Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-05
CHAPTER xXXIII.
behind the shIkIrI.


The guide came to the end of his elab-
crate conversation. lie turned from the old
servant leaning on his pruning knife, and
spoke to the man who stood waiting out
side the wistaria gate in the Street-o-the-
Misty-Valley.
He say Mr.. Philip Ware stay here" he
announced, but house is ownerships OF
his friend, Mr. Daunt OF America embassy.
He regret sadly that no one are not at
home"
Ware reflected. Daunts house? He lived
in the embassy compound-so they had
said at dinner last night. why should he
maintain this native house in another quar-
ter Of Toxic? There came to his mind that
hackneyed phrase 'the custom Of the coun-
try" the foreigners specious justification
Of the modern Madame Butterfly" In this
interminable city, with it's labyrinthine
mazes, who could tell what this or that
gray roof might shelter? Was this a nook
enisled, for pretty japanese romances 'un-
der the rose?" He had loaned It to Phil
they were his friends
Ware struck his stick-hard against the
hedge. He scarcely knew what thought
had entered his mind, so nebulous was IL,
so indefinable. IL he had thought to use
this discovery, he knew no way; IL It was
Daunt's covert, here was Phil in possess
sion.
ASK him If he has any idea where he
is"
The guide translated. The servant was
ignobly unacquainted, as yet, with the
danna- Sahib's illustrious habits He AFRO
gantly presumed to suggest that he might
augustly be in any one OF hundred es-
teemed spots.
Ware thought moment, frownngly.
Tell him / am Ware-San's brother" he
said then. and that / have Just arrived in
Tokyo. / shall wait in the house tin he
comes"
The old man bowed profoundly at the
statement OF the relationship. He spoke at
some length to the guide. The latter looked
at Ware questiOningly but hesitated.
"Weil?" asked the latter. tartly.
He think better please you wait to the
hotel"
Ware struck open the gate with a flare
OF irritation You can go now" he said
TO the guide, and disdaining the servant
strobe along the gravel path to the house
entrance.
The old man looked after him with an
enigmatic japanese smile. 1t was not his
fault II the foreigners Ohe kappa devouI
themD ate dead beasts and were all quite
mad! lie tucked up his komono, stacked
his gardening tools neatly under the hedge
and betook himself across the street for
smoke and a game OF Go with the neigh
boris bette.
Under the trailing vlns Ware slid bacl
the shojl and entered the house.
AS he stood looking at the interior hi
lip curled. He hated the cheapness ant
vulgarity 10 which Phil turned with In
stinctive liking, and he had long ag,
} come thoroughly TO despise his younge
, brother and to relish the whip-hand which
the law, with its guardianship, gave him
The place fitted Phil, from the cigaree
= odor to the loud photograph In the dragon
frame and the partly open wall-closet witt
its significant array OF bottles II expresses
his idea OF "a good time!"
He slid open a shkiri, It showed
room, evidently unused Uttered with tools
a dusty table with models of curious wing
like propellers, a small electric dynam
and a steel-lathe. He opened another an
stood looking al the room Il disclosed wit
. a faint smile. II was scrupulously clea
, and orderly. and, in contrast 20 the cute
apartment had an atmosphere OF delicat
refinement. On the wall hung a tiny gil
image OF ISwan-on and below II on a
. improvlsed shelf an incense rod was burn
/, ing with a clean, pungent odor. At on
/, side was suspended a mosquito-bar q
o dark green gauze, and across a low sto,
was laid a kimono, with silver camellis