The House of the Misty Star / A Romance of Youth and Hope and Love in Old Japan

ower to command was not in working order. Zura failed to put in an appearance for her l

ngs stood between the gran

a sandal or shoe-heel on the rough stones of my crooked front path. I kept up the vigil for my desired pupil until I heard one of my adoring housemaids confide to the other that s

rough it I could look down far below upon the street life which was a panorama quietly intense, but gay and hopeful. The moving throng resembled a great bouquet swayed by a friendly breeze

il was inside it. Her shining hair made me sure, and I guessed that the young man with whom she walked was the ship'

with what skill she could trim a sail; how she had raced with the crack oarsman of the Naval College; and how the aforesaid cadet was now in disgrace because he had condescended to compete with a girl. Much of the talk was of the girl's wonderful talent in putting on paper Japanese women and babies in a

plum flowers that flourished in the poorer districts. Sheltered by a great mountain from the keen winds, they thrust their pink blossoms through the covering of snow and cheered the beauty-loving people to much silent endurance. The plum tree was almost an object of worship in this part of the Empire. It stood for bravery and loyalty in the face of disaster, but as one tottering old woman put it, as she went down on

ld reach might not have a hungry Christmas. They put together the price of their gifts to each other and bought rice. In gay little

ual demand, until learning to stand up and si

ectedness upset my systematic household to the point of confusion. She supplied untold excitement to Pine Tree and Maple Leaf, the two serving maids earning an education by service,

choice spot in my beloved garden, which was also Ishi's heaven, housed a family of weather-beaten world-weary cats, three chattering monkeys, that made love to Jane and hideous faces at everybody else, a parrakeet and a blind pup. If the collection fell short in quality, it abounded in variety.

f-starved baby. That day she had gone to a distant part of the city to assist in organizing a soup kitchen, and a Bible class.

before the fire and fed it barley water with an ink dropper. "I'm going to

o wish to be unkind, but repression was the only course left. I loved children,

n the garden without starting an orphan asylum.

t till I tell you of a darling plan. The other day I saw the nicest sign over a door. It said 'Moderated and modified mil

ruffled by Miss Gray's never-defeated hopefulness. "Of course the kind gentleman

sm could no more pierce Jane's optim

. He gets money for it, but I am going to make a grand bargain with him. I a

he wants parrots

r twenty years. Now his eyes are failing. He can get his customers to read a new one to him. He wan

tayed with us. Then one glorious dawn the tiny creature smiled as only a baby can, and gave up t

night to take the child away, but cannot because it lies in a Chris

ane Gray continued to bring things home, and one day she burst into t

American about twenty-four, who

my principles to be so outspokenly sentimental, but his light hair waved back from a boyish face pallid with illness and the playful curve of his mouth touched me. If I had been Jane Gray I should have cried ov

nto the sitting-room and we soo

left, and he had recently started to the Far East to begin making his fortune. By chance he had drifted into Hijiyama. He understood there was a d

?" I asked, striving to keep m

"You see, I don't quite remember. T

erica, or after you sailed?" I i

wer. "I-I-I'm sorry, but really I can't tell you.

so he could hardly hold the cup of tea I gave him, so I pursued my inquiries no further. As I was hostess to my guests, wh

e way she walked right up to me and said, 'Why, howdy do. I'm glad to see you. Now come right up to the "Misty Star" with me,' I tell you it made my heart thump. Didn't k

ame time stuffing a pillow behind his back. "The idea of being discouraged when the world is full of poetry and l

usement at the little lady's funny mixture of

c sends it flying. I can't afford to be discouraged. You see, I'm pledged to help a lot of unfortunate friends. I haven't a cent of money and ev

at kind of a magician, perhaps you can tell me where I ca

erously. "The pupils are sure, if the pay is

would do to start with. Would you be so kin

e the thing necessary to enable him to earn a living and get a new grip on life. There were more than enough pupils to go around, and I

did not hide his enjoyment, but talked well and entertainingly of everything-except himself. At times he was boyishly gay; then, seemingly without c

ast addition to her collecti

t be going, she anxiously inquired if he would b

here will be no risk of wearing out a welc

orged with kindness and polished with love, and we wouldn't have time t

dding us adieu when the tuneful gong at the

ink. The subdued radiance crept into the room and covered its shabbiness with a soft g

she began,

she gazed in surprise at Page Hanaford, and he, bending slightly forward, gazed b

Gray gave vent to a long ecstatic "Oh-h-h-h!

; side-tracked and went sailing. Just come to say thank you very much, but I don't care for any lessons in English or manners, and I won'

as though a wild sea-bird had swept through

rous query, "Do these visions have a habit of appearing in yo

ntly to the short history of the girl I gave him, made no comment, asked

er hands across her thin chest and closing her eyes,

ferred to our late visitors

nsibilities heavier; yet intangible joys were storming my old heart, and it was athrill with vi