Tombstone epitaph., 1915-12-26


the transports went back for more?
II is the old story Of the FOX. the goose
and the bag OF oats.
On this account ! have always
strongly urged the abandonment Of
the Philippines. which will one day
prove q bitter disillusionment to the
United States
Now realized the ramifcations Of
the conspiracy. Ii was for this pur-
pose that the war syndicate, which
was seeking to embroil England and
America on behalf OF Germany. had
taken up the latest Japanese loan at
four per cent, instead OF the five which
the imperial government had had to
pay for its last issue. The scheme
was as clear as daylight
You understand the situation. no
doubt" said Sir Arthur. who had been
watching my face closely.
Entirely. your excellency," an
swered- 1t is necessary for US to OBJ
tain that document before the count
can present it
Yes, which means before sundown,
when, since Mu,suhitos death can be
concealed 10 longer. Yoshihito will be
notified OF his accession to the throne.
The document will undoubtedly be pre-
sented TO the American minister at
the palace, the count occupying the
suite Of the minister in waiting
there
II may be strange that the heir to
the throne could have been kept two
days in ignorance OF his fathers death
strange TO one ignorant Of japanese
court ceremony; but not to one aware
that the emperor. as 4 divine being.
may not be touched. or even seen, by
the members OF his own family, ex-
cept at his demand.
| could picture the dead monarch
behind the drawn screens in the death
chamber; the doctor, fearfully per
forming the last medical rites; and
the imperial family. waiting in ante
chambers for their god 5 permission
to bid him farewell before his trans
lation to the celestial spheres.
MY information" continued Sir
Arthur. comes from the Chinese min
lister. who vouches for it's accuracy.
As you know. he is a warm friend OF
America. and he has methods of his
own for making such discoveries. The
Chinese spy system is greatly in ad-
vance Of the japanese. Yet | am a
little uneasy for fear Of some subtle
trick having been laid for me, and
am anxious 20 obtain your advice, on
account Of your acquaintance with the
inner Affairs OF japanese cour. life"
His excelIency's reference to my at
tache days, when it was said. l be
lieve. that ! was the only European
acquainted with the ramifcations of
political intrigue in what was still
called the Hermit kingdom, touched
me. Sir Arthur had good memory,
when he chose to give it play Still.
those were the early days of Meiji, as
the new era is called, and things are
different now.
In brief continued the ambassa-
dor, the Chinese minister asks me 10
place myself in the hands Of Doctor
Fong. the third court physician. Did
you ever hear Of him.
Hear Of Tong? A shadowy figure
suddenly leaped into my mind. per-
fectly outlined. remembered Doctor
Fong perfectly.
An accomplished Chinese scholar,
he had been employed years before in
the medical department of the Japa-
nese legation IN Peking. What his du-
ties had been is immaterial: but he
was connected-falsely. / believe, with
the mysterious death OF the predeces-
sor of the late empress dowager, Tsi-
An, the first wife of the penultimate
emperor of the extinct dynasty.
Fong ha5 been put on trial for mur-
der. had been acquitted and had later
become head OF the department Of
tropical medicine at the University of
Osaka. The government subsequently
removed him from his post, and he
had lived lonely and embittered life,
blaming the cause OF his downfall
upon Count Okuma. The knowledge
Of this made me believe that Fong |
would prove OF genuine service to US.
hAtN mat NHt AdNt
terious disease had been a form of
beriberi. a malignant, chronic kind pc
culiar 20 the Island OF Hondo, and /
surmised that Doctor Fong's knowl-
edge Of tropical diseases had brought
him back to favor as one of the i'm
perial attendants. 1 communicated all
these facts TO Sir Arthur
Then viii you accompany me to
the palace at once?' he asked me.
Each of the ambassadors has a suite
set apart for him there; and we can
our man unmoiested"
assented at once, and, a few min
utes later, We were bowling through
the streets in one OF the embassy
'rickshas. A run Of thirty minutes
brought US TO the palace GROUNDS, and
shortly afterward we we're IN the am
bassador's quarters. consisting of two
or three spacious rooms on the second
aoor
Although there was no outward sign
OF iamentstion, something in the at
rnosuhere Of the interim showed that