Untitled

AT A FANMVfAKER S.
"Hullo!" said Fitz, who had just then approached.
"What have you met with, Sallie? Tortoises. I must have
some of those. How much are they each?"
The man thought for a moment, then bowed and said, "Anything
your honorable excellency wishes to give me."
" I am not buying Kame that way, to-day," said the merry
boy.
125
" Carry your stock to number one hundred Kaga Yashi-
ki, and wait till I return. I'll take all you have at five sen
each."
have."
"All I have?" echoed the kin-ge-yo-ya. "All I
r
Yes," said Fitz, " I am going to train some of them to
perform."
" Come along," said Sallie.
" Oto tells me there is a
curiosity shop not far from here, and that the proprietor has a
very ancient vase for sale."
"
I think tortoises are much more interesting than old
vases," growled her brother.
"How can you say such a thing, Fitz Jewett!" said Sal-
"
lie. Some of the pieces of pottery I have purchased are quite
too precious."
The boy snickered and said, "You just wait, Sallie. See
if you won't be too precious sorry you did not spend your money
on kompeito " (candies) .
They found the store, which was full of curious things.
The proprietor, at the request of Oto, produced the old vase :
a coarse piece of pottery, very roughly decorated.
"This," he said, bowing and sucking in his breath, "is two
thousand five hundred and twenty years old."
color! and
"It is beautiful," said Sallie. "What a glorious
how perfect the form is! How much do you ask for it? "
The man bowed, sucked in his breath and hesitated, finally
murmuring, "Five hundred yen " (dollars).