Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-30
DAILY SHORT STORY
THE GEISHA GIRL.
IOriginal1

One day Fox went to the tea house
and called for Satsima. but she was at
the time entertaining another. Fox
waited till that other left the tea house
and saw him go away. He was 4 man
with n very fair complexion and fiaXen
hair and beard. Fox called for Satsima
and. after she had danced for him,
asked her to drink tea with him.
"Who is the stranger for whom you
have been dancing?" he asked her
He says he is one of your country
men"
What is he doing in JAPAN
"He is studying our customs. Then
he is going home TO America to write
book about us. My sister is in the
service of the wife of the official who
builds our ships"
You mean the chief of the bureau
of construction"
1T may be so. Your cOuntryman
wishes me to do something for him
but l must not tell anyone"
Except me"
''You have been very kind to me-
and, since he is your countryman, l
will tell you. He wishes me to induce
my sister to show him some papers
that her master keeps at home. She is
to only let him look ut them ana put
them right back. He wants to use
what is in them in his book If she
will do this, he will give us so much
money that we may live without work
| ing"
"Indeed!" remarked Fox senten-
tiOusly.
Fox was much interested in this
energetic American author who took
such pains to secure material for his
literary work.
did lie tell yOu," he, asked the girl,
what part of America he halls FROM"
Yes; New 1ork."
well. the next time he comes here
ask him in what part of New York he
lives. in what state New York is. how
far New York is from Albany. how one
goes from New York to Pittsburg and
where Chicago is
Fox wrote out the questions that she
might commit them to memory, and
when the author came again the girl,
pretending to seek information of his
country on account of having relatives
who had gone there to live, asked the
questions.
When she gave Fox the replies he
burst out laughing. The man had said
that lie lived on Broadway, that New
York was in Maine. that it is Il thou
sand miles from Albany, that one goes
up the Hudson river to Pittsburg, and
Chicago is an Atlantic seaport.
"SatSima." said Fox, the man is Il
| spy. probably Il Russian. and he is in
Japan for information concerning your
warshipS'
The little girl was horror stricken
Had it not been for Fox she would
have been duped by the man to be
tray her country. What should she
do: Go and inform the chief of the
bureau of navigation? She shranl
| from becoming involved in a matter Of
| life and death.
Fox was himself somewhat puzzled.
| The man had shown gross ignorance
OF America. especially for a litterateur.
| But Fox was certain of nothing con-
corning him and did not wish to make
| mistake. He was much attached to
! Satsima and wished to advise her for
| her best interest. He persuaded her to
| permit him to speak to the man, and
the next time he visited the tea house
Fox watched till he saw him leave it.
| followed him into a park and accosted
him
Hello, my friend,'' he said. "I hear
you are a fellow countryman of mine"
The stranger in broken English
asked. What country"
1t did not take Fox long to come to
an understanding with the maR, who
was plainly Il Russian spy.
Il have no interest in your affair."
said the real American, except so far
as It concerns the little girl whom you
are endeavOring to put in jeopardy.
| The United States IS neutral in this
| fight between Japan and Russia, and
so am l. Now, I'll give you n chance
to save your neck. Shell out Il couple
Of thousand dollars for the geisha and
| git by the first steamer. If you de-
| cline l shall advise her to put the gov
eminent on to you at once"
1 The man was glad to escape so easily
and. having provided himself with
! United States money, counted out eX-
actly $4,000, gave it to Fox and hur-
ried ewsy. Whether he keptNhe latter
part OF his bargain to leave the coun-
! try at once Fox did not know, nor did
| he care. Certain it is that the spy was
not seen again by him in Tokyo.
Fox put the money in his pocket and.
going 10 the tea house. called for Satsi-
ma. She came in looking anxious. Fox
was smoking leisurely.
'Satsima. you're going TO get better
pay for your dances before the stran-
ger than you have ever received before.
The American author has concluded
to pay you $1,000 for permitting him
to live TO publish his book. and here's
the money. You can divide it with
your sister If you like or invest It IN
war bonds and scrape along on the in
come without doing any work II
haliered in mixing TINS which don't