The San Francisco call., 1905-02-12

TT was long after lights OUT in
the dormitory of the Yasoku Mis-
sion School on the hill in Yoko-
hama and the house had been
quiet for several houae. Then in
one Of the rooms there was the sound
Of a paper door sliding gently in its
grooves. And presently, if one had
been quite close to that room, one
might have heard words of which this
is the English:
August pardon deign. honorable
burglar. condescend. please, TO appro-
pirate clothings in lower drawer only;
upper drawers clothings belong to
honorable other person"
The voice that spoke these words
was low and sweet, quite without ac-
cent Of fear. Honorable burglar. who
had gone quietly about his business,
paused though whether it was from
surprise or annoyance or both the eX-
preston of his countenance did not
indicate. Certainly he was not ex-
pecting comment so immediate. From
his viewpoint the time for comment
was after he had withdrawn from the
house. He had the difidence of his
craft and even the smallest audience
embarrassed him.
He could not easily have had 8
much smaller audience nor a prettiet
than the one he had just aroused,
which looked out at him from be-
tween the thick quilts. or futon,
spread on the floor of the room he
had come TO prospect in that very
early morning. Only the square pa
light in the apartment. but that was
enough 10 show the sweet oval face,
the sparkling eyes, the pink cheeks
and the fine black hair. arranged in
semi European fashion, that adorned
lhe head which jutted out over the
edge Of the wooden thing the Japan
ese call a pillow.
Honorable lower drawer?" que
ried honorable burglar, looking to-
ward the head and wondering why it
had not given the alarm. Then he
drew out said honorable lower
drawer" turned it deftly upside down
10 empty il and replaced it in its case.
A pile Of silk kimono lay before him
far better robes than he had expected
10 find in mission boarding school
Miss Spring Blossom, for she was
The owner Of the sweet face and
sparkling eyes. then said: Those are
right. honorable burglar. They are
property Of unworthy me and most
inferior material but please augustly
condescend TO take them somehow or
other. And, honorable burglar, re-
member II is wrong to steal"
"Augustly So" assented honorable
Z IL -.
into q convenient bundle and looked
about the room to see what else might
be available. He saw nothing whatever
but the chest Of drawers. the night Ian
tern. the quilts. and the head. jap
ancse rooms are furnitureless-
Unworthy other articles are not
here. honorable burglar" said Spring
Blossom, replying TO his look. but
there is contemplate wrapping cloth in
cupboard. where in daytime we keep
quilts"
Honorable burglar slid back the pa
per door in the wall and looked into
the cupboard, which was the full height
Of the room, and divided horizontally
by q single shelf. making it look like
a stateroOm berth of a steamer The
upper half was empty. Spring Blossom
was using the quilts from there. but in
the lower half, the half assigned to
honorable other person" now away on
leave of absence, was a great round
bundle, like wadding mattresses rolled
Up, which to the japanese mind is bed.
UnroIling this honorable burglar
found the wrapping cloth and spread
it on the floor TO receive Spring Bios
SONS kimono. 1t was of heavy silk.
elaborate in design, and valuable. Hon
orable burglar looked at It with an eye
expert in judging; then he looked at
the head: then he rolled the bundle Of
futon back into the cupboard. looked
at the wrapping cloth once more. fold
ed il up and laying it on the futon. slid
the cupboard door TO.
.sDeign TO receive unworthy thanks -
he said to Spring Blossom. Your au-
gust cloth is unnecessary. as I have
had the unspeaks bic ehrontery to come
prepared Wherewith he pulled large
dark blue cloth from his sleeve.
wra ppsd the several kirnono up in it
with artistic celerity, bowed quite to
the floor, murnuring "Deign to enjoy
honorable repOse," and was gone.
IN the morning when Spring Blossom
went down TO breakfast she received u
reprimand from Miss Godspeed. the
teacher, who presided at the table, for
appearing without her Jacket. or haori,
as the japanese say, which goes on
over the native kimono. The girl said
she was extremely sorry to come down
so untidy, but honorable burglar had
taken her jacket.
Honorable burgla-." exclaimed