CHAPTER XIX
VOTIVE OFFERINGS
By the next day it was considered safe enough to make the trip toSakusa. It was a tortuous way, and one that required the services of aguide, but a young Japanese, whom Mr. Montell knew, consented to makeone of the party. He could speak English, and, being an intelligent,educated gentleman, was much more desirable as an adjunct than theordinary interpreter. By bamboo forests, and rice-fields, past many atemple and shrine, they trudged, part of their journey being indicatedby a stone path difficult to walk upon yet necessarily used. Here theymust go single file.
"It is getting rather tiresome," said Jack over her shoulder to MaryLee who followed closely, these two walking in the footsteps of theirguide while the others lagged behind, the two couples separated by aperceptible space.
"We'll get there after a while," returned Mary Lee. "It is all for thecause, remember, Jack."
"I feel precisely as if I were doing penance," Jack answered back.
"Perhaps you are," replied her sister with a little smile.
Jack said no more, but toiled on till at last a small cluster of housesindicated that they were nearing a village.
"Is it Sakusa?" Jack asked Mr. Tamura, their guide.
"Sakusa," he replied with a wave of the hand toward where a _tori-i_,a high paintless structure, stood, and in another moment they had lefttheir rough stone path to step upon the pavement of the temple's court.Here they waited for the others to come up. Meantime they could observethe fine old trees, the quaint monuments and the gateway itself.
"This is the temple of Yaegaki," Mr. Tamura told them. "It is a verynoted shrine, small as it is. We will go to the main temple which isthe most interesting."
The group, now complete, went forward and presently, with one accord,stopped short. "What are they?" inquired Eleanor wonderingly looking atmyriads of tiny flags inserted in the ground all around the base of theshrine.
"Those," Mr. Tamura said, "are tokens of gratitude. They mean that manylovers' prayers have been answered."
"And those white wisps upon the gratings of the doors?" Eleanorcontinued to question.
"Those are the prayers of the lovers who have made the pilgrimage."
"So many, so many," murmured Nan.
"And what is that which looks like hair, there with the little knots ofpaper?" Mary Lee put this question.
"It is hair," she was told, "most of it, though some is seaweed,probably brought from a long distance. These are votive offerings. Amaiden making a vow, a wish, a prayer, will often cut off her hair andhang it upon the shrine that she may thus show her strength of desire,her faith, her intention to propitiate the deities of love and marriagewho preside over this shrine."
Mr. Harding stepped nearer to see the many names carved upon the doorsand the woodwork. These he could in some instances read, but as theywere written in the Chinese characters, the girls could not make themout.
"Now," said Mr. Tamura, "we must see the famous Camellia tree which issupposed to be inhabited by the beings who answer lovers' prayers. Itis very ancient and much revered. We will look at it before we go tothe sacred grove."
They all stood a few moments before the gnarled old tree and thenfollowed on to where their guide again paused. "Here you can find thetalismans and the charms, if you wish to buy," Mr. Tamura informed them.
"Oh, we must have some of them," declared the girls, and though neitherMr. Harding nor Mr. Montell said a word, they did not hold back.
"Which are considered the nicest?" inquired Jack.
Mr. Tamura smiled as he answered. "If you are in love this _mamori_ issupposed to be the most wonder-working, and will assure you a blessedunion with the object of your affection." He picked out a long foldedpaper with queer characters and a seal upon it.
"Can I open it?" inquired Jack. "Will it break the charm?"
"Oh, no, you can see what it holds within the interior," Mr. Tamuratold her, and Jack did not delay in opening the paper.
"Oh, look," she cried, "aren't they cunning?"
The others gathered around to see two tiny little figures in ancientcostume. One enfolded the other in his embrace.
"It is the small wife enfold to the heart of the small husband," theirguide explained. "If you marry the man of your ambition, you mustreturn this charm to the temple. It does not promise you the happinessof after marriage, but only the marriage."
"I would run the risk of the happiness," said Mr. Harding in a lowtone to Nan who for some reason blushed furiously.
"If you wish the love of after marriage you must purchase another. Itis the leaf from the tree we have just seen, but you see it is of themost preciousness." And of the whole party there was not one, with theexception of Mary Lee, who did not buy one of each of these two charms.Mary Lee contented herself with some little amulets which she declaredwere more worth her while.
"Of course," said Eleanor lightly, "we don't believe in them at all andhave no special use for them, but we may be able to make presents ofthem to some of our friends."
"That is just it," echoed Nan.
"And the little lady and her husband are so cunning," declared Jack, "Ijust had to get one to show Jean."
Mary Lee smiled wisely but said not a word.
"They are really great curiosities," remarked Nan airily. "I do notremember ever having seen their like. I know mother and Aunt Helen willbe greatly interested in them."
Again Mary Lee smiled and kept her counsel.
They went on further till they came to a great grove of cedars, pines,and bamboo with other trees, making so deep a shade that they seemed ina sunless world. When their eyes became accustomed to the half light,they observed that wherever possible upon the bark of the bamboo treesnames were written. "Names and wishes," said their guide.
"How weird and mysterious it all seems," said Nan to her companion.
"The very Court of Love," returned he, "and you are treading it withme," he added softly.
Nan's heart beat fast but she made no reply. It all seemed sointangible, so unreal an existence, that even his presence began toappear unreal.
"There is a little pond further on, Tamura says," Mr. Harding remarkedafter a period when silence was upon them both. "There are water newtsin it, and one tests his fortune by sailing a small boat in which heputs a _rin_. If it sinks to the bottom and the newts touch it all willbe well, but if it does not sink and if the newts disregard it, then itis an ill omen. Shall we go and sail a boat?"
"It might be amusing," returned Nan, trying to hide her confusion.
They found the rest of their party already on the brink of the pondwhere others were launching tiny crafts of paper. Mr. Tamura wasshowing Jack how to make one. He seemed to surmise that more than onewould be required for he soon had a little fleet of them ready, andhimself set one afloat with a _rin_ in it. He watched it gravely as itwent on its course. Mr. Harding launched his, giving Nan a smile as hedid so. It drifted out upon the clear water and became so saturatedas soon to succumb to the weight of its freight of copper coin, thendown it sank. It could be seen distinctly through the limpid water andpresently the newts were observed to approach it. Mr. Harding rose tohis feet, and waved his hat gaily. "A good omen," he cried.
Most of the other boats acted in the same way, although they did notwait to see the fate of all that were launched, but turned to wanderabout and look up the remaining strange evidences of superstitiousfaith.
Nan and her companion allowed the others to put some distance betweenthemselves and this lagging pair.
"Let them alone and they'll come home bringing their tales behindthem," whispered Jack to Mary Lee. "Their love-tales, I hope they willbe. What a self-absorbed, blind ninny I was not to see things before.Why, they are simply daffy about one another. I don't believe any oneelse exists at this present moment for them. Did you ever think dearold Nan would be so far gone?"
"Oh, yes, I knew when Nan did really let herself go that there wouldn'tbe any question about it," returned Mary Lee
with a half sigh.
"I hope he is good enough for her," said Jack a little jealously.
"Nobody is good enough for any of you sisters," returned Mary Lee.
"Oh, Carter is entirely too good for me," declared Jack frankly. "Allthe same I would scratch any one's eyes out who tried to take him fromme."
"I haven't a doubt but that some one will try to if you don't treathim better," Mary Lee said teasingly. "You can't expect a man to stayforever faithful to a girl who behaves as if he were an old shoe to bepicked up and cast aside at will."
"You don't mean that," Jack averred. "If you did, I would take the nextsteamer home and marry him before any of you reached there to stop me.When he gets my letter he will understand, so don't you go trying tostir me up. Where in the world are those two?"
"Oh, never mind them," rejoined Mary Lee. "There are Eleanor and Mr.Montell just ahead and we can get along for a while without Nan."
Meantime Nan and Mr. Harding were lingering in the deep grove. Theystood by a bamboo tree upon which were cut many names. "There is justa little space here where I can cut a dear, small name," said Mr.Harding, "the name of the dearest, sweetest girl in the world." Hebegan to carve the letters while Nan stood by with half-averted face."N-a-n," he wrote, with the N much longer than the other letters. Afterhe had finished, he came to Nan. "Will you look?" he said, "and willyou tell me if I may put my name there too? The same initial does forboth, you see. Dear Nan, sweet Nan! this is the Court of Love and youare my queen. You have been so kind to me these last few days and I maybe called away any moment, so I am daring enough to tell you that Ilove you."
Nan took from him the knife he still held. She went up to the tree, andupon the smooth bark she began to trace the letters which, followingthe initial of her own name, became that of her lover:
N-A-N N-E-A-L.
"Is it true? Is it true?" breathed he close by her side.
"I am afraid it is," returned Nan in a whisper.
"Afraid, you darlingest girl?"
"No, no, I don't mean I am afraid, I mean--oh, what do I mean?"
"You mean that all the queer little charms have nothing to do with youand me, because you loved me, didn't you, before we even started out tocome here? You did love me yesterday and the day before, didn't you,Nan?"
"And even so far back as last week," admitted Nan.
"When you wouldn't even look at me?"
"Yes."
"Why wouldn't you?"
"Because you wouldn't look at me."
"I did look when I could steal a glance at you. I wanted to look at youevery minute and I was afraid, for I loved you from that very firsttime in the grove of Kamakura. I tried to keep away from you, and Icouldn't. I was so unhappy and so moony and headless that the chiefnoticed it, and said I'd better take a rest for I was ill. He didn'tknow what was the matter, but I did."
"Oh, dear," sighed Nan, "and I was unhappy, too. I thought you likedJack."
"And I thought you liked a miserable somebody whom I could haveannihilated."
Talking on in the strain which so pleases lovers the world over, theyneared the group waiting for them by the temple gate. "Please don'ttell any one," said Nan hastily. "Mother must be the first to know."
"And I hope I may go to her myself that I may ask her for your preciousself. Will she give you to me, Nan?"
"She will, when she knows that it is for my happiness."
"And you will be willing to go to a strange country with me? You willwait for me till I can feel I have something more than myself to offer?"
"I will wait years if need be, and----" She hesitated. The strangecountry away from all those she loved best did seem appalling, but shebravely went on, "Strange countries do not seem so distant as they usedto be."
Seeing them approaching, the others started on their stony way. "It isa rough road," said Neal, "but for me it was the way to Paradise."
Nan could have echoed the words, but she did not. They must walk singlefile for a time, but she might have been side by side with a heavenlyhost, so uplifted was she. Of all queer places to find her happiness;in the grove of a Shinto temple in a distant and difficult part ofJapan. It all seemed like a dream from which she awoke to reality onlywhen she saw a beloved form striding along behind her when she turnedher head. He must keep her in view, he said, lest some accident befallher.
On their way through the streets of the old city which they reachedfoot-sore and weary, but so glad at heart they had no thought ofbodily aches and pains, they passed a little shop. "Let us stop here amoment," proposed Neal. "I want to get you something as a reminder ofthis day."
"Do you think I will ever forget it?" asked Nan with a shy glance.
"You adorable girl, no, I don't, but all the same I want to getsomething."
They entered the small establishment and from the carvings Nealselected a little figure of Hotei, the God of Happiness, whosecounterpart Nan declared she must buy to give in exchange. Then theywent on, arriving at the hotel long after the others.
"And did you have a happy day?" asked Miss Helen who had passed thehours of her nieces' absence in the quiet garden and in the streets ofthe old city. "Was it worth the hard trip?"
"Well worth it," was Nan's reply given with emphasis though not a worddid she tell of the joy the day had brought her.
"The others seemed pretty well tired out," Miss Helen went on, "andhave gone to lie down, but you appear fresher than any of the party."
"I am a little tired, for it was rather far and quite rough, but it wasso very interesting," Nan vouchsafed, and then began to describe thetemples and shrines, but of that carving of her own name on the bark ofthe bamboo tree she said nothing.
Mary Lee and Jack looked at her glowing face questioningly when shewent in to where they were, but she gave them no confidences beyondexplaining for her tardiness by saying that she and Mr. Harding hadstopped at a shop on their way.
"It will have to be 'boots and saddles,' as soon as we can manage it,"Mary Lee announced. "Aunt Helen thinks we should start as soon as weget rested, so we shall pack to-morrow and the day after begin ourjourney across country. Eleanor will go with us, she says, though Ididn't think she would, for she could easily go back with her brotherfrom here and save herself the longer trip."
"Is her brother going back from here?" asked Nan.
"You ought to know. Is he?" queried Mary Lee.
"No," Nan replied with a laugh.
"Oh!" Mary Lee gave Jack a little prod with her elbow and Jackresponded with a soft pinch which expressed her understanding.
"Is Mr. Montell going back from here?" asked Nan.
"I don't believe he is. You see he is free to come and go as he may seefit and I understand that he thinks he can gather profitable materialby joining our caravan. Nell vows that she means to see the last ofus and will stand by till we are fairly off. Ergo Mr. Montell followssuit."
"Good old Nell," remarked Nan apropos of what she did not explain.
"Well, what do you make of it?" inquired Mary Lee as soon as Nan wasout of hearing.
"I think it is very, very near the climax," responded Jack.
"I go further than that. I think the hour and the man have arrived thisday, and that it is all settled."
"Oh, Mary Lee, do you really?" Jack propped herself up to look at hersister. "Then why didn't she tell us?"
"For the same reason another young person of my acquaintance did nottell until it was forced from her," rejoined Mary Lee.
Jack sank back again. "Oh," she ejaculated in a discomfited way. "I amcrazy to know, aren't you?" she asked presently.
"Of course I should like to know, but I can wait. Nan has such atelltale face and I never saw such a radiant expression as she has. Oh,dear me, Jack, I don't feel happy over it myself, for do you realizethat it means we shall have to part with our dear old Nan, and thatshe may go goodness knows where to live? Neal Harding is hoping fordiplomatic service for keeps, you know. He hopes for an appointment asconsul somewhere,
and that means that Nan may have to go away off fromall her kinfolks."
"Mercy me, I hadn't thought of that. Oh, dear, I wish now I had kept upmy little game, then perhaps this would never have come about."
"You mean child. I don't wish that, and after all it would not havedone any good, probably, for if Neal Harding were in real earnest,he would not have allowed the thing to stop here. Eleanor would haveseen to it that he knew of Nan's comings and goings, and then the evilday would simply have been put off. Meantime poor Nan would have beenwretchedly unhappy." Jack agreed that this was all very true and thatthey must make the best of it. Later on they conferred with Eleanor whohad nothing more to add to what they already suspected.
"I quite agree with you, Mary Lee," she said, "that it is all right,and I will tell you why. When Neal came in he came up and kissed meas if he had not seen me for a long time. I said, 'Why this unusualeffusiveness, my dear?' 'Oh, just because I feel so jolly happy,' hesaid. I take that to mean something, whatever you may think."
But they were kept in the dark for several days longer, and in themeantime, the journey was undertaken which would bring them to theInland Sea again and to the spot where they would find Mrs. Corner andJean waiting for them.
"IS IT TRUE?"]
CHAPTER XXIF IT MUST BE]
CHAPTER XX
IF IT MUST BE
The long journey from the Sea of Japan to the Inland Sea was over andNagasaki was reached at last.
"The end of our travels in Japan," sighed Nan. "Won't it be queer tosee no more tea-houses, no more rice-fields, no more odd-looking menwith mushroom hats and women tipping along on their _getas_?"
"I shall not miss those things a bit," averred Jack. "It has beenmighty interesting to see and I have enjoyed it down to the ground, butme for the old U.S.," she added slangily.
"I shall not be sorry, myself, to get back," Mary Lee agreed with Jack.
"I had seen all that I wanted before you all started off on thatfrantic trip to the western coast," Jean declared.
Nan smiled blissfully. She had yet to make her confession to the three."I wouldn't have missed that for anything," she said. "I shall alwaysremember it as the happiest time of my life."
Jean, who had not yet been given an inkling of what was in the wind,stared at her. "You must like hard travel, then," she remarked. "Jackhas been telling me of that awful jaunt to Sakusa and how you were allused up afterward. I don't see where there was any great bliss in that."
Nan smiled down at her. "Jean, dear, and all of you, I have somethingto tell you. I would have told you, Mary Lee and Jack, before, but Ihad a feeling that mother must know first. I am going to marry NealHarding."
"Maybe you think we are surprised," scoffed Jack. "Why, you old fraud,the fact was written on your face on that very day of our wild trip toSakusa, wasn't it, Mary Lee?"
"You certainly bore all the hall-marks of an affianced maiden," MaryLee assured her sister.
"Never mind, Nan," Jean spoke up. "I am surprised, and I am pleased,too. It will be lovely to have a brother."
"What's the matter with Cart?" asked Jack indignantly.
"Oh, he's all right," responded Jean, "but you have been parading Cartbefore us ever since you were twelve years old; he is no novelty, andbesides it is all talk on your part anyway."
"It isn't at all," retorted Jack, who felt that she must have some ofthe importance accorded Nan in her position of an engaged girl. "Ialways said I was going to marry him; you know I did, and I mean it nowjust as much as ever."
"Does Cart have anything to say about it?" inquired Jean teasingly.
"Of course he does. Do you suppose I would be so sure if it were notall settled?"
"Do you really mean that it is all settled and that you never told me?"ejaculated Jean indignantly.
"I didn't tell any one," Jack asserted. "I am going to tell mothernow; while such affairs are in the air. It won't be so hard for herto get used to two such things together as to have them sprung on herseparately." And off she went. But she was back again in a minute."What did mother say to you, Nan?" she asked as she slid inside thedoor closing it after her. "Was she very serious and--and--oh, youknow,--overcome and all that?"
"She was perfectly dear," said Nan, her eyes shining. "I told her firstand then Neal came and we talked it over together. I went for AuntHelen and then we four----"
"Had a heart to heart talk," interrupted Jack. "I don't think I couldstand that. I shall try to make short work of it, for I should collapseunder a long session. There is this much about it, mother ought not tobe much surprised for I always maintained that I meant to marry Cart,while you vowed you would marry no one but a Virginian."
"That is all I knew about it," returned Nan. "I would marry Neal if hewere a Japanese or a Chinaman."
Jack laughed. "Won't old Jo have it in for you when you have given hersuch digs about her devotion to her Dr. Paul?"
"You'd better go along and find mother so as to get it over," warnedJean.
"I fool so feelish," returned Jack using an expression of which theyall were fond. "I am just making conversation so as to put off the evilhour. Well, I suppose I might as well go. Remember me in your prayers,girls," and this time she was really gone.
She hesitated before she tapped at her mother's door. To the invitationto enter she poked her head in the door and said, "I just thought Imight as well tell you, mother, that I am going to marry Carter."
Her mother smiled. "I have been hearing that for the past six years,Jack. It isn't really a very great surprise to hear you say so."
"But I really mean it this time," declared Jack, coming a littlefurther into the room. "I have been treating him like a dog and I feellike a crawly worm about it, so I thought if I told the family I mightnot be tempted to flaunt myself so outrageously hereafter."
"Don't you think it is rather hard upon a mother to have two suchannouncements thrust upon her in one day?" inquired Mrs. Corner gravely.
"Oh, but just think what darling men we have chosen," replied Jackencouragingly. "Suppose I had fallen in love with Mr. Tamura, and Nanhad picked up some crooked stick of an oily-haired musician who hadn'ttwo cents to rub together and would waste the one cent he might have.Just think of that, and then look at dear old Carter and Neal Harding.Why, if you hunted the world over, you couldn't find two nicer men."
Mrs. Corner had to laugh. Jack's arguments were always of such anature. "Well, dear, I quite agree with you," she said. "If I have tolose my girls, I certainly must commend them for having chosen wisely."
"Oh, but you won't lose us," rejoined Jack. "I don't intend to marryfor years and years, and besides, you know they always say that whena daughter marries, a mother gains a son, but when a son marries, amother loses him entirely. Aren't you glad we are all girls, mother?You may have three or four sons yet."
Mrs. Corner smiled. Who but Jack would take such means of smoothingover unpleasant facts? "Come in, dear," she said.
"I will if you will say you think Carter will make an adorable son andthat I am not a silly for thinking so much of him."
"I am ready to admit all that," Mrs. Corner replied gravely.
Jack sidled in, ran to her mother, snuggled her face for one momentagainst her mother's shoulder, gave her an ardent kiss and then backedaway. "I can't stand any more just now," she said with a distinctquaver in her voice. "I am such a bally ass, you know. I'll come backagain some other time," and she was out of the door before her mothercould reprove her for using such expressions.
When she had finished mopping her eyes and had resumed a palpablydon't-care manner, she returned to her sisters.
"Well, did you get it over?" inquired Jean.
"Oh, yes," was Jack's reply.
"Of course mother was lovely." Nan made the remark.
"Of course. She always is. It would be out of all reason to expectanything else. There never was such a precious mother in all the world."
There was unanimous agreement to this, then Jean said gaily, "I
suppose then that Miss Jacqueline Corner is open to congratulations."
Jack warded off a precipitate advance upon her person. "Don't youdare," she cried. "Why don't you all fall upon Nan? She is in a tighterbox than I."
"Just what do you mean by that remark?" asked Nan coming nearerthreateningly.
"I mean that not a soul outside the family is to know about Cart andme, but you will have to tell Eleanor, at least, and Jo, of course, andso it will go."
"I won't have to tell Eleanor, for Neal is going to do that himself,"retorted Nan.
"I will venture to say that is she now," cried Mary Lee as a tap washeard at the door.
She was right, for they admitted Eleanor who came in buoyantly. "Whereis that dear old Nan?" she exclaimed. "I can scarcely wait to get holdof her. Neal has told me and I can't tell you how glad I am to have asister, and such a sister! You blessed old dear, if you don't like mefor a sister-in-law it will not be for lack of love on my part."
"How sweet you are to say such things," returned Nan with feeling. "Ihope the rest of the family will be as kind as you."
"Oh, they are bound to, and you know we are not so many, just thetwo boys and myself after father and mother. Oh, girls, if I hadn'tpromised to stay out here a year, I should be inclined to go back withyou, but Aunt Nora would think it mean of me after she has been so goodas to let me have these weeks with you all. Wouldn't it be fine if, atthe end of a year, Neal and I could go back together and that he couldthen have an appointment not so far off?"
Her question was interrupted by a summons which came for Jack. Some onewished to see her.
"It couldn't be Carter, could it?" whispered Jean to Mary Lee.
The latter shook her head. "I don't believe so," Mary Lee returned inthe same lowered tone. "He hasn't had time to get her letter yet."
Jack was gone some time and when she returned she broke into a laugh."Who do you think has come?" she said.
"Carter," cried the girls with one accord.
"You're way off," returned Jack. "It is Ko-yeda and her father withToku. Miss Gresham couldn't come and so Ko-yeda said she would, atleast Mr. Sannomiya was so good as to bring her. They know Miss Greshamand all the missionary people of her church, you remember, so herethey are. Toku looked so cunning."
"Are you really going to take him back with you?" queried Mary Lee.
"Yes, for there are two Japanese girls going to the States and theywill take charge of him on the ship and be glad of what I can pay themfor doing it."
"But when you get back home what then?" asked Jean. "We can't take himto college with us."
"No, I shall hand him over to Carter and let him find somebody to bringhim up in the way he should go."
"Poor Carter," said Mary Lee compassionately.
"You needn't 'poor Carter' him," retorted Jack. "He will just love todo it when I tell him that Toku is to be reared in such a way as willmake him a good servant for us. It will give him a new interest andbesides----" She broke off but added, "Oh, well, I understand Cartbetter than any of the rest of you do, and besides I would be pleasedto pieces to do that much for him."
And so it was settled that little Toku should sail the seas over withhis future planned out for him. Ko-yeda herself looked after him duringthe few days that they all remained in Nagasaki, for Mr. Sannomiya wascontented to stay till these American friends should take their leave,and made himself useful in many ways. Neal, too, took upon himself allthe difficult matters relating to their departure, and was so attentiveand considerate that Mrs. Corner confessed to Nan that it would seem avery pleasant thing to have a son.
These last were happy days for them all. With three such intelligentguides as Mr. Sannomiya, Neal and Mr. Montell, they were able to dotheir final sightseeing with more ease and celerity than if they hadbeen a party of women alone. Jean and Ko-yeda had many good timestogether, the tractable little Toku being left in charge of the twoJapanese girls who had agreed to see to him during the voyage. Nealand Nan received consideration from every one, and Nan, who had alwaysbeen the one to take the heavier burdens in traveling, for once inher life threw aside all responsibility and gave up her days to thecompanionship which grew dearer and dearer as the moments flew."Sayonara--If it must be," the Japanese farewell, came to their lipswith more and more meaning as the hour approached when they must beseparated.
Mary Lee and Miss Helen showed their tender sympathy in a hundred ways,for both knew to the fullest what a good-bye may contain for those whomust leave one another in the height of their devotion.
More than once Mary Lee came upon her sister watching with tremblinglips the form of her lover as he went down the street. "And soon, soon,I shall not be watching for him to come back," she said on that lastday before they should leave.
"I understand," whispered the younger girl. "I know how hard it is,dear old girl." Nan gave a squeeze to the hand that had sought hers andthe two went in together.
At last the morning of departure came. The big steamer was crowdedwith a motley throng of people. Flags were flying, men were calling,women and children were crying. The bright blue waters were dotted withqueer looking crafts. Placid-looking little girls with even more placidbabies were trotting up and down the wharf, their bright costumesadding to the brilliancy of the picture.
"They are a contented folk," remarked Miss Helen to Mr. Montell who,with Eleanor, stood by her side.
"Yes, and I hope ambition will not alter that fact," he returned. "Alove of the beautiful with a simple life go a long way toward makingcontent. If they lose those two things, I am afraid we shall notobserve such contentment in ten years from now."
"What is gained in one direction must mean loss in some other," saidMiss Helen looking over to where Nan and Mr. Harding were standing withno eyes for the scene before them.
"How can I let you go?" the young man was saying. "You will not forget,sweetheart?"
"Not a day, not an hour," was Nan's answer.
Little Toku, with his two attendants, was walking up and down, vastlyentertained yet a little afraid at all this confusion and these strangefaces, but as he looked up into the faces of those who led him by thehands, he smiled, for these were friends and would not leave him to theunknown.
Ko-yeda and Jean were having last words together, while Mr. Sannomiyatalked as best he could to Mrs. Corner, both appealing to Ko-yedawhenever there was absolute need of an interpreter.
Mary Lee and Jack were leaning over the rail to see the bustle below."What a queer, queer summer it has been," said Jack musingly. "Itpasses before me, such a jumble of strangeness and yet with some thingsstanding out so clearly. That dreadful day in the boiling mud whenNeal snatched me away and probably saved my life."
"You never told me about that," said Mary Lee.
"No, but I will tell you now, because it accounts partly for myappropriating Neal when I had no business to. I felt so gratefulto him." Then she gave her sister an account of what had happened."Another day," she went on, "is that one when you had the letter fromCarter. I think I shall remember that to the day of my death. I thinkmy heart really woke up that minute. I didn't quite realize how much Icared till you showed me. And to-day," she continued, "I am going backto him."
A little further off, Nan was saying, "Suppose I had never come toJapan. I cannot bear to think of what I might have missed."
"You mean?" Mr. Harding spoke.
"I mean you, dear boy."
"You would not have missed me, nor would I have missed you. Fate couldnot have been so unkind. Somewhere, somehow, sooner or later we wouldhave met. I can't think otherwise."
Here a deep whistle sounded warning for all, who were not passengers,to be going ashore. Then were seen low bows, frantic embraces,shakings of hands. "Sayonara! Sayonara!" the air was filled with thesound of the parting word. Nan clung to her lover's arm. "Come soon,come soon," she whispered. "This is good-bye."
"Nothing shall keep me from you, nothing," he said with graveearnestness. "God bless my darling girl." He held h
er hand while theothers crowded around for a last farewell.
"Good-bye, my sister Nan," whispered Eleanor. "Write as often as youcan. Yes, yes, of course I will. I will take good care of him, and Iwill let you know if anything goes wrong? Why certainly, only nothingwill go wrong. It is going to be all right and the first thing youknow, you will be coming to meet us both."
"Sayonara! Sayonara! If it must be!" Another hoarse blast from thesteamer, a last hand-clasp, a scramble to get ashore by those tardilylingering and in a few minutes the great vessel began to move out.
Nan strained her eyes to watch for the last glimpse of the belovedfigure who, standing on the dock, was waving farewell. Her eyes woulddim with tears which she wiped away from time to time quite reckless ofobservers.
"Sayonara! Sayonara!" the words came very faintly now, and then onlythe churning of the water, the throb of the engine, the queer junkssailing by, the flecks of foam. "Farewell, dear Japan, I have leftmy heart with you," Nan sighed. "Every moment takes me away from theloveliest dream, the sweetest memories that ever girl had."
Jack standing where the fresh wind blew in her face watched thevessel's prow rush through the blue. On and on and on. "Every minutetakes us that much nearer. We're coming, Cart, old boy, we're coming.It won't be long now," so sang her heart.
"Sayonara! Sayonara!" sighed the little Japanese girls by Nan's side.
"Sayonara!" piped up Toku smiling into Nan's face.
Transcriber's notes
The book has been re-bound with a plain green cover. The title pagewas used as cover.
Clear printer's errors were corrected.
Original spelling was not modified or harmonized.
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