Untitled

132
THE WONDERFUL CITY OF TOKIO.
going to make my fortune in a short time." {Sighing deeply^]
"Alas! the contract nearly ruined me. On sending the goods
to Yokohama for shipment, I received a letter from the agent,
and had all the cases returned with charges. He said, in his
communication,
? The fan-maker Kimura must be losing his
senses. When I ordered the largest fans I did not mean corn-
winnowers; although everything in California is on a grand
scale, the ladies are not ten feet high.
You may keep your big
ogi; they are useless to my customers.' ( Once more sighing^)
"Alas! I dared not look my creditors in the face! The papermerchant
heard of my trouble and sued me; the dealer in
bamboos brought his bed and laid it in front of my door and
would not stir until he had seen me; the shibu manufacturer
haunted me da}' and night, and sent his old mother to groan,
weep, and present his bill. Oh, it was terrible! Nobody but
had all received their
my employees condoled with me, they
pay, so could afford to express their pity. At last,
I heard of a
sea-captain who was in Yokohama looking for bargains, and to
him I went. I showed him a sample, quoted the goods at
a very small profit and sold him the lot. He gave me a paper
promising to pay in seven days. When the time expired,
he was far, far away, and I never got a rin (mill) for all my
expenditure."
He paused, glanced sadly at his work-people, and said to
Fitz, " Do you know any of your honorable sea-captains likely to
do such a thing? "
"Yes, old Captain Bullyman down to Cromlech," was the
ready response.
" He is mean enough for anything,
and has
been in Japan."
r?
If you will make him pay me that money," said Kimura,
in a childlike manner, " I will sell you a lot of fans very
cheap."