The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1914-04-18

she asked hastily as Tokoramo noise
lessly appeared Mt her shoulder.
Very" replied the boy.
"Well. llloua.'' said Tokoramo with
a faint smile. "have you learned every
thing about-Japani'
There was the slightest pause before
Japan and lllona knew what he
meant. She turned and looked into his
eyes.
"ies. a great deal" she said. in a
tone hat implied "a double meaning.
II have TO find out from others what
you will not tell me. But ! want my
cup of tea. Where is my tea?'
III you please.' called one of the
younger men from n little side table,
and 1llona FASTENED over TO him.
Hironari stared after her a
and then laid his hand ON Tokoramo's
arm.
Dear brother. what sort of a girl
Is that?' he asked wonderingly.
Tokoramo hesitated a moment.
well, she is a little-she is a rather
unusual woman" he said and left the
boy before he could be pressed with
further questions.
Another pair discussed Illona with
interest. Joshikawa and Kobohashi
found an opportunity to exchange a few
words apart while Monotario. one of
the younger men. was telling lllona
the legend of.the tea leaves.
This is a dreadful woman declared
the older man. Let us leave here and
take council at once. Something must
be done!'
Il told you l thought Tokoramo
should he rid of her." said Kobohashi.
Il will see that it is attended to-"
said Joshikawa. with grim determina-
ton. He eyed the young woman's
eager, smiling face with malevolence.
Monotario. fiattered by her attention.
was telling the quaint old story in his
best style. lllona had remarked that
nothing really refreshed her so much
as a cup OF good tea.
"Do you know the story-why the
brew Of the tea leaves is so stimulat-
ing:' he asked. 1llona gave him to un-
derstand that she had never heard it
and that life would be dull and color
less until she did. This was the old
japanese tale as lllona Kerner heard
IL in a library In Washington square,
told by a soft eyed. soft voiced son Of
Nippon, his American clothes hidden
beneath the folds of a lowered silk
kimono:
"Many, many centuries ago, before
the coming of Our Lord Buddha, there
lived in the shadow OF Pujiyama IA
most holy man. His life was conse-
Grated to the worship of the old gods.
With his increasing years his zeal
grew, and as his strength waned the
fire of his devotion burned higher.
Early and late. at dawn aud sunset
and far into the night. he prayed and
w%orshiped and gave himself less and
less time for sleep.
AT last he made up his mind that
sleep was but a waste Of the few years
that we are given Oh earth, and he re-
solved that he would sleep no more.
but give his days and nights to prayer
and righteous deeds.
"But as the days passed he found
that he could not remain awake. In
spite of his great will and his zeal for
prayer, he could not prevent his eye
lids from dropping. He dozed before
the affairs, and his weakness filled him
with despair. He pondered for hours
over ways to avoid sleep and prayed
for strength. but with no avail until at
last the gods showed him the way.
One night when he was sinking TO
sleep lie seized Il sharp knife and cut
off his eyelids, so that his eyes must
remain open.
1.-THE lids he cast out of the temple
door and thereafter. though weary and
dizzy, he remained awake. \ few
days later he passed the place where
he had thrown the t~reacherous eyelids,
and 10. a strange new plant had sprung
up from the ground. He plucked one
of the leaves and smelled il and was
refreshed. He gathered more of them
and brewed a drink of the leaves. Be
hold. all WEAKNESS and heaviness left
him. He was young a~gain-young and
afre with zeal.
He thanked the gods with new fer
vor and the plant grew and spread and
the old mar drank the drink he brewed
from the leaves and never knew slecpi-
ness or WEAKNESS again.
And the little growth that sprang
up from the eyelids of the holy man
was the first of the tea plants
Illona made a wry face and looked
down at her half emptied teacup.
II don't think | like that story" h
decided. Monotario laughed silently
and began removing his kimono. lie