The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-04-13
4 JAPANESE STORY.
Deserted by Five Husbands. but Final
ly Found Man.

IL ~.
hal daughter famous for her beauty
and graceful manners.
AS She was Of age the merchant
busted himself selecting good hus-
band for her. st last he thought he
had found suitable man, and pre-.
parations were made for the wedding
ceremony.
Many a barrel Of sake was consumed
IN celebration Of the happy union,
and the customary cheer Of thou
sand years and eight thousand years
more, rcsoundcd from the lips Of one
guest to another. But, strange to
say, the young bridegroom, who vas
supposed to be the happicst Of all,
was on his knees before his parents
inlay on the very next morning. car
ncs.ly besccching for that hateful thing
-thc divorce
What can be done when young
couple do not agree? After much hes
itatlon, his petition was granted and
the beautiful daughter was again sin
gle. But she must marry, for does
not our loyalty to our ancestors de-
mand that every Japanese shall con
tinue the family succession?
AS good luck would have it, young
gentleman of respectable family in
neighboring village consented to mar
ry her. The exchange of presents and
other ceremonies were duly performed.
The marriage bond was again tied.
But alas! He also would not stay.
lie actually fled from his new home.
So, in the same manner, the third, the
fourth and even the fifth husband
could not endure this beautiful daugh-
ter.
Overcome with grief and shame, the
merchant published an announcement
that anybody who would marry his
daughter and stay with Der at his
home would inherit the whole estate
of the family without condition.
Poor old man! He was almost crazy,
despite the immense fortune that he
possessed.
One day q ronin Ga Samural withol t
lord who roamed the country as
soldier of fortune) happened to come
to Asakusa, and heard the strange
story. His curiosity was so aroused
and his love Of wealth 80 kindled that
he offered himself as suitor for the
hand Of the beautiful daughter.
The old man was only too glad to
accept him, for despite his poverty
the ronin was man of noble birth.
After the usual preliminaries, the
marriage was formally made.
The sound of the dishes in the
| kitchen had subsided and the shouts
! OF tn, merry guests were heard no
more, the candles in the ball and in
the reception room had burned out,
and the bride and bridegroom had re-
tired to their chamber. The tolling
of the bell in distant temple told
that it was the dead Of night.
Suddenly the bridegroom awoke
from his sleep and saw g white figure
standing before the dim light of the
chamber lantern. 1t was his bride.
tie watched her eagerly, although pre-
tending to sleep, for he felt that he
was about to know the secret of her
rejection by her FIVE previous hus-
bands.
Fer long black hair fell over her
pale face, which, turning toward the
bridegroom smiled a ghas:ly smile.
Then the woman>-oh! not q woman,
but a ghost!-glided softly out Of the
room toward the garden.
I1e heard the wooden sliding door
outside open. Was he afraid? Ger
tainly not. He was Samural, the
wearer of two swords, and fear was
impossible to him. He rose from his
couch and followed her.
The night was cold and still. Not
leaf rustled in the trees. The moon
shone brightly, and the slender figure
of the woman moved on the white
ground like a shadow.
Her course was toward the town
graveyard, the abiding place of ghosts
and demons. A thin cloud came over
the moon, and she disappeared among
the tombstones.
The young warrior climbed up, sat
on high tombstone, crossed his arms
firmly on his breast, and looked eager.
ly around the graves. The moon,
shining through rift in the oloud, !,
| showed him ghastly sight.
The girl had opened newly made
pra 20 and wae dovour;po tba oo.n,o