Show C 7 ah A n he sat down by her SYNOPSIS frederick hardy a fashionable boston society man lost hla his wealth was gilted lilted by a girl and sent bent by a friend rland tri to take taka charge of an american trading company compan y tore store in russia on his journey through roush th tapan japan he be met ton neville sup aup y tn Engl lhman they r hey agreed to so jr t together 0 g t ii e to 11 usla because of sus eus clelo ce they were several times times mc molo oles steil t ed by th japanese e hardy was a arrested and found upon his person parson were papers showing maps of 0 jap forts hardy was proven guiltless CHAPTER ill III the queen of fairyland fairy land they were off for almori at the north end of nippon in the early morning leaving yokohama on a toy train that started at all day they traveled through a country tilled like a garden a country of vivid green with many brawling streams of water clear as crystal and hillsides hill sides th thickly akly wooded the sky was dark blue reminding one of the excess of color used sometimes by impressionist artists arid and seemed ever low and near objects evidently close by appeared far off an effect sometimes attained la in skillful landscape gardening or perhaps in fairyland fairy land the frequent farmhouses were built ot of bamboo set on end and were thatched with straw As hardy and his big companion gazed from the window they were entertained by the running comment of their guide or dragoman masatsuru Masa tsura tsuchiya Tsuch lya whom they had picked up at yokohama this young japanese had bad spent several years in new york knew english and was waa bright and officious to the verge of pertness per thess when a japanese merchant and a pretty young woman boarded the train about the middle of the day it was waa masatsuru Masa tsura who acted as introducer and apologist this Is a japanese silk merchant lie he explained and lie he la Is going with ills hla daughter to Hak Ilak it if the honorably honorable gentlemen do not object lie he will bring hla big daughter lit in with us ua I 1 have explained that such la is the custom in england and america bring tier her in of course said tardy hardy rising and making one of his most moat graceful hows bows we shall be delighted to have the ladys society this was translated to mr sano the merchant who executed a series of supple 0 obeis els ances anees and to the daugh ter who arose and courte sled aled demurely in japanese style ashes quite an acquisition eh neville observed hardy illy uy the way turning to Masa taura does either of them speak english Eng llah not a word replied the guide ashes positively beautiful dont you think so neville hardy in quiren ot of the englishman no replied the latter 1 I cant say that I 1 do theres something sicken ing in their beastly yellow skin to me and those slits silts of eyes pitched at that angle strike me as deformed or as physicians would say monstrous all foreigners living in japan regard the lia natives tives as an offensive inferior lot no INTO I 1 cant get up my enthusiasm 9 over er your our jap girls beat beauty ity well to me ashes about the dainta est eat and most exquisite creation my eyes ever rested on persisted the american it if theres any yellow in her cheeks its a slight tinge of moonlight or perhaps one might fancy a little gold dust mingled with the mortal clay of which she Is made she Is ss as dainty as a march III lilac 1 te blossom her lips are as red as ch cherries e aries and the blood that shines through her cheeks like like firelight through a delicately stained window Is as warmly red as it she aha were anglo saxon I 1 can understand now how foreigners like your own edwin arnold for instance Ina tance have married japanese women la Is it true that they do not kiss such lips as those were intended by an all wise and merciful providence for kissing lolly jolly well change all those ideas after been here a while replied neville you grow sick of yellow people after living with them As far as im concerned id as aa soon kiss a rat as a japanese girl well said hardy to whom the conversation was becoming distasteful its not the thing a lady even it we are in a foreign country and observing and discussing everything I 1 must insist however that I 1 should weary of people like our little briend opposite very slowly an idea occurred to hardy neville was so disagreeable lie he would talk to miss sano ile he proposed the matter to masatsuru Masa tsura who informed him that the young lady would be incredibly honored Alasa tsura addressed a few words to her and she smiled on hardy by way of assent and comprehension ile he sat down by her and masatsuru Masa Alasa tsura standing before them acted as interpreter ter preter she was not tho the least embarrassed barr assed or silly her manner combined tho the most deferential interest and a quaint suggestion of roguish ness when night came on alseme ahe ah e some so me so she was called left the compartment for the quarters and hardy and neville lay down on the benches which ran around the r sides ides of the car like the seats reals in a turkish house instead of across it they all slept soundly but the american was troubled with art an unpleasant dream during the night it amounted almost to a nightmare he explained to neville 1 11 I thought that alseme came in with two japanese and they searched us as if we had been thieves csome was still beautiful but she did not look childish any more I 1 was positively afraid of her la in my dream the girl held the lantern and spoke once or twice sharp and quick us as it if giving commands her eyes were hard and eager like those of a ferret I 1 could feel the mans hand running rapidly over my person going into my pock etc crumpling up my shirt shift they opened tile the vallrea valises vall vali gea ses and even felt in our shoes then they all stole out again closing the sliding door noiselessly athe the japs are all thieves replied neville perhaps you were half awake wed better look and see it anything has been taken tho the englishman did not appear greatly perturbed yet he went careful ly through his pockets and ilia b is valise hardy followed hla his example saying after he lind had finished it was a dream right enough had it been anything else I 1 should have waked CHAPTER IV one fond kits kiss the they all took dinner together also me mr sano neville and hardy at tile almori restaurant neville ob acted strenuously to this arrangement they arent aren t quite human you know he be said English englishoe me think th they lose caste when they di coolies and so BO they dont do it dont you know well we S shant lose any caste by dining with this little woman replied hardy warmly any more than it if we were to dine with the queen of fairy 1 land and personally I 1 shall feel honored to sit at the same table with so 80 much grace and beauty we shant shan t need a bouquet with tier her there really I 1 consider her about as aa rare rind and exquisite a feminine creation cre ulon as I 1 have ever seen and I 1 shall think you mean to be disagreeable it you sou do not show how more respect for my feelings I 1 in tha 0 matter I 1 oh all right growled neville but lle he could not help adding most alost felloes fell 0 ws feel as you do when they first come to this bally country they all started up the tha steps together i but neville was detained ile he had refused hotly to take ott oft ilia his shoes dut but sir it Is the custom of the country explained masatsuru Masat Masa tsura nura deferentially lly better take lem em off old man 11 protested hardy who was trying to be civil but had begun to weary of ills companion they may think it positively ti indecent to go into a dining room with shoes on after some opposition on the ground that it made him film feel like a fool to go about in his stocking feet neville removed ills his shoes and started up u p the stairs with them in hla his hand better bring your shoes too he explained to hardy ably steal them it if you leand leahl them down there they all squatted about a low table whose legs were not over a high and waited for dinner theli their room which had been enlarged to suit the size of the party by simply gilding together a partition looked out on a court diners in other rooms on the 0 apposite side of the court could be s seen een also squatting about tables in less lesa than five minutes hardy had bad become roost most uncomfortable but alseme slid and her father sat there on their toes as easily as if they were reclining on couches couch ps they ordered of the pretty girl who come came to serve them and waited perhaps 15 minutes when neville exclaimed where are my shoes in such a tone that algoma looked up inquiringly and her father evidently asked masatsuru Masa tsura what the trouble was the waiter took them out to have them blacked explained the guide she will either bring them back or else leave them down there with the others it was necessary to hurry through dinner somewhat for the heljo maru sailed railed at three neville spoke about his shoes two or three times insistently and they were brought back to him in a few moments when the two foreigners left for the boat hardy made it pretty parting speech to alseme which translated at the wharf he was wag arrested again he was thoroughly disgusted and threatened to make trouble hut but to tell the truth his rage was somewhat by the fact that he be might see alseme again and that he would not be compelled to pass a week or so longer in the English mans company nevertheless he said to him on parting if this aang keeps on I 1 shall begin to share your opinion of the japanese hardy was clapped into a room overlooking the sea from the window of which he could see the heljo maru marti steaming out into the purple distance an elaborate and dainty dinner was brought to him in the evening and about ten that night he was escorted to the wharf again A tiny figure muffled in a cloak was waiting there and the others stepped aside as ai this person approached 1 I hope you aro not vexed with me said a i familiar voice in the well modulated accents of an educated woman Al cried hardy yes yea alseme 11 dut but yon speak english yes I 1 am a graduate ol of vassar college and now in the service of my country listen I 1 have only a mc moment and I 1 feel that I 1 would like to make you an explanation your companion was a hesslan spy the plans of tho the forts on oiled paper were found between the soles of his right shoe it was he be no DO doubt who put the copy of them in your pocket hav bat ing learned that lio lie was vis under gas ans melon and would soon goon bo be arrested it was lie he I 1 am sure who entrapped you ou into taking a photograph or of the fort foils you are an under and would nouli have been in terrible danger had you gono v with etli hlin him you will sall ball now on oil mother another ship and will all bo be safe he will ulli bo be lit in dan dangell gerl said hardy mystified what sort of danger did I 1 say that lie ho would bo be in fix dan ger asked Al soine sweetly no I 1 said that you would have been in fit danger we have taken the plans of tile tho fuits forts away from him but lie ho still has 1118 in ill lila head lie d and and you ou have but I 1 do not think so 80 a nuin mail who cou could id speak so beautifully of a woman lint why are you doing all this for me el asked hardy why because I 1 am a woman I 1 suli suppose lOlie because you havo said thela theis thero moonlight in my lily cheeks that my lily lips are ripe cherries that I 1 am lundo of gold dust that I 1 am a queen of fairyland fairy land mud I 1 am known as aa tile the fox but I 1 have it a womans comans silly heart and cannot resist flattery thero there was waa something elfin like 1110 in her beauty fig as she stood there with tier her fare face raised to ills hla in the moonlight old satin sano says my head Is turned she mile sighed but it la Is easy to v wheedle needle him sano salio he Is loot cot your father then no lie he Is my superior in the secret service and now good goodby by you may me once it if you really meant what you said it will be the only kiss of my life as aa it Is not the custom of my country she raised her lips to him and lie he stooped and kissed tier her the lips ivere dewy and very sweet and lie he was wad conscious of some subtle perfume is as if she herself were some exquisite flower nott er goodby good by she gha whispered and think sometimes of the little lilac blossom I 1 she turned and was gone and lie he stepped into the boat waiting to take him out to the ship CHAPTER V at the mercy of the waves wave the crew of the seikoku maru consisted of five persons persona the captain the engineer and three sailors Bai lors they were the first filthy unkempt japanese japa abeso that hardy had seen been one of them a shock headed boy who seemed to have bave brought to sea with him all the smells mella of 0 chinatown came and stood by the americans side and gazed into hla his face with insatiable devouring curiosity hardy was watching the twinkling lights of the town and think ing of alseme with ahorn be had been thrown so brief a time yet who had played such a large part in his life and left such an indelible impression on his memory the lights grew fewer fading in the distance one by one it might be as an well mused hardy to make myself as agreeable as pos pon sible to theno theme japs I 1 am alone with them in the middle of the sea and I 1 heard rumors in yokohama that despite their exquisite politeness they hate all caucasians perhaps also me but no she certainly was wa sincere I 1 wonder where neville Is now the american felt in hla his hip pocket and was waa comforted by the cold touch of its his revolver handle the reflection that he was one of the most famous amateur shots lit in america gave him a distinct feeling of security the lights were ill all gone one now that one yonder at which he had been gazing so BO long and which did not ot fade ans a atar he was quite sure lie he turned and walked forward to where the captain was talking with one of the sailors ballora and indicated by laying his cheek on ills his open palm that ho he was sleepy and would like to go to lied bed the captain with sudden corn com and many exaggerated gestures of politeness led him to a hatch batch and opened the door hardy baw a ladder and as much of the dark roomy hold as aa a lantern hanging from beam could Al luminate the capan went down the ladder and hardy followed the captain took down the lantern and opened the door the cabin into which he be led the way was nearly deml circular in shape as an it was waa bounded by a partition across the hull and the walls of the ships stern A cushioned divan extended la a semicircle semi circle around the rear end there was a carpet on the floor and furniture in the form forat ot of a table over which was swung a dining rack and a couple of chairs the captain made an inclusive hospitable gesture titre accompanied by a low salaam yi mind was relieved the divan looked comfortable so he lily lay down on it and composed himself for sleep lie ife woke up about an hour later on the floor the wind was wag rising and the increased plunging of the boat had rolled him from his couch lie ile spread hla his blankets on uia the noor floor lay down and soon dozed off iia was awakened a second time by a cold stream ot of water spouting full upon him with terrible force lie he jumped to his hl feet only oaly to be thrown sprawl ing the little vessel which was light was rolling front froni rail to 0 o rail and the water had cough in through the and opened the door ope opened tied porthole port hole A sudden fear ear that the ship would founder and that he would be drowned cooped up chete lit in the cabin seized him und and he leaped clambering for the porthole port hole it was not lot tar far above him but ere era lie ile could reach it it was below him aud |