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

]
"As soon as the maids haC
brought refreshments and retired
he made an offer. to her which
almost always a geisha will &C
cept. She should be his wife. Ht
would take service with some quiet
daimiyo within the next six months
and she would then be in the highest
of the four classes of society, ranking
almost as one of the nobility. He told
her of offers he had received and had
refused because he could not bear to
leave her, and said he would accept
whichever one she chose. if she
would come with him.
"Eikibo laughed at all this, being,
she said, familiar with fine promises.
They are all of a kind she told him
interesting to hear if you did not
know they were like little flies that
live a day and then no one knowswhat
has become of them Darcdesuka
persisted, but only to find that words
did not avail Al 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 it. You
shall believe me.
"Eikibo looked merrily at him and
said;
Yes, l must believe you if You
bring me dolphin's golden scale
from the ridge of the fifth story of
the tower, a. | know wei, for | am in
Nagoya every year. Only the birds
go 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: My call time for
the full moon tea house over the river
has arrived. | beg your honorable
pardon. l must go. At the great
Matsuri religious festiyaD IN Nago-
va next month l 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 u 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
high up, and perhaps you could zee
that each is now in 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 over a
junk that was blowing OH to sea |
and so saved many lives. lie now said |
that he would use a kite 20 get the |
scale that Eikibo had declared would |
tell If he spoke true. Secretly he |
went to work and made one so large
he was sure it would carry the weight |
IF his body on the winds. He found |
another ronin whom some gold and |
the promise Of future aid persuaded |
to give him help in his strange plan.
Then, on a stormy night, with wind
and clouds and rain, he went up and
secured a golden scale. But the tool
he had used in prying was very wet
md slippery and fell from his hands.
The guards went out, discovered the
Kite, which rift in the sky let the
moon shine down upon for a fatal mo-
ment, and when Daredesuka reached
the earth they caught him and put
him in prison. The golden scale con-
'icted him and his companion. Be
ng samurai, they received sentence
10 commit harikari, and performed
he act serenely before the state of
icials.
"Eikibo did not do the fair dance
1t the Masturi, for tho morning be-
ore she was to appear an old priest
.ound her body On Daredesuka's
grave. detroit Free Press.
An Imperial Pawnshop.
Hhn ,,........1