in
her honor and the presents he gave
her, because in the Geisha quarter she
was obliged to treat all visitors with
proper ceremony 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 a strange
sight.
All about the tea-house floor were
scattered the remnants of the feast
which Sendaiko had given in Takao's
henor the previous night; but most
amazing Of all revelations were bags
OF gold, some Of which were open, and
the rios" overlooking the mouth Of the
bags, lay strewn about the floor.
The sun god searched every corner Of
the tea-house carefully. and every
where he found sparkling gold lying
carelessly untouched about the floor.
In one corner he found a pair OF huge
scales, and most of the money-bags
were placed on one side Of these scales.
Why was Takao so Indifferent to this
wealth about he"7
golden metal trembling with fear. as
her tired eyes searched the distant
country for the arrival of TuZaburo
Shimada, her sweetheart?
The night before Sendaiko had made
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.
Laughingly she had complied, and as
she stood on the scales Sendaiko said
This. all this will I give you. II you
will become my wife"
Takao leaped instantly from the
scales and in the presence of the COM
pany, refused to marry Sendaiko, even
for her weight in gold.
Sendaiko. enraged at the public hui
initiation, refused to accept her an
swer. and leaving the money in the
tea-house, said:
Tomorrow / will take you to my
country, which is called the country of
Sendaiko, in the northeast part Of
Japan"
And when they had all gone Takao,
trembling and frightened, sat down at
the window of her tea-house and looked
for her sweetheart, Shimada, to rescue
her.
But he did not come, for he had been
sent on mission INTO 1ar distant
country by the influence Of Sendaiko.
Suddenly the door of the tea-house
was pushed open, and some men crept
steslthily in.
Before Takao could utter a cry of
alarm, she was seized, her head was
wrapped in a scarf and she was car
ried out Of the tea-house to the sea
coast; there was placed on a ship an
chored in the harbor of Toxic, and
owned by Sendaiko.
When the ship was we'll out at sea,
Sendaiko had the beautiful Takao
brought before him on deck, and hold
ing "A sword to her breast, he demanded
IL she would marry him, for he loved
her greatly and would make her his
wife.
Takso, true to her sweetheart, again
refused.
The attendants Of Sendaiko tried their
best 20 restrain their master, but in
passion Of rage he plunged the sword
into Takao's heart, and her body was
thrown into the sea.
As all Japanese stories have a moral.
the moral OF this che is 10 show that
love in the heart o. a Japanese girl is
greater than fear OF death.
BEYOND HIM