Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-04-21

sharply around a corner, skidding on
two wheels.
Bersonin muttered a curse as he
peered before him, for the stretch was
brilliantly illuminated. He was on the
Street-of-Prayer- he-Gods, which to-
night seemed strangely alive with hub
bub.
That afternoon, with the passing Of
the rain, there had been held neighbour
hood hanami, 'fiower-viewing-ex
sion" A score of families, with picnic
paraphernelia, had trooped to the wis
taria arbors of far-distant Kameido, to
return in the small hours laden with
empty baskets and sonlnOlent babies.
Tomorrow like today, would be holt
day. when school and work alike should
be forgotten. The cavalcade had just
returned-afoot. since the trans had
ceased running at midnight-the men
merry with sake, the women chattering.
A few children, still wakeful, scampered
here and there.
The chauffeur leaned forward with an
exclamation-they had all but run down
a hobbling figure.
keep your hands Off" snarled Ber-
sonin. Let them get out of the way!
The automobile dashed on, the people
scattering before it.
There was small figure in the road
way, however. of, whom no one took
account 6-year-old. Ishikichi had not
gone to the hanarhi that day. For many
hours that long afternoon, while his
mother cared for the sick father, he had
beat the tiny drum that soothed a ba-
by's fret, comforted by the promise that
he should be walked in the great hour
when the crowd came home Stretched
on his form fton that night, he had puz-
zled over the situation-the hard blank
fact that because they had no money,
they must give up the shop, which was
the only home he knew. When they
took his father away to the byo-in. the
sick house, what would he and his
mother and the baby-San do? Would
they stand, like the kadots'ke, playing
samisen at peoples doors? 1t was. not
hOnorably pleasant to be a kadOtske!
Only men could earn money, and 1t
would be so long before he became a
man. So he had been bordering when
he went to sleep. Now, standing in
the road, he heard the hum of the rush
ing motor, and a quick thought-born
of that instinct of sacrifice for the pa
ent, that is woven, a golden thread, in
the wool of the Japanese soul-darted
into his baby brain. One of the big
fire wagons of the seiyo-jin was com
ing. When the carriage killed Toru,
his playmate, the foreigner had sent
much money to Torus house. He was
not sorry any more, because the white
faced man whom he liked, who lived in
| the temple, had told him what a fine
thing it had been. For Toru's honora-
BILE father had been fighting with the
Gaki, the no-rich-devils-it was almost
like a war-and Toru had died just as
he
great purpose flooded the little soul.
Was he not brave, too?
Z So.1 as Bersonin, with a snarl, shook
off the hand of the chauffeur and threw
the throttle wide open, Ishikichi did not
scamper with the rest With his hands
! tightly clenched in his patched kimono,
his huge clogs Gathering on the road
way he ran straight into the path Of the
hurtling mass of steel.
I There was a sudden, sickening jolt
The car leaped forward, dragging some
thing beneath it that made no sound.
The chauffeur buried himself across the
seat on the gear. and the automobile
stopped with a grinding discord of
screeching pistons. A surge of people
came around it--a wave without cutlery,
but holding a hushed murmur like the
sea. Shoji were opening doorways fill
ed the street with light. A man bent
and drew something gently from between
| the VIII cells.
With a writhing oath the expert
wrenched at the clutch.
go onv' he said savagely. How
dare you stop without my orders?'
The Japanese made no reply, but the
arms that braced the WHEEL were rigid
as steel.
( Bersonin sank back in his seat, his
massive frame quivering. his eyes gilt
tering like flakes of mica. But for this,
in ten minutes he would have been clear
of the city. flying along the Chiba road
What if he were detained? He felt
strange, chilly tendrils plucking at his
flesh, and a hundred fiery needles SEEM
ed Apricking through his BRAIN
Peering over his shoulder, with his
horrible, fear on him. he saw the crowd
part to admit a woman who. quite ST.
Plently, but with haste, came forward and
kneIt on the ground. There was no
movement from the crowd.
In a hush like that of DEATH the
mother rose with Ishikichi in her arms.
The white still face looked pitifully
tsmaHE One clog swayed from it's thong
between the bare toes. The faded XII
mono was stained with red. She spoke
no word There was no. tear on her
face But in the dreadful silece. she
turned slowly with her burden and
looked steadily at the twitching face IN
the .car-looked and looked. The chauf-
feur swung himself from the seat into.
1.-THE crowd.
An insane. desire had been creeping
stealthily on Bersonin. He had felt it
coming when he faced the truth in
PhiI's cringing admission. The horrible
compulsion to laughter was on him. The
damnable man-hysteria had him by the
throat He fought it desperately as
one fights a wild beast in the dark.
In vain.
His jaws opened He laughed-a|
dreadful peal of merriment that echoed
up and down the latticed street. And