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

Gafford came out of his drugged
| sleep with recollection of three
| things; a girl with brown hair and
blue eyes, who had smiled at him;
something vaguely described as a
"blue bomb; ard the knowledge that
Irawaya Oshitu was in Nagasaki, in
some way mixed up in plots and
'unter plots.
They were fit things to bring back
from the sleep of the poppy. He lay
for some time after he woke, trying
to decide whether he had really
heard the remembered conversation
and seen Oshitu's evil face bent to
scrutinize his own.
| At least he was satisfied that the
man had failed to recognize him in
the slatternly thing he had become.
Had suspicion of his identity
walked in the engineers mind,
Gafford felt certai.- that he would not
hav been permitted to live. So far
as Oshitu was concerned, therefore,
his secret was safe, and he might,
, if he wished, hunt lis man without
.hat mans knowing go
The pain in his foot finally brought
him quite awake and convinced him
of the reality of last nights expert
member and inspected it. 1t was
nasty, bloodclotted cash which
Oshitu had made. Gafford cursed
him as he looked at IL, and wondered
if he could hobble tire few doors to
White Kate's tca-house and find re-
lief of sort.
He crawled off the couch and
'mred toward t door.
Ills wounded foot made spotted
trail across the mating, but he
. pit on, left the room and hobblcd
up the stairs, AMI so finally from
behind tn, mboo curtain and out
to the street. There he turned and set
haltingly off for the House of Moon
Faces, cursing oshitu as he went.
No one paid any attention to him.
Wounded brawlers are not uncom-
mon sight in the streets or shops. He
came, after tedious progress, to the
place which ne sought, and found its
tails closed. Un 'smayed, he made
his way back to tie ally and found
way of entrance. Presently he sat
OF teakwood divan, with his foot
in White Kate's lap.
While she washed and dressed and
bound il, ne told her what was suffi-
Gent that Jal anese had slashcd
it '-hile he slept at Oku Kobe's and
vowed that he would be revenged.
Kate finished her ministrations and
advised against any violent reprisal.
I hen she sent servant for food.
Fed, and with his wound dressed,
Gafford slept.
An incongruous object in his dirty
rags, he lay upon richly tapestried
couch, with csycr of brocaded silk
drawn across the foot of White -late's
bed. Aftec q time his fever came up
and he dreamed. White Kate, near by,
l.ste ned to his muttered fragments of
speech: with lue bomb / could
own the Yorktown the world and
have a-have a-blue-eyed eirl-with
brown hair. And l could-break
Oshitu-break him-into bits"
With rustic of soft silken things
Kate rose and approached the side of
the sleeper. He was hot and tossed in
his sleep. The woman put down.
hand and laid it on his forehead. His
hand came up and his ngers closed
.bout hers.
"That's good" he murmured.
"That's good" He pressed her palm
against his face. The eyes of the
woman WHO WdlCHcu lOSC some OF
their harden'd glitter and grew al
most soft.
Four days passed.
ed apace. His blood was at least free
from taint, and it built back the brok-
en- tissues at a wonderful ate. His
habit may eve have had something
to do with that, for it's fact that
opium users are rapid to heal of
| their wounds.
On the afternoon of the fourth day
Gafford insisted OF. going out. Walk
1g was still painful, but the wound
did not bleed, and it seemed to Gaf-
ford that something drove hir forth.
He badgercd Kate until she wound
fresh bandage about his loot, gave
him an old pair of sandals and laugh
ngly told him he WIS the worst pa
tient she ever had.
Gafford turned and caught her
hands. you're good, Kate. You're
too good to a thing like me, and Pm
an ungrateful pig"
"You're a man." said White Kate,
looking down as she spoke.
at wish to God ! werew flashed
Gafford. Honestly, Kate, Pm sick
tie whole game. l wish l could
be-a man."
Kate shook her head. ooh, no, you
don't, Gaffyw she told him slowly.
"If you did, you would be. you
know"
'G4fford regarded her for some time
out of narrowed eyes. His head
dropped forward. ~ guess you're
right" he said shortly, and turned
away.
He left the room and went out
through the tea-house. The geishas
lounging about the inner room paid
no heed to his passing. They knew
him for White Kate's friend.
Tho few patrons in the outer room,
which fronted on the street, saw only
the familiar sight of poorly clad
nal in threadbare though now clean
garments, wfo passed by.
A brilliant s-nshihc lay over the
street of shops as h. reached the
door and paused to look up and
down. There was no particular place