Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1902-11-27

I
months ahead.
AS soon as the maids ha,
brought refreshments and retired
he made an offer to her whicl
almost always a geisha will &C
cept She should be his wife. ii,
would take service with some quie
daimiyo within the next six months
and she would then be in the highes
of the four classes Of society, ranking
almost as one Of the nobility He TOLD
her Of offers he had received and haC
refused because he could not bear tC
leave her, and said he would accept
whichever one she chose, if she
would come with him.
"Eikibo laughed at oil this, being,
she said, familiar with fine promises,
They are all of kind she told him
interesting to hear if YOU did not
know they were Ike little flies that
live a day and then no one knows what
has become of them Daredesuka
persisted, but only to find that words
did not avail. AT last he cried:
"'Giye me some test, for | must
have you know that speak the truth.
Shall | bring You pearls from the
deep sea or golden scales from the
dolphins on Nagoya castle; Only
say the thing and | shall do il. You
shall believe me-
"Eikibo. looked merrily at .him and
said:
Yes, | must believe You if you
bring me dolphin's golden scale
from the ridge Of the fifth story Of
the tower, as | know well. for am in
Nagoya every year. Only the birds
90 up these Yes; / should know
YOU spoke the truth if you brought
the scale, and she laughed again, for
TO the geisha the truthful parents of
the truthful man are not yet born.
Then she added NY call time for
the full moon tea house over the river
has arrived. | beg your honorable
pardon. / must 90. At the great
Matsuri religious festival in Nago-
va next month am to dance. Bring
me the scale then and | shall know
your heart
"Daredesuka sat still for an hour
thinking, and then. as the samural
often did on the night before the
battle, he clapped his hands, ordered
more sake and more food, sent to an
inn near by for a friend, who was
lodging there, and made merry until
the watch announced the hour for
closing. Two days later he was in
Nagoya.
AS you know, those goldfshes are
nigh up, and perhaps you could see
hat each i now IN a heavy cage.
That cage was not there in Darede-
suka's time. You know, too, that
we japanese enjoy our play with
Kites. We can send them very high, |
and can guide them nicely. Well, |
Daredesuka was a wonderful man
with kites. He had made large ones
when he was with his late lord. and
had once dropped line far out oyera
Junk that was blowing oil to sea |
md so saved many lives. Henow said |
hat he would use a kite to get the |
scale that Eikibo had declared would |
ell If he spoke true. Secretly he |
vent to work and made one SO large
he was sure it would carry the weight |
+ his body on the winds. He found |
mother rOnin whom some gold and |
he promise of future aid persuaded |
o give him help in his strange plan.
Then, on a stormy night, with wind
md clouds and rain, he went up and |
ecured a golden scale. But the tool |
lie had used in prying was very wet
nd slippery and fell from his hands.
The guards went out, discovered the
lite, which a rift in the sky let the /
noon shine down upon for a fatal mo-
nent, and when Daredesuka reached |
he earth they caught him and put
nm in prison. The golden scale con
'icted him and his companion. Be
ne samurai, they received sentence
o commit harikari, and performed
he act serencly before the state Of
icials.
"Eikibo did not do the fair dance
t the Masturi, for the morning be.
ore she was to appear an old priest
ound her body on Daredesuka's
rave. detroit Free Press.
An Imperial Pawnshop.