Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-03-18

he wanted to go. His desire to get
out had Leen compounded of res
tive hatred of restraint and desire
to escape for time from The inti-
mate ense of his obligation to the
white waif who had proven his
friend
His foot vas not sufficiently strong
to permit his return to his pret rious
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
ther or return and confess that lie
had been premature.
A few doors up the street a good
sized curio-shop faun3ed it's red and
gold ideographs before the eye. 1t
was frequented more or less by tour
lists, and Ga ord had even received a
few stray commissions for guiding
them to it on their rounds.
For moment he was tempted %
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 stopped and
forgot his intention in a 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 parascl 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. Witt an instructive shrink
ing he desired to avoid the meeting.
That remnants of pride were still his
urged him to remove himself from
the ange of the blue eyes which had
smiled so understandingly 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
:. snap of the fingers he called an at
tendant and ordered a cup of sake,
but not for lAoment did he take
his eyes from the outer street.
But the girl did not pass.
To Gafford's amazement, a white
clad figure darkered 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 frank interest she turned
her eyes about the room, taking in all
its details of lacQuered ceiling, -arved
stool and table of teakwood. its fes-
toons of colored lanterns and trailing
streamers of painted banners, and
the other patrons of the pl>ce.
Her gaze was the glance of one
who did not understand, but found
much of intere :. 1t answered Gaf-
ford's ! st mental question as to why
woman of her evident station
should walk the streets of Nagasaki
unattended.
1t came to him in that moment
that her act was that of innocence
and ignorance mbined. Doubtless
he felt she had been shopping, and,
wanting 4 cup of tea, had dropped
into the first tea-house she found.
A tea-house would be ea-house
to her comprehension. She was un-
aware of the lines of distinction
which put the better houses on the
second street of shops instead of the
frs, or that TIE geisha houses were
not frequented by women, either yell
low or white.
In the II use of the Setting Sun, a
street beyond, s. would have been
as safe as in any tea-room of her
seat and was glad that her back was
turned toward him.
The girl bent her head above a
r,,a o,.l nd et,
tend It am achcd her table.
"Tea," she ordered quite distinctly,
"and cakes-som. Of those little
rice-cakes Of yours. / like them"
She smiled quite frankly into the
writer's eyes.
The attendant SCI rried away aft
hurried bow, and Gafford continued
to study that allucing back. 1t was
while he was so [ gagged that there
came betwo II it and him a vision of
a small figure, brave in frock coat,
silk hat, I'd tan gloves, carrying a
rattan cane.
Gafford stared as though hardly
believing Lis eyes. and then, without
any apparent, good reason, picked up
his cup of sake a moved to a seat
in a booth directly behind the carved
.creen, which serarated it's table
from that of the girl in white. More
over, one might have noticed that he
walked with IS he id down, and in
course calculated {, keep his own
shoulder turned against the figure in
the frock coat.
The latter, in apparent high good
humor, and putting a cigarette, had
now surrendered his hat, coat and
stick to an attenda..t, and was sur
veying the room.
Peering from J booth, Gafford
saw his dark face suddenly light with
smile. A moment later he was
hurrying directly toward the table
where the girl in lite sat. AS he
approached his hand came up before
him and his teeth cleaned between
his lips in What he evidently hoped
W IS an ingratiatint 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 thai you re-
member-night before las'-at the
hotel"
"Of course l remember you, Mr..
Yapnata - said tha orirl Dyb;lo r,f