The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-11-15

Il AtWater there was pleased dlSmay
-Four young women were trembling
from the shock of an unexpected dec
1aration of love. Four were reading
and re-reading a prose poem STEPPED
in passion. 1t was the same poem in
each case, written on the same kind
of unusual crepe paper, penned with
the same exceeding care and signed
-"Okecho Tamura."
For that very morning Okecho Ia
mura, prince of royal blood, had sent
four love letters. Rather he had sent
them the night before. He had COM
pleted the last one shortly before
midnight and mailed all four at cor
ner box, from which they were taken
in the gray of morning and before
ten o'clock four young women knew
what it was to be loved by Japanese
nobleman.
1t will be inadvisable to attempt
any description of the emotions
aroused within the young women by
these separate discoveries. Suffice to
say that each was thrown into f1ut-
ter of amazement. The prince had
given no previous intimation of the
crisis. In the presence of these four
American girls he had been calmly re-
served,yibut with none of the embar-
rassment of the doubling and distract
ed lover In fact, he had seemed too
formal in his courtesies to justify the
suspicion that he was being tormented
by any inward passion. The prince
showed as much of a superior bearing
as five-foot man can well assume.
Okecho Tamura, of Japan, was a
sophomore at Atwater college. He
was of clear tan color with bristle
of black hair and a small muStache.
He wore clothes of careful cut and
had a preference for new gloves and
patent leather shoes. He spoke Eng
fish hesitatingly, but the shortcom-
ings of his speech were more than
compensated by the engaging quality
of his smile. In his studious effort to
be correct and observe American GUS
toms, he was punctilious in his courtesy
and was given to ceremonial polite
ness which rather pleased his new
friends at Atwater, as they were not
accustomed to it.
Atwater college is one of the small
er inland homes of learning. There
fore, it was flattered to receive stu
dent from Japan. When it came out,
not from any open boast by Okecho
Tamura, but as a result of investiga-
tons by the secret societies, that the
little Jap was rightfully entitled to
the prefix of prince" and that his an
cestors had been warrior chiefs, there
was a season of determined rush
ing" with the bewildered Okecho Ia
mura carried along in the thick of
the excitement. No less than four of
the Greek letter societies offered him
the sacred privileges of their mystic
brotherhood. He made a choice and
was thrown up in a blanket and
otherwise maltreated while being well
coined into the order. If there had
been any doubt as to his social status
it was removed when he came to
chapel wearing the jeweled badge of
the most pretentious and exclusive of
the "frats." Atwater was cO-educa-
tional and therefore each fraternity
had its partisans and sympathizers
among the college girls. In the broth
erhood which received Okecho Tamu-
Ia and invested him with honor, it
was a sworn duty to maintain that
Lucy Dyer, Anna Blackman, Flora
Caldwell and Renette Williams were
the most beautiful, captivating and
altogether valuable members of their
sex, for these same young women
were the head and center of the ''Kap-
pa crowd" as this particular faction
was commonly designated. These four
girls wore the Kappa badges and went
to hops with the Kappa boys and APP
plauded the Kappa orators at the an
nual contest and in other ways made
evident their loyalty to Kappa inter
ests. AS soon as the authenticated
prince from Japan cast his collegiate
fortunes with the Kappa chapter, the
four partisans put on Haunting rib
bons and celebrated the catch in the
most open and jubilant manner, while
the defeated Greeks went about in bit
terness Of spirit and professed indif-
ference. A week later the four divin-
tiles of Kappa pooled their frosted
cakes and ice cream and gave recep-
ton to the chapter. by way of well
come to Okecho Tamura and to still
further feed the rage of the disap-
pointed rivals. Prince Okecho Tamu-
ia, in a new suit of evening clothes,
was the distinct attraction at this re-
,ception. On the second morning fol-
lowing the reception each of the hos
tesses received the letter which gave
rise to the CONSERVATION.
Flora Caldwell went to her mother
with it. Her mother had told her to
come for advice the moment that any
young man started in to make love
to her, because there were certain
issues in life which no young and in
experienced girl could meet alone and
unaided. This was Flora's first OPP
portunity to fly to her mother for
guidance, and she lost no time. Be
sides, it was piece of news that was
too good to keep. She wondered what
the girls would say.
Mrs. Caldwell was in the sitting
room, busy with a piece of fancy
work that had been her task for at