Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-07

Who can 1t be now! she asked herself.
1t was not the first time Chukei had called
at the house on Timber-st. to consult the
Samurai about the future of his daughter.
A girl as pretty Mutsu was bound to have
admirers enough in the town. and more than
one had sought the services of the middleman
to try to arrange the marriage. But Mutsu
was of no mind to marry simply for the asking
and she had will of her own that came
straight from her high-tempered soldier father,
a will that even he 10th to cross. And
as often Chukei had come to her house on
his unwelcome business he had been sent
packing with only his trouble for his pains In
truth, Jukichi was not sorry for her mother
long dead, and he loved the spirited
girl and her gentle ways about the house.
more than lonely now that Kokan her
brother had won his commission in the army
and gone to his regiment. What
mattered it to him if the neighborhood gossips
talked of the scandal of daughter who dared
disclose preference of her own counter to the
wish of her father? He loved his home and his
ease, and she was the great factor in both.
Perhaps if he had been less fond he might
have been suspicious. Yet it had not
occurred to the simple Samurai that there could
be other reasons for his daughters hot dis
temper with the hopeful authors of Chukeis
vicarous proposals than her demonstrative
desire to remain in the old home with him.
Azalea-st. when Chobei told his news. Koyo
the mother listened with the kindly sympathy
that ever kindles the matchmaking maternal
heart, and fetched fond sigh, with glance at
the corner where her sat with his ink and
brush busly covering a long roll of paper with
she knew not what words.
All" she said, "if it were only Soichi!
"Hut!" cried her husband sharply. "Our
son marry the daughter of Jullichi? What can
you be thinking OFF,
Strange things happen nowadays she an
swered, undaunted by his scornful words and
looks Stranger things than that have hap
pened. And why not again? We rich and
they are poor
Eyes, and we are Eta and they Samurai,"
retorted Chobe sternly.
NO" said his wife quickly, and with un-
wonted daring, 1--WE were Eta and they were
Samurai Now all that is ended. We are
commoners yet, to be sure; but who knows what
may come? One who do for himself what
you have done may yet do more 1t has been
done before. Why should not you, or Soichi
himself win the promotion that would make
even Jukichi be glad to consent?"
Whatever is the world coming to-"
claimed Chobei in amazement, when foolish
women talk like that?"
But Soichi said nothing at all, and went
king his brush fly like dragon the paper
if he heard not a word of their talk. Even in
,an where husbands and wives SO often mere
icles of arrangement and the nakodo does most
the wooing boys and girls occasionally will fall
love, small as may be the chance for smooth
rse for their affection. But whatever can be
use of a young mans loving a girl to dis
ction unless he tells her about it? And what
be the use of girl being willing to have him
e her unless she contrives somehow to let him
wv? So Sochi rolled up his yards of affectionate
ographs and deity slipped them inside the long,
row envelop, with the sprays of pink cherry
ssoms trailing over it, and made haste to deposit
n the old secret place he and Mutsu had chosen