Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-03-03
The KOkurO
Vase !
How IL Established a
Mans Good Name
nv CI.ARTSSA MACKIF
By CLARISSA MACKIE


In the OI1ce OF the agent.
The Japanese bowed deferentially.
"Yes, Mr.. Day, it shall be as you
desire. My clerk has made an inven-
tory of the contents of the Tatsayo
house, and you will find that not even
A shoji is out of place or a 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
the late Henry Burdick, a self exiled
American, whom he had known many
Years ago in the United States.
The house sat back from the street
uerhaps a hundred feet and was sur
rounded by a high stone wall without
a door or any other sign of entrance to
break it's rough surface.
At the end of the wall was a red
lacQuered gate that led into d narrow
lane bordered on either side by bam-
boos, whose feathery tops interlaced
| and formed a pale green roof overhead.
Halfway down this lane of bamboos
was 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 a flower bor-
dered path to the veranda of the house.
Farther down the lane there was an
other door in the wall that gave II
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
room to another with the inventory in
bis hands, checking off 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 a
brief one. 1t directed that the house
be sold and the proceeds, together
with certain securities, be given to his
relatives i'll New England. To John
Days SURPRISE he found himself
named as al executor of the will.
1t was a surprise because he and
Henry Burdick were bitter enemies
and had been EVER since Day had dis
WFered that Henry Burdick had deep
wronged him in a business matter
and fled to Japan. Days appearance
In Tokyo a few days before Burdick's
death was purely accidental, and he
did not know that Burdick was aware
Of his presence. But the hastily drawn
will and naming of Day as an executor
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
d jewelers.. A magnificent diamond
vas missed from the safe, and suspi-
dOn was divided between John Day
and Henry Burdick. Burdick managed
70 clear himself of blame, but John
Day was judged guilty by his firm,
put permitted to remain with it and
fepay the value of the missing gem.
By denying himself of everything,
fVen the barest necessaries, by remain
lg unmarried and devoting himself
Htirely to earning and saving money
pay back something which he had
ever taken, John Day had worked for
Renty years. And now, forty-five
fears old, he found himself clear of
eOt to the jewelry firm of which he
ad been elected an honored member
aa was taking a well earned vacation
ad a trip around the world. 1t was
strange coincidence that landed him
tokyo a few days before Henry
Pudick's death, and that brought him
o close touch with the affairs of the
~ who had deeply wronged him, for
had always believed Burdick
Flty.
II Burdick had that diamond and
yen disposed of it, and l can find no
ave OF it in any of the markets of
y world, then it is either untouched
rahg his possessions or else he
pped it in midocean," unused John
Y as he completed the inventory of
contents of the house.
y was strongly Of the opinion that
uuck had concealed the diamond
s1eWhere in the house, trusting to
a Day to discover it and thus, in a
N auOn, right the great wrong that had
Fa done.
te drawing room of the house was
most promising place, for it was
ushed in a style that combined the
simplicity of the orient with all
~mforts of the occident.
sua Day fingered long in this oom
y : he went into the library adj
J ~ug. This room was a replica of
Vtner, save that the walls were
With bookshelves, which were
aened with curios.
~e Henry Burdick had spent many
:. and this was the room which
nave witnessed his remorse if he
liver felt any for the dishonor he
brought upon John Day.
Day touched a bell and sum-
- AH1 h