FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95  
96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   >>   >|  
ally serious when we finished our long conference. She leaned over and put her hand on mine. "Nobody but father was ever so kind to me. I'll truly do my best." As if afraid of growing too serious she added: "But, Miss Jenkins,"--her voice was low and her eyes sparkled, proving how hard the old Zura was dying--"I just bet I kick over the traces some time. I feel it in my system." "You what?" I reminded. "Madam, I have a premonition that this process of eliminating the gay and the festive will be something of a herculean task. In other words, keeping in the middle of the road is a dull, tough job." "Oh, Zura!" I cried despairingly. "Yes'm. But from this minute I am starting down the track on the race for reformation. Give me time. Even a colt can't get a new character and a sweet disposition in a week." * * * * * As the days passed it proved not a race, but a hard, up-hill battle, where in gaining one fight she sometimes lost two, and while still aching with the last defeat had to begin all over again. The vision, though, of the home-going to America lured and beckoned her to the utmost effort to conquer not only circumstances, but herself. Jane and I helped whenever we could, but there were places so dark through which the girl must pass alone, that not even our fast increasing love could light the shadows of the struggles. I realized that a young girl should have young company of her own kind; but there was none for her. In Hijiyama, and especially in our neighborhood, were many high-class families. Even members of the royal line claimed it as residence. With these the taint of foreign blood in any Japanese marked that person impossible. I dreaded to tell Zura this. She saved me the trouble by finding it out for herself. Ever afterward, when by chance she encountered the elect, her attitude caused me no end of delight and amusement. In courteous snubbing she outclassed the highest and most conservative to them. In absenting herself from their presence Zura's queenly dignity would have been matchless, had she been a little taller. As much as possible, I made of myself a companion for her and the most of our days were spent together. It was a curious pact between young and old. One learning to keep the law, the other to break it, for in my efforts to be a gay comrade as well as a wise mother I came as near to breaking my neck as my well-seasoned habits. Zura had a passi
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95  
96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

claimed

 

Japanese

 

dreaded

 
impossible
 
marked
 

person

 
foreign
 

residence

 

increasing

 

shadows


places
 

struggles

 

realized

 

families

 

members

 
neighborhood
 

company

 

Hijiyama

 

outclassed

 
curious

learning

 
companion
 

breaking

 

seasoned

 

habits

 

efforts

 

comrade

 
mother
 

taller

 

caused


attitude

 

amusement

 

delight

 

encountered

 

finding

 

afterward

 

chance

 

courteous

 

snubbing

 

queenly


dignity

 

matchless

 

presence

 

highest

 

helped

 

conservative

 
absenting
 

trouble

 

aching

 

system