Charlevoix county herald., 1914-12-05

to permit his return to his precarlouS
way of living, as he realized from
the twinges of pain it sent up his
limb He stood and surveyed the
scene, debating whether to walk far
Their or return and confess that he
had been premature.
A few doors up the street a good
sized curio-shop Haunted its red and
gold ideographs before the eye. It
was frequented more or less by tour
lists, and Gafford had even received a
few stray commissions for guiding
them to il on their rounds.
For moment he was tempted to
go up and extract some possible yen
from the proprietor for past and
prospective services rendered. He
had even taken the first two steps
in the direction when he stoppd and
forgot his intention in greater in
terest. From the door of his des-
tination q woman came forth. She
was clad all in white, even to the
shoes she wore.
A white parasol dangled in her
hand. She glanced up and down the
street, and turned directly toward
Gafford. Beyond any doubt she was
the woman he had seen at the quay.
Gafford's heart recoiled from her
presence. With an instructive shrink
ing he desired to avoid the meeting.
What remnants of pride were still his
urged him to remove himself from
the range of the blue eyes which had
smiled so Understandings into his a
few nights before.
Acting purely on impulse, he
swung around and retreated to the
House OF Moon Faces, entered, and
sat down at little table, from which
he might see her as she passed. With
a snap of the fingers he called an at
tendant and ordered a cup of sake,
but not for a moment did he take
his eyes from the outer street.
But the girl did not pass.
To Gafford's amaZement, a white
clad figure darkened the door of the
tea-house, paused an instant, and
came forward. The girl selected a
vacant stall, sank upon one of the
backless stools, and laid her parasol
and one or two parcels upon an end
of the table.
With a frank interest she turned
her eyes about the room, taking in all
it's details of lacquered ceiling, carved
stool and table of teakwood its fes-
ICONS of colored lanterns and trailing
streamers of painted banners, and
the other patrons of the place.
Her gaze was the glance of one
who did not understand, but found
much of interest. 1t answered CAT
ford's first mental question as to why
NJ 3D.
should walk the streets of Nagasaki
unattended.
1t came to him in that moment
that her act was that of innocence
and ignorance combined. Doubtless
he felt she had been shopping, and,
wanting a cup Of tea, had dropped
into the first tea-house she found.
A tea-house would be q tea-hOuse
to her comprehension. She was I'M
aware of the lines of distinction
which pat the better houses on the
second street Of shops instead of the
first, or that the geisha houses were
not frequented by women, either yell
low or white.
In the House of the Setting Sun. a
street beyond, she would have been
as safe as in any tea-room of her
own country. Gafford stiffened in his
seat and was glad that her back was
turned toward him.
Tie girl bent hei head above a
menu-card and studied it until an at
tendant approached her table.
Tea" she ordered quite distinctly,
"and cakes-some Of those little
rice-cakes of ours. like them"
She smiled cutie frankly into the
walters eyes.
The attendant scurried away after
n hurried bow, and Gafford continued
10 study that alluring back. 1t was
while he was so engaged that there
came between il and him a vision of
a small figure, brave in frock coat,
silk hat, and tan gloves, carrying
rattan cane.
Gafford stared as thou IN hardly
believing his eyes, and then, without
any apparent good reason, picked up
his cup of sake and moved to a seat
in "a booth directly behind the carved
screen, which separated its table
from that of the girl in white. More
over, one might have noticed that he
walked with his head down, and in a
course calculated to keep his own
ohONihNi I'll HNd INC llRuIG III
the frock coat.
The latter, in apparent high good
humor, and putting d cigarette, had
now surrendered his hat, coat and
stick to an attendant, and was sur
vcying the room.
Peering from his booth, Gafford
saw his dark face suddenly light with
a smile. A moment later he was
hurrying directly toward the table
where the girl in white sat. As he
approached his hand came up before
him ard his teeth cleaned between
his lips in what he evidently hoped
was an ingratiating manner.
"Mees McRae," he exclaimed, as
the partition cut off Gafford's view,
"thees is so grea' a pleasure. | am
so bold as to be hope tha' you re-
member--night before las'-at the
hotel"
"Of course ! remember you, Mr..
Yamata," said the girl, while CAT
ford's pulses leaped that he had
learned her name. Wont you sit
down ?" she invited. 81 was Just
having a cup of your tea. II is
rarely the only tea there is. We
Americans don't know the real