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Show I7eachbloomf Laughing Music, The Story of "a Gelsns. Dick Henshaw made it a point to humor his wife's whims when they did not interfer with his own comfort, which meant a great deal, for Mrs. Henshaw had a fertile imagination, a cultivated taste for the unusual, and au equally cultivated talent for spending. He nad maae a large fortune in Japan, and had returned to Calilornia with hH wife' in the full bloom of her beauty, two babies, Japanese servants, and enough gods and bronzes to furnish a Mikado's palace. The Henshaws bought an estate at Burlingpme, and made it the most famous in the country round. Then Mrs. Henshaw sighed for more woiids to conquer. Her thoughts turned to her brother and what a friend had said concerning his need of salvation. She realized her mission in life--the fifth that had thus far impressed her and Dick, seeing his lib erty would not suffer, induJged her. "Sure, Dl," he said, in his good-natured way "Drum up all the prodigals you want to. I'll kill the fatted quail for them by the dozen, lend them my horses, my guns, anything except my pipes." So it came about that Mrs. Honshaw descended upon her brother's San Francisco studio and began be-gan her exhortation. "People are beginning to say dreadful things about you, Chris," she said. "Who's been telling you things-V" asked Christopher Chris-topher Tiernan, with a gleam in his eye. "It is a matter of common gossip," she replied, re-plied, shaking a little at her daring. "Decidedly common, 1 shou'd say." returned he, the curl of his lip corresponding with the dis gust in his tone. "I thought uu weie above that sort of rot, Di." Diana Henshaw felt her weapons rebound against her; it was she who -w&s being ar raigned and she had come to takf- him to task. She nerved herself to hold her grouna. "I'm not a child any longer Chris," she replied, re-plied, drawing her fine iiguio up to Its greatest dignity; "I'm a married woiar and naturally hear more than a boarding school miss. Dick's friends talk, and the newspapers ' Christopher, with an indifferent shrug, had turned back to his easel. The tears sprang to Diana's lovely eyes. Sho felt herself failing so nopeleasly. For a moment she struggled for composure, then, flinging herself her-self down on a davenport, burst into heart-breaking sobs. This had nover beeu Known to fail. Tossing away palette and brushes her brother was beside her In a moment, and had her quivei-ing, quivei-ing, wet face against his shoulder. "Is it your feelings or your temper, sis?" ho asked, too hardened to his sister'b extremes to be moved out of himself. "You you're just breaking my heart," sobbed Diana, tragically. Christopher asked, indulgently: "Well, what shall we do about It?" "Come down to BurJlngamo, CinSs; it's near to the city, and you can run up at' tno time but you won't want to leave Wistaria House when you see how beautiful it is. Yov. can have the whole attic for a studio, and Dick says you can have anything of his horss, guns, anything except his pipes. ChriB, you will come?" Christopher Tiernan (was iamiliar enough with his sister's enthusiasm In a new cause to realizo the uselessness of opposing her helcre the novelty wore off, and so, with a suppressed sigh for his Interrupted In-terrupted bachelor peace, agreed to run down the following week to Burlingame, or, as they called it, being in the swell set, "Blingum." Tiernan spent the first morning at Wistaria House Inspecting the gods and bronzes, the afternoon after-noon in overlooking the stables and Dick's stud. He confessed himself charmed, and his sister was gratified beyond measure. Left to himself next morning. Tiernan found himself rather bored by the continuation of the pastoral. He fussed about the attic for some time, and then strolled out of doors. Even Diana's partial eye had not exaggerated exag-gerated the beauties of the place. The spell of spring and the joy of mere living were upon Tiernan. Tier-nan. He became conscious of a sound that seemed to fit in with the dream-like spirit of the place, low and sweet. Imagining it came from behind a- bunch of pampas near a fountain, he bent his steps thither. He had recognized the sound by the time he reached the spot, and was cautious, as he peered around the tall grass. On the lawn, in the shadow of a huge Japanese sunshade, sun-shade, sprawled a baby, his heels kicking in the air, his tiny hands trying vainly to grasp the pampas feather that was held tantalizingly just out of reach by the loveliest hands ever seen out of the Orient. Kneeling beside the child was his nurse Japanese from the crown of her lacquered hair to the tip of her tiny foot; so dainty, so exquisite, ex-quisite, she seemed like a flower from her native land, with her loose yellow-flowered kimono, her smooth, ivory-like skin, the straight, glossy hair puffed and crowned with yellow poppies, some of whose blazing petals drooped down to the black eyebrows that sloped so archly upward. As she brushed the face of the child with the pampas bloom he gave a gurgle of delight and she laughed in turn. This was the sound Tiernan had heard. When an American wjman lauglrj it is rather a harsh ascending scale, or a series of little shrieks. When a Japanese woman laughs, it is music. Tiernan did not stir lest he mar the scene. "Oh, Uncle Chris!" The apple of discord had fallen. Tiernan's other nephew, Richard Henshaw, Hen-shaw, Jr., sailing his boat at the fountain, had caught sight of him, and bounded forward. The nurse, startled, snatched the baby off the grass. "Don't be frightened,' 'said Tiernan, reassuringly; reassur-ingly; "I was just looking for the children." "It's only Uncle Chris, sil'y," exclaimed Richard, Rich-ard, hauling his uncle away to inspect his boat. "See here, young man, you must introduce me properly," remonstrated Tiernan, not to be led off so 'sooT). "What is your nurse's name?" Thinking herself addressed, the girl spoke up. "Momo on nana," she replied, with a shy up- 1 lifting of her long lashes. 1 "In our talk it's Peachbloom," exclaimed Rich- 1 ard. "This Is my Uncle Chris, Peachbloom." 1 "How you do, Unka Chrith?" she asked, with I an engaging smile. 1 "Very well, thank you. How is the baby?" I For the first time in the child's life Tiernan sur- I veyed the infant with fatherly solicitude, while 1 the disappointed Richard went back to his boat. I "Jes bee-u-tiful," he assured him, squeezing 1 that babe close against her, with seeming fierce- I ness, but really with, the enderest care. 1 "Do you think it's a good, scheme to tickle I him with this?" asked he, picking-. up, the pampas. I feather. I "Good scheme?" she repeated, puzzled. I "Well, do you think it's good for his health?" 1 explained Tiernan. "Oh, he likes it so very!" she replied. "See," I and laying the baby in her lap she brushed the soft stuff over his eyes and face. He giggled de- lightedly, and Peachbloom echoed the laugh. She I was entrancing, and Tiernan was entranced. He H sat beside her all morning, and tney ta ked, or rather he asked questions and she answered them in her pigeon English that was onty a degree less enchanting than her laugh. A thousand little tricks glances, and gestures with her beautiful hands, emphasized her alluring charm. To the question, "How old are you?" both her hands and seven of the baby's chubby fingers made her answer. In reply to his query as to what she liked best in the world she pointed to the peach trees 1 on the hill, now a mass of pink bloom. "Blossoms," she said, almost wistfully, and then, tossing the child up wildly, "and babies, and " she did not finish, but let a roguish glance rest on Tiernan. The innate coquetry of her race and the freedom of his speech had led her out of bounds. Hut Tiernan was not thinking of her just then as a servant; for the moment she was just a woman, just a fresh, charming bit of femininity fem-ininity from another world. He tarried until the baby had fallen asleep against his nurse's breast and the noon sun came and stole away the shade. Then Peachbloom rose to take her charge back to the nursery. As she stood waiting for Richard the baby squirmed restlessly. She soothed him with a little lit-tle jogging motion of her shoulder, and pressed her lips to his warm, pink cheek. Stooping suddenly sud-denly Tiernan kissed the same moist spot. If Peachbloom had been anything but an untrained little heathen, her glance would have faltered. As it was, her black eyes met his fairly, and her vermilioned lips parted in a dazzling smile. fy -J; "Why in the name of common sense do you have a geisha 'for a nurse girl?" Tiernan asked his sister at lunch. "Di picked her up along with the bronzes," answered Dick. '.'Why, Japanese women make the loveliest, gentlest nurses in the world!" replied Mrs. Henshaw, Hen-shaw, ignoring her husband's remark. 1 "She looks more iko a geisha than a nurse- I girl," said Tlernan. I "Isn't she pretty, Chris for a Jap?" asked I Diana. "For her type, yes," responded Tlernan, In a reflective tone. "Think I'll do a geisha; can you spare her awhile to pose, Di?" "Oh, Chris, how lovely! Dick, you know, I've just been pining for a geis! a good one. I've the most splendid place for it, here, right In this corner over the tea table won't It be exquisite?" Both men laughed at her premature enthusiasm, enthu-siasm, but she did not mind. "Every day, while the baby has his nap. How will you dress her? I'll get anything you say." "Oh, I'll see, and tell you later," said Tier-nan, Tier-nan, disinterestedly, feeling Dick's all-seeing eye upon him. And there the subject dropped. But next day, and for many days after that, Mrs. Hen-shaw Hen-shaw watched her baby while he slept, and Peachbloom, in her geisha costume, posed under Ti email's direction. Mrs. Henshaw never went to the exertion of climbing the stairs to the studio. Once only she had gone up, and then 'she had found her brother gazing out of the window. Noting this with surprise sur-prise she did not know that Peachbloom had the children out on the lawn for an airing she asked : "Tired of working?" "Um, no; lazy, I imagine," he said, keeping her from the window by turning his broad shoulders to it. But Diana's gaze was following a retreat- ing carriage down the road. "Guess what that old cat wanted?" she asked, nodding in the direction of her departing caller. "Recipe for your complexion cream?" he asked in the tone he always used with her. "Can't you ever take me seriously, Chris?" she said, impatiently. "'I hat woman had the impertinence imper-tinence to ask me to let her have Peachbloom for her old mission school in the city." "For a mission school?" gasped Tlernan. "To teach English; you know she speaks it exceptionally well; but the idea! Mrs. Wherry says it is a pity to keep a girl as a common nurse when she could be doing a service to humanity, the tiresome old thing! I'd like to know what's to become of me if I part with Peachbloom!" About two weeks later, while both Dick and Tlernan were In the city, Peachbloom went to her mistress, and with a serious little face, announced an-nounced her Intention of going to the mission. Mrs. Henshaw remonstrated in, vain. How had the Wherry woman got hold of the girl? Peachbloom Peach-bloom was courteous, but firm. Mrs. Henshaw implored, threatened, wept; Peachbloom was not to be moved. In a sudden exasperation at the girl's cool ingratitude for her kindness, Diana bundled her off, bag and baggage. A week with a teething baby who wailed disconsolately dis-consolately for his mpre familiar nurse reduced Mrs. Henshaw to the verge of collapse. One day she appeared before her husband cloaked ani gloved. "I'm going after Peachbloom," she announced, dramatically, the dark rings under hejfjeyes and the droop of her lips lending pathos. Dick said nothing, for there was nothing to say. "I know she's dying to come dying to, and they won't let her," she said, with a catch fn her voice. "I'll be back on the five-forty-eight with Peachbloom, if I have to kidnap her!" And with that she departed. No, they knew of no one by that name, and no new girl had come to the mission for a long time, the matron- assured her. Mrs. Wherry had sent no one to school for two months. Filled with despair and a sense of-something awful impending, im-pending, Diana left. Had she Bent the, girl away to fall into unscrupulous hands in the wicked wick-ed city, or had that woman lied? A picture of Peachbloom shut up in a gloomy school room, longing for the lawns of Wistaria House,, for the sunshine, for thebaby, made a blur before her H eyes. She was almost hysterical as she boarded a H car for her brother's studio. H No one answered her knock at the studio, H but trying the door she found it unlocked. The H room was empty, but there were a half-dozen H rooms in Tiernan's suite, and she opened the sec- H ond door. There an odd sound arrested her, and M she stopped to listen. It was the jingle of tea H cups, and above that rang a woman's laugh. It M was not a harsh, ascending scale nor yet a series H of little shrieks. It was a' bit of the sweetest music in the world. H Edgar Ellerton in Town Topics. H |