Belding banner., 1909-04-29


"Komakichi was a wire-walker and
did some rather daring stunts on the
| trapeze.
II remember how he interested me
the first time / saw him. While he
did his turn Martha played soft mel
cdy that was always favorite OF
mine-played IL as IL her whole soul
were In the playing. Yet / noticed she
turned frequently to look at the Jap,
who seemed to be shaking hands with
death nearly every moment OF his act.
After Martha and had become en-
gagged | made dicker with Tom Jen-
kins, an Irish hackman. to call for her
every night after the show and drive
her home. | was on duty at night then
and couldn't play the escort myself, and
felt perfectly safe with good old Tom.
whom | had known ever since was
kid, and who respected Martha about
as man of his estate would respect
an angel
One night Tom came up into the
office while l was trying to straighten
out mix-up on the east end, and
waited. hat in hand. for an hour before
! could get to speak to him. When
| saw him looked up with smile and
made some pleasant remark, but Tom
was serious.
Miss Martha wouldn't take me
kerridge tonight. John, he said, In
considerable agitation. She wint
home with thot haythin'. An niver a
wurrud did she sphake wild me.
The import of the thing came to
me like the current that makes con-
nection with man whom the supreme
court had gone against dismissed
Tom with some sort of remark
don't know what-and turned to my
train sheet. Ii was nothing but
blur. For the life of me | couldn't
have told where train was on the
division. | knew better than TO try
to fool with the work any further that
night and on plea of sudden sickness
called one of the boys TO my desk.
II never entered the office again as
dispatcher. Skipping the details of
the next day, night found me at Spen-
GERS, way up in front. Martha
glanced towards me, bowed slightly
but never paid any further notice tO
me. When the performance was over
started to the side door. and then
changed my mind
Il hung around town, doing nothing.
The railroad put new man in my
place. and things went on as usual;
a piece OF the machinery had worn
out and been replaced; that was all
will confess / took some pains to learn
what was going on between the two.
The thing appeared so utterly unrea-
sonable that ! hoped some light would
come which would Justify me in seek
ing to establish old relations. There
were plenty to tell One. or two had
attempted TO speak 10 Martha about
her infatuation for the alien, but she
had acted so imperiously that they
were sorry they spoke.
"One day he got letter from Japan
that made him dance with joy. He
grinned at anything and everything.
but he told no one what the good news
was. Martha surmised 1t was letter
from his sweetheart back home. and
began drawing off. II made no differ
ence TO Komakichi-he went on being
happy just the same. He laughed all
through his acts and was constantly
kissing his hands like mad to the peo-
pie or course man wouldn't act like
that for any other reason except he
was in love, and Martha resigned her
position and stayed at home. The Jap
went to her house when this happened
and made some explanation that ap-
peased her AT any rate she kissed
him like-my God! Why do / tell you
this?
my friend" Montgomery went on,
solemnly, you are the first man who
ever heard all the ins and outs OF this
affair, and you will be the last. When
have finished the vault door is sealed
forever
"Komakichi went to his island home,
carrying with him the love of my girl.
He promised to return for her II all
went we'll
"Of course you and everybody in the
world read OF the assaults on Port Ar
thur and the frightful loss of life out
side the forts. Sushiyan, Long Noun
tain. Wolf Hill and EtZe Mountain
went into the hands of the terrible lit
tie brown men, and then came 20S-
Meter Hill. The capture Of that fortf-
fication was the call of Gabriel to
brave old Gen. Stoessel. but the Japs
paid the price. Names OF the dead
were not printed in American newspa-
pers, unless they were of consequence,
or connected with some significant In
cident. But a correspondent with the
mikado's troopers told of a Japanese
colonel who had led his men on the
final. assault which resulted in the cap
ture of the fort and how he had been
shot down as he had seized with his
own hands rapid-fire gun and turned
Il on the Russians. After the battle
Gen Nogi directed the army TO un.
cover and stand at salute while the
coffin OF the colonel was carried down
the lines for transportation back to-
Japan. The man to receive that dis
tingui shed honor was Komakichi, the
wire walker, the soldier of Japan.