The Motor Maids in Fair Japan | Page 5

best clothes locked in a fire-proof house,"
announced Nancy. "Suppose one wanted to make a quick change and
the key was mislaid."
"Ah, Miss Nancy," laughed Mr. Campbell, "it is not difficult to see
where your heart lies."
Yoritomo looked at Nancy with polite though evident interest which

gradually developed into a cautiously veiled admiration. He was about
to speak, when he was interrupted by the troop of little maids headed
by Onoye with tea and refreshments. It was Onoye who served the
young Japanese. First she bowed before him until her forehead almost
touched the ground. Then she placed a mat for him to sit upon and a
low lacquer tray containing tea and rice cakes. But Yoritomo, ignoring
these humble services, sat himself in a chair next to Nancy and little
Onoye hastened to rectify her mistake.
In the meantime, Nicholas Grimm was talking to Billie and Elinor.
"Are you from Holland?" they asked him.
"Several hundreds of years ago I was. Kinterhook, New York, has been
my home for the last generation."
"Good," exclaimed Billie, "I thought you were a Dutchman and it's lots
nicer to be an American, don't you think so?"
"I wouldn't care to change," answered Nicholas solemnly. "America's
good enough for me."
"Are you one of the engineers on the new railroad they are building?"
asked Billie.
"I'm going to lay a few ties," he answered.
"Are you going to build those little funny openwork bridges over all the
streams?" demanded Elinor.
"Something like it. Everything is picturesque in this country from
beggars to railroad bridges, and, speaking of bridges, have you
explored the garden yet? There's a ripping little bridge down there.
When Mrs. Spears gave garden parties that was one of the strolling
places."
"Why, we didn't know we had such a pretentious garden!" exclaimed
Billie. "Papa wrote that he had sublet a suburban villa near Tokyo with

an acre or so of ground around it."
"An acre or so?" repeated Nicholas. "That's an estate to them. They can
put as much into an acre without crowding it as other people put into
ten. Perhaps you would like to explore the garden if you have had
enough honorable refreshment?"
"Oh, yes," they answered eagerly, and drawing shy little Mary from the
depths of her chair, Billie followed Elinor and the new friend down the
garden path.
"Would you be interested in seeing the garden?" asked Yoritomo of
Nancy.
"I might be induced," she answered drooping her long eyelashes, to the
great amusement of Mr. Campbell, and they also wandered off, leaving
the two older people for a cousinly chat.
The girls were amazed at the beauty of the garden back of the house.
Against the high wall surrounding the small estate clustered masses of
flowers. Everywhere were little winding paths and an occasional grove
of stunted pines that gave the impression of great age. It was in
exquisite order, the green turf clipped to the smoothness of a velvet
carpet. In all the garden there was not a leaf nor twig out of place. Back
of the house the land sloped slightly and at the foot of this gentle
depression trickled a musical little stream. Here was a stone lantern five
feet high, also the miniature curved bridge; and to make the picture
complete in every Japanese detail, leaning pensively on the railing of
the bridge, stood Onoye. She herself might have been a bright colored
flower in her gay kimono and sash.
Only Mary noticed that the little Japanese was weeping softly. When
she saw the Americans coming, she hastily withdrew down one of the
paths and in another moment had disappeared entirely.
"Poor little thing," thought Mary, "perhaps her mother has been
scolding her."

Perhaps she had, indeed, for O'Haru, the housekeeper, presently
appeared looking for her daughter. Shading her eyes with one hand, she
scanned the vistas of the garden.
Mary left the group of friends and hastened down the path.
"Are you looking for Onoye?" she asked the old woman.
"Yes, honorable lady," answered O'Haru, trying to replace her uneasy
and troubled expression with a pleasant smile.
"She was on the bridge a moment ago. Is she unhappy? I think she was
crying."
"Have greatly kindness to forgive humble Japanese girl," answered
O'Haru in a low voice.
Mary thought the housekeeper was going to say more and no doubt, if
she had poured out her confidences at that time, many later
misunderstandings might have been averted. As it was, they were
interrupted by Nancy and her Japanese cavalier who turned the curve of
the path and came full upon them quite suddenly.
Instead of hastening away as quietly as possible, O'Haru immediately
fell on her knees and began speaking in a low voice in her own
language.
There was nothing