Charlevoix county herald., 1914-12-05
THE BLUE BOMB
BY j. OIESY
:" A Story Of Humor Mystery, Romance,
Thy Frank 4HnNyCon

IAN your commentator will give it
added SAVIOR. Your honorable father
how is he?"
"Quite well, thank YOU" replied
Miss McRae. 81 shall tell him met
you. This is awfully jolly-having
tea like this. Are all your tea-rooms
furnished in this way"
ooh, thees!" deprecated Yamata.
"Thees is but one of the poorer sort,
Miss McRae. You should see some
of the others. They far suTpass
the'es poor place. If you will accept
my most humble service, should be
pleas TO show you"
"You are az fully kind" said the
girls voice.
They drifted on in small talk, and
Gafford, listening, frowned. Four
nights before he had looked for an
instant into the swarthy face Of
Yamata in the house of Oku Kobe.
He had smiled then as now, be-
cause Oshitu had slashed sleeping
mans foot. He recalled what he
could of the conversation he had
overheard between this man and the
officer of engineers. He had rcog-
nized him as soon as he had come
into the tea-house, and it was that
which had made him change his
seat.N
1t bad seemed to his fancy that
Yanea turned, too, directly to the
TAB here Miss McRae sat. He
woy6uefed if the man might have
followed the girl from the street.
Yet, if so, what was his object?
oh IN
him through the screen was inno-
cent enough, in all conscience.
The attendant came back with the
girls tea on a tray, with a little in
verted, bowl-like cup and a plate OF
sweetmeats and cakes. Iamata gave
an order for second service, and
urged Miss McRae to allow her own
to grow cold while waiting for him.
Presently he was served in turn.
Gafford signalled for another cup of
sake, and consumed it without hav-
ing perceived any real reason why
he should have constituted himself
a sort of invisible guardian for the
woman in the booth at his back. He
set down his empty cup, half de-
ternined to remove himself else
where, when Yamata began speak
ing again:
"The traveller in Nippon sees but
a part of the things which are, Mees
McRae. They see only the surface.
Take thees tea-house, which is call
the House of Moon Faces. The
traveller like you comes in an buys
the little cup of tea an he thinks
he has seen. Does he see the moon
faces? No.
"He fancies the name is but a
pretty appellation. He does not
know that the moon faces are here
in reality. He does not know that
he has seen but half, an the poorer
half-the half which is no index to
our real bohemian life. He does not
know tha' beyond the door where the
waiter goes for his order is bigger
an far more beautiful room, where
are beautiful women-those we call
geisha-who play on the samisen an
sing.
"That beautiful, room is the real
House of Moon Faces. 1t is only
those who know who go there, where
the moon faces shine and they are
of men. Our women are not as
cafe. But our men-yes, an some
of your men-who know, go into the
secon' room. where the moon faces
are. No white woman, SO far as |
know, has ever been there. 1t would
be wat you call dangerous, an
would not be allow. But if you
should weesh, could show you
Just once. II would be an adven
ture; yet safc--with me--for ] know
and am known"
"You mean you could really show
me this room, Mr. Yamata 2" There
was thrill of excitement in Miss
McRae's voice now.
precisely, Mees McRae. |, va
mata, can so do--if you weesh, en-
would not be afraid"
Afraid 2" questioned the girl
and Gafford felt himself stiffen to
attention. Afraid of what, if !
went Under your escort 2"
Yamata laughed softly. "Ah, yes"
he made answer. "Of what should
you be afraid!'
There was sound of dishes be
ing showed aside. 81 am ready, if
you really mean it," the girl chal-
lenged.
a stool scraped its legs on the
floor. Come. then" Yamata re-
piled.
Instantly Gafford was on his feet.
Edging along the partition, he
peered around it in time to see va
mata lift the heavy curtains at the
end of the outer room and permit
the girl in white to pass.
The next moment he had followed
her into the room Of the geishas.
In his soft sandals Gafford slipped
out of his booth and followed at
their heels.
He had no difficulty in going
whittier he pleased. He was too well
known in that place. He slipped
into the inner room and found him
self a partly secluded seat, waited
until Yamata and the girl were
seated and the swarthy host had
called geisha with samisen and
hidden her play; then slipped to a
little table not too Ear off and sat
down with his back to the pair. He
mumbled an order for sake to a girl
who approached and sank his face
in his hands The ohsarver ,yonld