Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1916-07-07
The Kokuro
Vase
How II Established .
Mans Good Name
By cLARIssA MAcKlE

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ut is understood that purchase tn
house as it stands now, with all of it
contents" warned John Day, as he sa
In the Office of the japanese agent.
The Japanese bowed deferentially.
Eyes, Mr.. Day, it shall be as you
desire. Ny clerk has made an fnven
tory Of the contents Of the Tatsayt
house, and you will find that not ever
q Bhoji is out of place or kakemono
missing from the walls"
John Day nodded approval, and be
fore the day closed he found himself
the owner of the Tokyo residence Of
tho late Henry Burdick, self exiled
American, whom he had known many
years ago in the United States.
The house sat back from the street
psFhaps a hundred feet and was sur
wounded by high stone wall without
s door or any other sign Of entrance to
break its rough surface.
1t the end Of the wall was red
1acQuered gate that led into a narrow
lane bordered on either side by bam-
boos, whose feathery tops interlaced
and formed pale green roof overhead.
Halfway down this lane Of bamb0os
vas a door set in the wall leading
straight into the garden Of the house
purchased by John Day. This was the
main entrance and led up flower Dor
deHed path to the veranda Of the house.
Farther down the lane there was an
other door in the wall that gave en-
trance to the kitchen gardens and the
servants quarters.
The Tatsayo house, as the place was
called in reference to the original
builder and owner Of the pretty resi-
dence, was now the home Of John Day.
On that first evening spent in his
new home Day wandered from one
room to another with the inventory in
bis hands, checking of the contents
Of each apartment, until he felt as
sured that since the day Of Henry
Burdick's death not one article had
been disturbed.
Henry Burdick's will had been
brief one. 1t directed that the house
he sold and the proceeds, together
with certain securities, be given to his
relatives in New England. To John
Days surprise, he found himself
named as an executor Of the will.
1t was surprise because he and
Henry Burdick were bitter enemies
and had been ever since Day had dis
covered that Henry Burdick had deep
" wronged him in business matter
and fed to Japan. Days appearance
In Tokyo few days before Burdick's
death was purely accidental, and he
did not know that Burdick was aware
Of biz presence. But the hastily drawn
WI and naming, OF Day Is al zxec6tor
gave color to his suspicion that Bur-
dick had known Of his presence in the
japanese capital and for some reason
had desired TO bring him in close touch
with his affairs.
In their youth these two men had
both been employed by the same firm
Of jewelers.. A magnificent diamond
WIS missed from the safe, end sgspi-
clol Vas divided between John Day !
md Henry Burdick. Burdick managed
70 clear himself Of blame, but John
Day was Judged guilty by his firm, |
but permitted to remain with it and |,
repay the value of the missing gem.
By denying himself Of everything,
even the barest necessaries, by remain
Ing unmarried and devoting himself
entirely to earning and saving money
to pay back something which he had
never taken, John Day had worked for |
twenty years. And now, forty-ive
years old, he found himself clear Of
debt to the jewelry firm Of which he |
had been elected an honored member
and was taking a we'll earned vacation
and a trip around the world. 1t was
q strange coincidence that landed him |
In Tokyo a few days before Henry |
Burdick's death. and that brought him
Into close touch with the affairs of the |
man who had deeply wronged him, for
Day had always believed Burdick !
guilty.
1T Burdick had that diamond and
never disposed Of it, and can find no
trace OF it in any of the markets Of |
the world, then it is either untouched |
among his possessions or else he |
dropped it in midocean," unused John |
Day as he completed the inventory of |
the contents Of the house.
He was strongly Of the opinion that |
Burdick had concealed the diamond |
somewhere in the house, trusting to
John Day to discover it and thus, in a
fashion, right the great wrong that had
been done.
The drawing room Of the house was !
the most promising place, for it was
furnished in a style that combined the |
rich simplicity of the orient with all |
The comforts of the occident.
John Day fingered long in this room |
before he went into the library ad-
Joining This room was replica OF |
the other, save that the walls were |
lined with bookshelves. which were