Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-21
DAILY SHORT STORY
II
THE HARAKIRI SWORD. y

I
Lieutenant Sakae Seshimo fell i'll, and
the hospital facilities not being suited
to his case the surgeon ordered his re-
! moval to a private house. He was tax
en- to one in which dwelt an old woman
alone with her niece. The aunt was an
invalid requiring a great deal OF care,
/ but her niece found time to do much
for the lieutenant. Often when he was
burning with fever he would feel a
, cool hand Oh his forehead and, opening
his eyes. would see sympathetic face
! looking down into his. There would
usually be smile on the girls lips, in
! tended for encouragement. and world
| of sympathy would look out at him
through her eyes. Her name translat-
ed into English would mean Sunshine.
and she was well named. for she gave
warmth to the hearts of those about
I her.
| Sunshine seldom came to SeshimO's
! room but that she was followed by her
aunt, whose health did not prevent her
| from moving about the house. Seshino
| inferred that the aunt. had some prop
! erty and the niece had nothing. This
was true. and, in addition, the aunt
did not intend that Sunshine should
marry soldier. The old lady pre-
| ferred that her niece should marry an
ordinary man who had Il good chance
to live, rather than a hero who was
doomed to go to his ancestors.
There was one whom the aunt pro-
posed Sunshine should marry; that
was Jungo Amakuki, contractor who
rattinD rin frrr- oh fnS m
the army. Here was something the
old lady could appreciate. She was
willing to give all praise to the gal
liant defenders of their country, but
for a husband for her niece she pre-
ferred the contractor. Sunshine, on
the contrary. detested the dried up old
man and worshiped the brave boys
who were going to save Japan.
Sakae Seshimo. when the regiment
sailed for the mainland, was able to
march to the transport with his COM
rades- The kindly attentions of Sun
shine had won his heart, and the night
before he left the house he endeayOred
TO get chance to tell her of his love,
but the aunt kept a strict watch, never
for a moment leaving the two alone.
Seshimo could only write on a piece
OF paper Il love YOU" and slip 1t into
Sunshine's hand when he said goodby.
But he told them that he would march
by the house i'll the morning and hoped
to have the pleasure of seeing both at
the window. He knew that if his
answer was favorable Sunshine would
show il in her face.
When morning came and the soldiers
marched by the house where Seshimo
had lost his heart he looked eagerly,
beginning as far as he could see IL,
and keeping his eyes fixed upon it as
he vent by, till he could see 1t no
longer, but no one appeared at the
window. Then he made up his mind
that his suit was rejected. He had
seen the contractor at the house and
suspected the aunt's intentions. Now
he was sure that Sunshine must marry
Amakuki
Seshimo, not being permitted to live
with Sunshine, was quite willing to go
TO his ancestors. Consequently he
fought with great bravery, and his
regiment having been sacrificed In
preliminary attempt to capture a forth
fication, he was one OF the few mirac-
ulously spared. He was pat i'm COM
Audhb VI uAt thol
time his rise was rapid. He soon be-
came general of brigade and at the
battle of Liaoyang was made a general
OF division. At the battle of Mukden
he was wounded and Marshal Oyama,
being unwilling to lose so distinguished
soldier. sent him home to recover.
He landed at the same portfrom which
he had sailed.
The surgeon asked the general where
he would like TO be lodged, and he
replied that lie 1t would be agreeable
TO the inmates he would go to the
house in which he had been i'll before
his departure. The answer came that
SO great a general would honor the
house by coming into it, so Sesbimo
was carried there, and when he saw
Sunshine smiling at him he knew that
he would get well rapidly
The first thing that Sunshine told
him was that on the morning Of his
departure she was about to go to the
window as she heard the tramp of
men when her aunt was seized or pre-
tended to be seized with a sinking spell
and held on to her till the troops had
passed. She was going on to tell him
more. when, looking out OF the door,
she turned deadly pale. There stood
man holding a cushion on which was
short, curved sword. She knew at
once that II was the harakiri sword
and presumed that II had been sent
to Seshimo. To whom this sword is
sent in japan he is expected to COM
init suicide with 1t by slashing open
his bowels.
The sword bearer advanced to the
door and said:
Il have a message from the empe-
ror to Jungo Amakuki, who has been
sending decayed meat and spoiled rice
TO the army. / have looked for the
contractor at his house and, not find
ing him. was told that he might be