Free press., 1908-05-09
"kLhDY OF
MEKADO'S COURT"
An Episode of the New York Art
Colony.
NV IE&REE Al nAaTa 0A
BY JESSIE n. PARTLoN

EISu uetu COu1C-EoI- ives uEnly D0
lieved-as a psychological answer to
his yearning for color
Her entrance was characteristic
The artist. idly sketching his thou
eaRdth American Girl" was startled
TO perceive a small, gorgeous figure
wrapped in sinuous folds of gray and
cherry silk, bowed in mock humility
at his very feet
Seven deyilS-" exclaimed ST Ives
splashing carmine all over the "Ameri
can Girls" naughty mouth.
"Jes' me, mos. high mightiness;
Etsu make YER fine model-ver' moch
need Saoney!" explained the wadded
silk bundle before him. The shining
lack coils of hair rose from their
humble position to disclose a fresh,
@irlish face, daintily red as to lips.
immobile as bronze.
This, then, was no gift from the
gods, but a commercial transaction!
al the artist in ST Ives nature rose
TO the quaint, colorful little lady
Etsu, taking stupefaction for &C.
quiescence, lifted a bundle of costumes
from the floor and pattered toward the
dressing room.
In second she was back. Instead
of the cherry blossom silk she was
swathed in a heavy kimono whose
midnight luster was glorifled by gold
en- storks gravely reposing on one leg
against background of perpetually
rising suns.
'Etsu YER fine lady of mtkado's s
court" she said proudly, making a
deep genufection.
st. Ives eyes took in greedily the
1.-THE figure, the small, hower-like face,
and heavy coils of scented hair. He
stared till the "Ver' fine lady" became
disturbed; she dropped to the floor
in a pretty attitude and with childish
dignity and directness said: Lady
play samisen, YER honorable great ar.
tist please to paint!"
And so, from day to day, st. Ives
reveled in color.
Etsu had been posing for him for
two weeks, and the studio, with it's
litter of East Indian bric-a-brac, ugly
Chinese idols, and rare tapestries, was
permeated with the faint fragrance
that clung to her kimonos.
To-day Etsu had arrived at the stu.
do early. When he inserted his own
latch key, a strange, eerie murmuring
reached his ears, and as he threw
wide the door he beheld Etsu prone
on her face before an image of Bud.
dha he had picked up in the orient.
She was praying softly and rapidly.
Gone was the childlike naivete and
impenetrable calm of the little Japan
ese model. A strange exaltation
breathed from every fold Of her silken
garments, and she hurriedly tucked
her tiny ffag-the emblem of Japan
into her sleeve as she mounted the
models throne.
'sWef1, Etsu, 1 see by the papers
your country is recalling it's subjects
to be war; it seems!"
Eyes, august highness!" replied Et-
su; ''the sacred one has spoken-hap-
py they who can obey!"
She was strangely anxious to be
gone-the days work was spoiled and
st. Ives released her.
Lifting a curtain that concealed an
old cabinet to get Etsu's customary
fee, he stood appalled, The cabinet
had been forced open, papers and color
tubes lay all about, but every penny
The cabinet held had vanished!
Gone, too, was Etsu, and without
The bit of silver for which she always
waited.
In an instant st. Ives was half way
down the stairs; a second and he
gained the street. There, like an ami
mated water color, was Etsu, two
blocks away.
Etsu melted into narrow doorway
of Chinatown, and still he followed
Almost at the threshold of an inner
room she was met by a slender young
Japanese. equipped for a journey
Did you get it?" he fairly hissed.
Quick, quick; the son of heaven
calls
Here, Hojo," She pressed hand
full of loose bills into his outstretched
hand. "Kawannon guard you and
bring a glorious DEATH
Jostling St Ives in the dark passage
1fojo rushed forth-from her he loved
10 the great red death of a Japanese
soldier who falls in battle fighting for
the emperor
But Etsu, for whom there remained
only the small white death of women
and children. drew from her silken
sleeve a small vial and drank deep.
The pungent scent of peach kernels
filled the air.
And ST. Ives staggered out into the
sunlight to gaze with Mortified eyes
on the long streamers of "Banzai"
and picturesque Japanese flags that
T.. .<..aa Il, IN alinzn h,ooza