Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1906-05-17
The Little
GeiSf1a
By 0N0r0 wATAlSEA.

~ oNoro wArAMA. F:
ssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Copyright. BY Joseph D. BowissJ
0kikusan was In trouble again.
This time she had offended her mas
ter by refusing to dance for the Amer
lean who threw his money 70 lavishly
about. He had specially asked that
the girl with the red cheeks. large
eyes and white skin be asked to dance
for him.
The dancing mats were thrown. the
music started. and Kiku had thrust
forward one little foot and had cour-
tested to the four corners Of the earth.
Then she twirled clear around on the
tips OF the toes Of one little foot. her
hand tapering out toward the Amer
lean. She had started to dance with
out once glancing at the visitor. BY
chance her eye happened to fall on
him, and with q sudden within she
paused In her steps and subsidized to
the mats. her little feet drawn under
her.
The American was watching the girl
with amused eyes, Then he crossed to
where she sat on the ground.
why did you stop dancing?" he
asked her. In fairly good japanese.
She answered him In broken Eng
lish:
"Tha's account I nod lig' to dame
for you!" she told him. candidly.
The girl still sat on the mat. look
ing straight out before her. her face
unreliable In Its cold Indifference.
Hilton could not understand her. She
was 30 unlike any japanese girl he
had ever met, for they generally were
80 willing and eager to please. After
q time he broke the somewhat strained
silence to say. in his soft. drawing
fashion:
Would you not like something-er
to drink? Shall fetch something
for your"
The question was 30 absurd that the
girls studied indifference broke down.
"Tha's nod your place to waid on
mel" she said. loftily. rising to her
feet. Il thing thad you Zig something
to dring. Yes? Thad git paid to
worg here. thing I bedder bring
you something to dring." she added.
stifiy. bud nod lig to waid on you.
I prefer vaery much waid on Japanese
gents"
There was a sibilant softness to her
voice that was bewildering in its
charm and sweetness. and her broken
English was pretl,er than anything he
had ever heard.
When she brought the hot sake"
back to him her face was smiling above
the dainty tray, and as she knelt at his
feet while he drank It. he could see
that her former petulant mood was
gone, and that she was now using
every effort to please and conciliate
him.
Now you look like a japanese sun
BEAM" he told her, softly. looking I'M
utterable things at her out Of his deep
gray eyes.
"Tha's account I 'fraid Citing dis
charged" she told him. calmly. still
smiling. Mr.. Takahashi tell me II
I nod vaery kin to you he goin' to
send me long way from here"
"Ah, I see. Then you are only pre-
tending to smile?"
She shrugged her little shoulders.
YES" she said. indifferently. "Tha's
worg for geisha girl. Whad you thing
we goin' to git paid for? Account we
frown? Or account we laugh! ! thing
tha's account we laugh. Thad Ia my
worg. What you thing?"
THAT you are a philosopher" he
told her, smiling, and added: But
what a cynic, too: didn't expect to
find 1t among Japanese women-cyn-
icism."
The girl smiled trifie bitterly.
"Oa!" she said, you nod I'm thad
'mong Japanese-only me! different
from aeverybody else" She set the
tray ON the ground and sat down at
his feet.
"How old are your Hilton asked
her, curiously.
TWENTY-FIVE" she told him.
"You look like q child"
II was two weeks later. With rest
less fascination he could not under
stand, Hilton went every day to the
little tea house on the hill. Always he
sought out Okikusan. and would spend
the entire day with her, totally obliv-
ious to almost all else save the girls
beauty and charm.
And Hilton forgot his mission IN
Japan. forgot that japanese women
had always been merely the playthings
Of moment; that he had tired Of life
everything save the delightful. ire
sistible feelings that had awakened In
him. What was IT. Hilton was In
love. and with g japanese womani
Years ago he had married one In
Japanese fashion, and had left her.
She had been q gentle, clinging little
woman, with whom he had passed q
dreamy, sleepy summer. What could
he do with Kikuf She was unlike any