Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-08-29

been exploded at his feet.
 Of course the proposal was not to be considered. Very gently the pro- lessor explained to his young comrade the situation as viewed by American eyes, dwelling upon Regina's youth and innocence and her unsuspecting affec- tion for him, which could never attain greater depth.
 The young oriental bore the news quietly, but" from that time his spirits dropped; his elastic step grew languid, his joyous laughter silent, until final ly his friends feared lest some break down should follow this seeming apathy.
 But they had underestimated the strength of Nagoya's character. Dur ing the few remaining days of. his stay he pursued his customary duties with dogged determination; only now his slow, mechanical movements were never relieved by the enthusiasm once so char acteristic of the lad, nor was his dreamy, gentle voice ever raised in merry banter or laughing repartee.
 On the day of his departure Nagoya was walking, as was his wont, in the lit tie garden behind the house. A sudden turn in the path disclosed Regina sway ing idly in hammock. She wore dress of fleecy whiteness. A dainty cap rested on her shining black curls, her dark eyes gazed dreamily up through the branches to the blue of the summer sky. As, Nagoya approached she turned, looking at him half regretfully, half eagerly.
 Don't rise," said the lad, gently. "I have come for one last word-a farewell. Soon Nagoya leaves you. An, my land of the rising sun will be the land of the setting sun without you, my Regina. One token I leave you, the seed of our royal flower, the chrysanthemum. Tell no one gave it, for it is of chrysanthe- mums the queen, and he who gives the seed to foreigner Is under death penal Ity. Give to 1t your dear name, Regina- queen As it's flowers bud and blossom, | remember, so will Nagoya's love for you bloom, growing, growing forever. And now farewell, my Regina my queen" 1 Placing the packet in her hand, he turned away. That night he left 1 America, never to return.
 | When the next year the seeds were planted, and a gorgeous pink flower reared it's head into the sunlight, Regina gave 1t her name. Soon the Regina 1 ,chrysanthemum, the most beautiful ever 1 known to the horticultural world, was the wonder of the season. Visitors came from great distances to see the lovely l blossoms. But Regina never forgot the | secret significance of the flowers as they ! budded and blossomed, and, thinking of the Japanese boy's pathetic farewell, would whisper with a sigh: Poor I Nagoya."
 1 Seven years later Regina married. But in her new happiness she did not Rorget her old friend. When she changed her reign from her fathers home to her husbands she would have no other name for her new home than lChrysanthemum Lodge. One of the first stories that she told her little son, John Ambrose, was of the young Japanese who had played with her when she was "a little garf: and no story book fairyland 1 pleased him half so we'll as his mother s descriptions of Nagoya's home, that queer, delightful, fantastic country on the other side of the world.
 l Yt was a day early during the recent war between Japan and China. Tn bis private office the Japanese siogoon, or minister of war, sat closeted with an of hcial who was the bearer of petition for pardon from prisoner lately con- demned to death. The offender was a l United States naval cadet accused of se- cretly, aiding the Chinese forces, and ap- pealing now to the siogoon as the one person whose intercession could save his life. Already, however, the impassive- featured minister of war had practically dismissed the case, when, as matter of form, he tore open the envelope sent him by the prisoner A sudden spasm oi pain crossed the siogoon's face, as from the inner wrappings of soft tissue paper there fell faded photograph of lovely little girl and few scattering chrysan- 4hemum seeds. Very reverently, and all unmindful of the astonishment of the official, the great man bent and pressed the little card to his lips. Then, as he read upon the back the words in which Regina introduced her son to her old friend and playmate, he turned to his visitor:
 "Yarmatto, draw up an order for the 1nm0Q1dLG r0lSHSS Ol JOHu AupTOS0, 1T American prisoner sentenced to death on charge of having given aid to the Chinese; see that it is put into effect al once, and that the prisoner is brought to me-
 Five minutes later Nagoya turned tc his work, wearing the same auster< mask as before. Five hours later he was reading, with perfectly controlled features, the cabled message of heartfelt gratitude from John Ambrose's mother
 at last relieved from the awful suspense of her sons long silence, while John Am
 brose himself stood by, his ardent thank
 fitness shining in the dark eyes so like
 Regina's. -.
 But neither John Ambrose nor Regins
 herself will ever guess that for many
 days the picture and a packet of chrys
 anthemum seeds lay close to the grea 1 h oo # 3,, lch