The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1914-04-18
..The men of Japan tell the women

WY htthC " ~ "O*s h0 priv
Have you no love in Japan;' she
demanded. her bosom beginning to
heave a little.
"A great DEAL
"Your wives-are they not every
~thing-close TO ~you-closer than every
thing?"
-Our wives., he repeated softly. Il
cannot speak Of them, for l nm a man
abne. / must do my work alone"
1llona sighed and shook her head
with a mixture of annoyance and resig-
nation.
"Oh, you Japanese she exclaimed.
"You are SO strange! Your friends
they don't love you, Your women
you don't make them part Of your
lives. They are useful to you. and you
are useful to your friends-that is air.
He offered no contradiction or COM
lment, and there was a little silence.
~1llona." he said ut last quietly. you
say you love me. DO you really love
mel"
lllona caught her breath and. bend
ing over, pressed his hand to her cheek
and lips. s4t
"Dear heart" she breathed. her low.
rich voice vibrant with emotion, Il
cannot tell you what ! feel for you! 1t
Is something beyond the power Of
words. Tokoramo, i suffer- suffer
because of you. All my life seems to
have been caught up suddenly and
held tightly in the grip of this small.
strong hand. And i am helpless and
useless-in your eyes. That is why l
suffer-"
Tokoramo reached up with his free
hand and patted her arm.
"Ah, no. No." lie protested gently.
IF you would trust me-if you
would.' she went ON in the same tone.
IF you would but confide in me"
II do. lllona; / do"
The woman shook her head and smil-
ed dreariIy.
"Ah. no: not in everything! You
shut yourself away from me. You are
always the same-never sad, never
glad-always calmr" She paused. and
her eyes gazed wistfully out into the
night. And yet-you should be sad.
You are far away from home, among
strangers, with u strange woman, for
l am n stranger to you after all, am l
not?"
He pressed her hand tightly in both
his own.
"Oh. no. no." he protested. with a
little feeling. You are my 1llona, the
only-only'-
He hesitated. She bent over him
eagerly. tenderly.
'Say it. Say 1t. Tolerance. Say itr'
she whispered. He looked up into her
eyes.
The only bright spot in all this
alien world" he said softly.
The woman pressed his head close to
her breast for an instant and drew a
deep. quick breath.
"Ah, it is good to hear you say that.'
she exclaimed softly. He patted her
arm and smiled.
"Child!'
lllona drew her arm away.
Don't say that to me-" she COM
manded in a low voice that seemed to
carry some vague warning or threat.
Il am not a child. ! ~feel'-there was
a little catch in her throat-"I feel as
If a thousand years of sadness had
rolled across my heart. oh, l wonder,
were l a japanese, would you under
stand me-"
He gently pressed the hand he still
held. Il am a man. lllona, and you are
O woman" he said gravely. "And the
only things that stand between us are
the traditions and instincts Of our
races"
"A man-and a woman" she repeat
ed softly. and both were silent for a
time. looking out into the night. But
the sadness of the mood passed quickly
with this woman-as all moods did
and suddenly she put both hands over
her eyes and pressed his head against
her knee. "Close your eyes,, darling"
she said. land l will be nothing to you.
l will melt into your life-into your
thoughts-as if we were onev' She
paused, and he sat still and passive I'M
der her touch. "Now-now." she whis-
pered. "Now you are in Japan-home-
home.."
"Home.." lie echoed softly.
'In your room in Tokyo. Through
the window steals the sweet fragrance
of spring-everything is beautiful!'
Spring Tokyo" he repeated, as If
under u hypnotic spell. THE cherry
blossoms, the budding azaleas, the
thousand dainty colored lights twink
ling from the trees"
lllona bent over and pressed her lips
and then her check against the dark
head.
"Yes, yes.,' she whispered eagerly,
slipping her arms around his neck.
Tell me everything about Japan! Ev-
erything! Everything about your
home.."
Tokoramo slowly opened his eyes,
passed his hand back and forth several
times i'm sweeping gestures and spoke