smiled deprecatingly and hung
her head.

"Will honorable ladies be pleased to employ humble refreshment?" she
announced in a funny high voice with a prim, precise accent.

The girls would have laughed if it had not been impolite. All their
impulsive actions must be checked in this land of perfect manners, or
they would certainly appear rude and rough.

"We should be most pleased and happy, I am sure," answered Billie,
feeling that she must not be outdone in lofty expression, "But what
excellent English you speak. Do you live here, too?"

Onoye looked up and her face brightened.

"I make studying of American language one time," she said.

"And are we to have tea now?" asked Nancy as the Japanese girl backed out
of the room.

"If pleasingly to gracious ladies," she answered.

With bobs and bows, she led the way to a summer house in the garden where
the others were already installed in comfortable chairs.

"These are certainly the most hospitable servants I ever saw," Miss
Campbell was saying to Mary and Elinor. "They make one feel like a guest
in one's own house. I am sure if I lived here long, I should learn to
meet myself at the front door and invite myself to take refreshments in
the garden."

The girls smiled lazily. They seemed somehow to have entered into a land
of unrealities and dream pictures. The bamboo and rice paper villa was a
doll's house, the lovely garden, a stage setting and the picturesque band
of Japanese servants gliding noiselessly about, the chorus.

And while they talked and sipped their tea, a fat, decrepit pug dog came
slowly toward them down the walk on spindle legs. As the aged creature
approached, O'Haru paused 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 a