The Motor Maids in Fair Japan | Page 4

and made it a profound bow. The
girls choked and sputtered in their tea and Miss Campbell laughed
outright. They learned afterwards that this venerable animal was
"Nedda," the Spears' pet pug, eighteen years old, and that every servant
attached to the household regarded her with great respect because they
believed that she was really Mr. Spears' grandmother.
Old Nedda was very pleased to meet with a little human company of
her own social status. She wagged her twisted tail cordially and when
she heard American voices speaking the language of her youth, she
gave a little expressive whine of pleasure.
"You poor old lonesome thing," exclaimed the compassionate Billie.
Just then a maid hurried up with a cushion. She had evidently been
detailed to look after Nedda in the absence of the mistress of the house;
to feed and bathe her; to see that she was covered up at night; to guard
against her sleeping in damp places. Nedda stepped gingerly on the mat,
moved round and round in a circle several times, even as the most
primitive dog might do, and settled herself in a round heap for her late
afternoon siesta. Then O'Sudzu, the little maid, spread a wadded silk
cover over the pampered old Nedda and departed, bowing again.
They were still laughing over this absurd incident when Mr. Campbell
appeared on the walk with two companions. One was a good looking
young man about twenty-one and the other a Japanese in European
clothes, and very handsome, the girls thought him, in spite of his
Oriental features and dark complexion.
CHAPTER II.
TEA IN THE GARDEN.
Nancy Brown instinctively put her hand to her curls when she saw the

three approach. Elinor patted her coronet braids. Mary blushed and
shrank timidly into the depths of her chair, for she was very shy; and
Billie, whose candid nature had no coquetry, looked calmly interested
and remarked:
"Dear old Papa, there he is with two visitors."
"I'm not at all surprised," said Miss Campbell smiling, "your Papa is
one of the most general inviters I ever knew. He always loved to
entertain."
"How do my five beautiful American ladies feel?" called her jovial
relation as he entered the summer house. "Rested with humble
refreshment in poor modest little house?"
"Yes, indeed, honorable father," answered Billie laughing.
"I want you to meet my two friends, Nicholas Grimm and Yoritomo
Ito," went on Mr. Campbell.
Nicholas Grimm was apparently a young Dutchman. His figure was
well set up and stocky, his features regular, his mouth firm with a good
square chin, and his clear dark eyes under bushy brows gazed on the
world with a frank, good-humored expression.
Yoritomo Ito was the best type of Japanese, lithe and straight, rather
tall, with shrewd brown eyes and a smile that always hovered about his
shapely mouth. He was immaculately neat and his skin looked as if it
might have been scrubbed and then polished. Not a speck of dust
marred his spotless linen or his dark blue suit.
"Mr. Ito, will you sit on a mat on the floor or in a chair?" asked Miss
Campbell when the introductions were over.
"Oh, he can be Japanese or American, whichever suits him,"
interrupted Mr. Campbell, "though I'll wager you didn't do much floor
sitting when you went to Harvard, did you, Yoritomo?"

The Japanese's smile broadened somewhat when he answered with a
slight accent:
"American floors are not intended to be used as chairs."
"Meaning, Mr. Ito, that the American floors are not as entirely free
from dust as the Japanese floors?" inquired Miss Campbell.
"Oh, no, Madam," protested the Japanese, horrified at this implication
of rudeness but unable to dispel the impression nevertheless.
"I grant you that our houses are not as clean as yours," went on Miss
Campbell, "but you see we haven't time to remove our shoes whenever
we enter the house, and then we have so much furniture and so many
hangings to catch the dust. I don't see how you Japanese can resist the
collecting habit in a country where there are so many beautiful things to
collect."
"My dear Cousin, they are as great collectors as anybody, only they
keep their valuables stored in a fire-proof house--what is it you call it,
Yoritomo?" asked Mr. Campbell.
"It is called in English language a 'go-down.'"
"So it is, a 'go-down.' It always reminds me of a steep grade down the
side of a mountain. Here they keep all their best clothes and vases and
ornaments and only bring out one vase and one scroll at a time. When
they grow tired of those things, they are stored and something else is
brought out, so that there is perpetual variety in the Japanese home."
"I should hate to have my