Gilpin observer., 1910-04-14

~~-~~N~~Ss-r~~~0
point.
During his first day in the town, he
put up at the Darnivostock hotel, but
found the lodging SO abominable, the
fare so execrable and the service so
insolent that he was glad to engage
an old peasant woman of all work and
begin housekeeping in some unoccu-
pied rooms of the Trading Company's
store.
Besides this old woman, his only
companion was young Russian clerk,
who spoke a little bad English. which
he practiced on Hardy with such per-
sistence that he became a nuisance,
entertaining him with such re-
marks as:
Good morning, Mr.. Hardy. The
barn of my store is not SO large as the
barn of my uncle. Have you seen the
barn of my uncle?" or, Good evening,
Mr.. Hardy. Do you think the black
horse is as good as the white horse?
Neither the one nor the other is so
good as the horse of my aunt"
This interesting person was pos
sessed of the skin of baby, pink
cheeks. very thick, red lips. blue eyes
and tin-foil hair His name was Vasili
Ogorodnikoff He imagined himself
great merchant, and his manner to-
ward Hardy oscillated between super
ciliousness and the other extreme of
sudden servility when reminded Of his
position. He was either presumptu-
Gus or groveling. 1t was impossible
to treat him as an equal.
And here. from the very start,
Hardy got his first taste of hard work,
and came to realize what a blessing
it is; how it ennobles a mans sur
roundings. however, strange, prosaic
or uninviting, and what a royal pana-
cea it is for blues, inconsistencies, love-
sickness, or any species of fostering
discomfort. In addition to the daily
business of the store, it was necessary
for him to take stock, familiarize him
self with the details of the trade, get
what idea he could of the accounts,
study the commercial possibilities of
the region. He saw Immediately, that
If he did not wish to continue at the
mercy of Vasili, he must learn the
Russian language as soon as possible;
this, indeed, must be his first object.
He must swallow Russian in great
gulps and must digest it, He there
fore looked about for a teacher. The
only available person he could find
was Russian Jew, who. despite his
youth, wore great bale of bushy red
whiskers, falling to the fourth button
Of his shabby waistcoat.
Mordecai Baruch knew English very
well. as he had spent several years in
New York in the factory of a rela-
tive engaged there in the manufacture
OF caps. He undertook to teach Hardy
Russian. and he found the latter a
most assiduous pupil. devoting as
many as four hours day to the sub
ject.
Hardy had not been long in Stry-
etensk before he received a letter
from Mrs. Johnny Folkstone, the Bos-
ton society leader. calling him a
naughty boy for running away to the
ends of the earth and deserving all his
friends, and assuring him that society
would not have been able to do with.
out him, money or no money, had he
seen Ait to remain.
Another letter, received not long
after his arrival in Stryetensk, gave
him more pleasure.
1t was written on the daintiest and
lightest Of japanese paper, in very
small and exquisitely-formed script.
AS Hardy picked this letter up from
his writing table. there was something
about 1t that suggested femininisy,
even before he opened 1t.
"a woman, eh?" he muttered, land
in Japan. l wonder who are in Japan
this summer? Perhaps the Castle
tons"
He held the envelope closer to his
eyes to examine the script to see If
he could guess at the writer's identity
when the problem was solved. A faint
and elusive perfume arose to his nos
trils. 30 faint as to be almost imper-
ceptible. yet imperishable as the
memory OF kiss. and the image Of
Aisome took shape again in his mind
-Aisome, as she had stood that night
on the wharf at Hakodate, bidding
him good-by, dainty as a moon.flower
exquisite as Queen Of Fairy.land.
Yokohama. August 16. 1907
You will perhaps be surprised at hear
Ing from me. but you will not accuse me
OF forwardness. / am sure. when you
learn my reason for addressing you in
this manner. Some time ago the estim-
able Mr.. Sano did me the honor of desir-
Ing to marry me. Soon after your de-
parture for Hakodate. he again offered
me his hand. and when I made II plain
to him that I should never consent, he
became very angry and accused mellow
shall express myself?-of having become
infatuated with the American, meaning
you. In his jealous rage he revealed the
fact that he had given secret orders TO
the captain OF the shikoku Maru to have
you disposed OF. you will never" he ex-
claimed. gnashing his teeth like n wolf.
"behold your beloved American again"
You can imagine that this confession did
not advance Mr.. Sano to any great ex