Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-12-30
CHAPTER |.
An Adventure in photooraphy

friends, and had been Tilted by a girl
who, as 1t proved, was not the ideal
of nobility and womanly grace he had
supposed her to be. Though plucky,
ne was, to use an expression more
forceful than elegant, "sore." Had
he but known it, the escape from the
srdl was a bit of good luck sufficient
p compensate him for the loss of his
wealth; for no woman who deserts a
MAI at the first blast Of misfortune is
good to tie to for a lifetime. He did
not realize this, for it is hard to be
nhilosophical when a man has just
lost HIS girl, his friends and his
money.
He received his appointment to ST.
IBERIA through a friend of his fathers,
old Frederick Emery, who had gone
out to that country some years before
and m back to Boston on a visit,
rich and eloquent of the and
possibilities of that great empire so
little known and understood by Amer
leans.
The series of adventures that
caused the execution leader to forget
his troubles began at Yokohama, and
dated with his first meeting with
Stapleton Neville in the dining room
of the Grand hotel. The two men
were seated together at a small table,
and the American was gazing dreamily
over the room, most probably thinking
of the girl who dropped him when he
lost his money.
It's a jolly gay scene, isn't it?" re-
marked his yis-a-vis, smiling pleasant
1y. He was a fiorid blonde man, with
the peachy complexion of a Swede,
rather thick lips and nostrils, a
square chin, the bluest of blue eyes
and white even teeth like those Of a
young dog. His expansive shirtbosom,
for he was in evening dress, dis
played to the best advantage his depth
of chest.
These people seem to be all Amer
leans, remarked Hardy. They looked
like Americans, and the accent of
those passing by, or sitting near
enough to be heard, was unmistak-
able.
Yes replied the other, II suppose
they are, nearly all of them. The
show places Of Japan are ~thronged
with your countrymen at this season,
and they make fashionable resorts of
them. I have been staying here for
several months, and l do believe I'm
about the only Englishman here. Per
init me to introduce myself'-and he
produced a card, bearing the name
t'Stapleton Neville, Travellers club,
London"
MY countrymen," replied Hardy, of
fering his wi card, "have a way of
taking America with them wherever
they go. They travel to the ends Of
the earth to get out of their own
land and then they SO thoroughly
Americanize their favorite foreign re-
sorts that they might quite as well
have stayed at home"
When do you leave?" asked Ne
vile.
THE day after tomorrow" replied
Hardy. Il am on my way to Russia
on business, and | am supposed to get
there with as little delay as possible"
But there is no boat starting for
a week. You can't very we'll leave for
Vladivostok day after tomorrow"
Hardy smiled.
'You forget our American enter
prise" he replied. II have learned
that a small boat leaves Hakodate in
three days, crossing the Japan sea,
and that by taking the train north
ward through the island, I shall ar
rive at Aomori, near the northern end
of Nippon, in time to connect with
this boat. I have already had the
agent here telegraph for passage for
me. | shall thus save a weeks time,
and shall be able to see, from the car
window, the interior of J~apan-that
portion Of the country which our
friends in the dining room there get
little idea Of"
by Joye! Do you know that would
jolly well fit in with my plans, If you
wouldn't object to a travelling com
panion and there should be o. for
ME, also?'
I'D be delighted" replied Hardy;
charmed, / assure you, to have you
come along. Travelling alone is a
bore. Shall you be going through to
Aomori?'
Farther than that. I, too, am go
ing to Russia, through to Moscow, and
from there back to England"
why, then" exclaimed Hardy, II
shall have you as far as my destina-
ton, Stryetensk!"
Exactly so. And, as we are leaving
the town SO soon, what do you say to
our proving about tomorrow, to give
you an idea Of the bally place, and to
taking it in in the evening in a jim
rikisha? It's very picturesque, both
by night and by day, and you'll not
find me a. poor guide, az have
knocked around considerably since ]
have been here"
The American fell in with this plan
gratefully, and thought himself In
good luck that he was about to have
for a guide an Anglo-Saxon who knew
the principal places Of interest, and
possessed q slight command Of the
language. Neville, he learned, had
been in the country over three
months.
They were out early the next morn
ing and spent the entire day tramping
about the fascinating streets Of the
Japanese city.
did you bring your Gamers with
your" Neville asked Hardy. as the
latter appeared on the veranda Of the
hotel, where he found his new-made
friend waiting, There's a deal to
photograph and these people are GER