The Southern herald., 1911-04-28


SLED NiiA fear Whg saouia as m
szteAedi Hzd bs doas a
thing4
so greatly did he lear even n
hin that be decided e take e. lsslsz
back to tie place where h haa foana
i. and drop II asain Il las fezz
But when be got e the ptsss ana
looked for = ast time al ths wrilla<
It give him such longing e kssa Is
that be thrust 1t into his breast sesin
and hurried back to bis shop
That night = man cane 10 sss
Kimaga-
Are you Kimasa. the maker os
Vasesg he said.
"Kimasa. all trembling. replied has
be was.
Then. said the man. I have cone
to yoa with high purpose. You hars
= letter which does not belong e
you. Give it to ne.
Does It belong 70 your asked
himasa. bis desire putting armcr %
his fear.
That is net to be asked. replied
the man. I am samurai For the
glory Of Nippon ysa mus give me the
letter
But Kimaga did not wish to lei
the letter so. How do you know that
l have itr he said. You have nol
seen It.
Il Is enough that l know. said
the man. Three days allow you 4
BY then the letter has not been placed
on the altar Of the wargod. ii the
shrine Of samiya. then you WIN Be a.
sassinated.'
With that the man went away.
~kimaga was now almos dead with
fright For the first day be did moth.
ing but weep. The second day be put
on mourning and set his aifalrs In
order. The third day he held the lee.
ter in his hand for many hours and
filled his mind with the beauty Of the
writing. He could not give II ID.
Rather would he die. And at last he
placed 1t in . lacquer box and buried
it deep at the foot OF the largest cher.
ry tree in his garden.
He arose to go back into hiu
house, an his head was bowed ever
with terror. You see, he felt that
many eyes were watching him from
the nearby walls, an he thought he
heard breathings and the whispers Of
strangers. What should he do nowf
He dare not advance; he dare not
stay where he was. So exceeding az.
frighted was he that he groaned
aloud. From all about him came
groans that answered his. Once more
he groaned, and once more his ears
We're filed with the answers.
Then he took one step toward his
house. Nothing happened. He took
another step, an his knees they shook
like the palsy. The breathings an
whisperings seem, oh. SO much nearer
now. But he muster all his strength
an put out his foot for the third step.
1t did not reach the ground before the
vengeance struck him.
"The next morning his wife found
him dead. His head had been severed
from his body"
The minister stopped and sat back
In his chair.
How awful" exclaimed the won.
an who had asked for a story.
mot So" said the minister aifably.
TN serving my country, such things
mus be done. Kimaga should have
given the letter. Don't you think %.
Mr.. Orme7"
The parable was quite clear "a
Orme. He understood the threat.
I'm America" he said, drily. Eve
do not worship penmanship."
"But an American might for other
reasons keep letter that did not be.
long to him."
Not If he was honorable. Hia
natural course would be to see thai
1t was delivered to the person foE
whom it was intended. Certainly he
would not give 1t to any man whc
could not prove his right to H."
Would he not? But If be werc
told that he mus die-T
"In that case he would inform hil
friends Of the threats against him
and they would see that his murderer
were hanged. Assassination Is mol
popular in America, excellency."
Orme did not attempt to conceal the
contempt in his words. and several d
the listeners moved in their chairs. be
traying their embarrassment.
Perhaps, then, Mr.. Orme," said thu
minister, "you could favor us with {
story which would show the attitude
of an American in such fair"
orme laughed. oddly enough" b
replied, Il can give you just such
story-if you all care to hear IT,
go on" murmured one of the men
1T happened to a friend Of mine,
said Orme. He had in his possession
number of proxies, the use of whicl
would determine the control o
certain corporation. While he wal
carrying these proxies to the aountr'
house Of the man to whom he was 4
deliver them, he was attacked By
man who was acting for another fac
tion. This man secured the advantag
over my friend and, robbing him 0
, the proxies. Jumped into waikin,