rs. He took it home undher his ar-rm in th' rain an' th' next
mornin' most iv th' flower-pot was on his new overcoat an' th' rest was
meltin' all over th' flure.

"That was the beginnin' iv th' end iv th' frindship between th' two
gr-reat nations that owe thimselves so much. About th' time Hogan got
th' flower-pot, th' fire-sale ads an' th' Rooshyan outrage news both
stopped in th' newspa-apers. A well-known fi-nanceer who thravelled to
Tokeeo with a letter iv inthraduction to th' Mickydoo fr'm th' Prisidint
beginnin' 'Dear mick,' got a brick put through his hat as he wint to
visit th' foorth assistant to th' manicure iv th' eighth assistant to
th' plumber iv th' bricklayer iv th' Mickydoo, which is th' nearest to
his Majesty that foreign eyes ar-re permitted to look upon. A little
later a number iv Americans in private life who wint over to rayceive
in person th' thanks iv th' Impror f'r what they'd done f'r him talkin'
ar-round th' bar at th' Union League Club, were foorced be th' warmth iv
their rayciption to take refuge in th' house iv th' Rooshyan counsel.
Th' next month some iv th' subjects iv our life-long frind an' ally were
shot while hookin' seals fr'm our side iv th' Passyfic. Next week a
prom'nent Jap'nese statesman was discovered payin' a socyal visit to th'
Ph'lippeens. He had with him at th' time two cameras, a couple iv line
men, surveyin' tools, a thousand feet iv tape line, an' a bag iv
dinnymite bombs. Last month th' Jap'nese Governmint wrote to th'
Prisidint: 'Most gracious an' bewilderin' Majesty, Impror iv th' Sun,
austere an' patient Father iv th' Stars, it has come to our benign
attintion that in wan iv ye'er populous domains our little prattlin'
childher who ar-re over forty years iv age ar-re not admitted to th'
first reader classes in th' public schools. Oh, brother beloved, we
adore ye. Had ye not butted in with ye'er hivenly binivolence we wud've
shook Rooshya down f'r much iv her hateful money. Now we must prove our
affection with acts. It is our intintion to sind a fleet to visit ye'er
shores, partickly San Francisco, where we undherstand th' school system
is well worth studyin'.'

"An' there ye ar-re, Hinnissy. Th' frindship ceminted two years ago with
blood an' beers is busted. I don't know whether annything will happen.
Hogan thinks so, but I ain't sure. Th' Prisidint has announced that
rather thin see wan octoginaryan Jap prevented fr'm larnin' his
a-bee-abs he will divastate San Fran