Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1910-03-18
G'i|[||S'|A|:|A|| GIRL |.
81 SADIE oLcoTT.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press Asso-

BY SADIE oLcoTT.
Copyright, 1910. by American Press Asso-.
ciation.1
.tBy the spirits of your ancestors
beseech you to hide me!'
The words were spoken by young
japanese who rushed into q tea house
where stood startled geisha girl. 1t
was more than forty years ago. when
the followers Of the mikado and the
shotgun were struggling for the su-
premacy in Japan.
"What is it. Herobumi?" asked the
girl quickly.
.aThe shoganites! They are after me.
If they catch me they will kill me.
Quick, Nikama!'
The girl darted glances In every d.
rection, and finally her eyes lighted on
what she at once recognized as thes
best place for concealment. In every
Japanese house is a dust hole. The
ground floor is raised about two feet
above the earth. and square hole 10
cut in the floor. into which the dust
and litter of the rooms are swept.
'Get in there. quick!' cried the girl,
pointing to the hole.
Herobumi sprang into the hole, dou-
bling himself up to occupy the space.
Nikama put a board over 1t, and on
the board she placed brazier, thus
| concealing the hole and making It ap-
pear that the brazier rested on tho
floor Then she sat down before the
brazier, in which was fire, and ap.
peared to be lazily warming herself.
In another moment a band Of armed
men rushed in. The girl looked up at
them in feigned surprise.
| "A man is here" said their leader,
| 'whom we seek. We saw him enter.
Where is he?"
| "You are welcome to look for him."
| 1--WE will see for ourselves" replied
the man, and, with his followers. ha
began a search Of the premises. They
! moved furniture; they opened closets:
! they pulled out drawers. Into every
Granny in the house they peered, Pgt
none of them thought Of the dust
hole. Thinking him they sought had
simply passed through and had gone
on, they rushed out as hurriedly as
they had come in. When they were
we'll away the girl called to the hider:
"There is nothing now to fear, Hero
bumi. but you had better remain
where you are for awhile in case they
come back"
''Thank you, Nikama. You have
saved my life. knew when came,
having been here at times for tea, that
| I would not be betrayed, but did not
know that would find one who by
her presence of mind would keep my
head on my shoulders"
The girl went out and looked about
and, finding all pursuit of the fugitive
! in that vicinity had been abandoned,
returned to the house, removed the
brazier, and Herobumi came out of the
hole. He did not think Of the dust
with which he was covered, but Nj
kama did, and, getting wisp broom,
she brushed his clothes. Then he took
both her hands in his and said to her:
"You are but poor geisha girl, while
am of a far different rank, but !
promise that you shall never regret
the act Of this day"
When it was dark he slipped out Of
the tea house and found a more per-
manent place Of safety.
One day-it was after the shotgun
had been permanently defeated and
the mikado securely placed upon the
throne Of Japan-a jinrikisha stopped
before the tea house. Nikama was
standing at the door, and who should
she see alight from the jinrikisha but
the young man whose life she had
saved. He came up and led her out
on to veranda.
II have not seen you for long
WHILE" she said. 81 feared that the
shogunites had caught you at last"
mo; was too slippery for them.
But all my inventive powers-and
there are those who esteem them con-
siderable-are as nothing compared
with yours. Had it not been for your
quick acting brain I should not now
be here"
The girl, naturally pleased at his ap-
probation Of her act, smiled and
blushed.
IT told you that you would not re-
gret your act Of that terrible day."
continued the visitor. ''nor shall you.
wish to make you a present. will
first offer you that which value most
highly and which will include within
itself all can give you. Then If you
prefer a part rather than the whole
you may ask for what you like and I
will give 1t.
"You speak in riddles, Herobumi,
OF, rather, you speak like the mikado
when you say you will give what I
ask. Are you. young man not yet
thirty years old, so powerful that you
can give me anything ask?' II:
II can at least give you that which
prize most"