New-York tribune., 1921-03-06

week I decided to go down to Kobe.
l decided suddenly, packed my bag
and went to the station. After I had
been in the train about an hour /
started for the dining car. Outside my
car was my shadow. l giggled at him.
"Well, where are you going?" said I.
He smiled little sheepishly and said
nothing.
81 am going to Kobe" said I.
He said nothing.
"Are you going to Kobe too?"
Shadow Accepts Cigarette
He said yes, even more sheepishly,
and laughed and offered him cigar
cite. He took it.
Before long l came to like him. We
became quite friendly. We bade each
when I wanted to know how to get to
any place l would stop and ask him.
He always led me there.
And l began playing pleasant, harm
less little pranks on him. | would start
out of the hotel, wait until l saw he
was following and then abruptly turn
around and walk back At loss, he
would stand still. l would take no no
tice of him until | came abreast of him
then laugh at him uproariously and
turn around and go on again. He
professional pride, no doubt, but l en-
joyed it. If | hadn't l should have
murdered him out of sheer nerves.
Then suddenly, just as l began to
like the little chap, l missed him, He
disappeared. For a week | wondered
what had happened. Then one day in
talking to a Japanese friend in semi
official life about japanese govern
ment methods-he didn't like them
himself mentioned espionage. re-
marked that the police were not un-
aware of my presence.
But you are not being followed CT
molested in any way" he said.
asked him how he knew. And then
the mystery was cleared
1t appears that one day the editor of
Japanese magazine telephoned me to
come to his office nearby right away.
I~went. He wanted me to meet an
other man who was there and talk for
while. | excused myself, telling him
| had an appointment. 1t was for my
interview with the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, as it happened. l couldn't be
late. He promised to send me over in
his motor car, thus giving me time to
talk.
| got into the car and drove off,
forgetting all about my shadow
hadn't seen him when started out: He
got excited when I drove off, | was
giving him the slip. On the principle
that all Japanese work together, he
went into the office and inquired where
the car was taking me. The Office boy
asked my friend the editor. The
baffled sleuth why he wanted to know,
The sleuth revealed his mission. The
editor got angry.
Disguised With System
He happened to be one of a numer-
Gus class of young Japanese who are
just as disgusted with the espionage
nonsense and the general police
nuisance as any foreigner. He went
to see another Japanese friend of mine
who knows me well enough to vouch
for me and the two went to metropoll-
tan headquarters and demanded that
the man be taken off my trail. Head
quarters was adamant. They tele-
phoned to Foreign Office man know
we'll and he came over. The three of
them went into session with the chief
of the intelligence bureau, there was a
long wrangle. with threats to take the
matter up with the Home Ministry, and
headquarters finally relented. Thence
forth my shadow was not.
Since then, because l knew about the
whole affair, have learned that | have
been considerable incident. Whittier
l have gone, thither the intelligence
has gone also to find out what l went
for, what my business was, what I was
doing and why. l have been subjected
l know not how many times to the
nuisance of secret service mems calls.
From the general mysterious tenor of
my ways the theory seems to have been
developed to this-that / was either a
Bolshevik agent or suborner of trea-
son or an American spy or a maniac.
/ think / shall send n marked copy of
this to metropolitan headquarters.
Anyway, have never seen my news
paper reading shadow since. He was
a nice little chap and accommodating
and / liked him, but, on the whole.
hope / shall never see him again. He
reminds me too much of the swash-
h,nl,I;pr 1ndirrnus Jopap-fho mart of