bsence of the mistress of the house;
to feed and bathe her; to see that she was covered up at night; to guard
against her sleeping in damp places. Nedda stepped gingerly on the mat,
moved round and round in a circle several times, even as the most
primitive dog might do, and settled herself in a round heap for her late
afternoon siesta. Then O'Sudzu, the little maid, spread a wadded silk
cover over the pampered old Nedda and departed, bowing again.

They were still laughing over this absurd incident when Mr. Campbell
appeared on the walk with two companions. One was a good looking young
man about twenty-one and the other a Japanese in European clothes, and
very handsome, the girls thought him, in spite of his Oriental features
and dark complexion.

CHAPTER II.

TEA IN THE GARDEN.

Nancy Brown instinctively put her hand to her curls when she saw the
three approach. Elinor patted her coronet braids. Mary blushed and
shrank timidly into the depths of her chair, for she was very shy; and
Billie, whose candid nature had no coquetry, looked calmly interested and
remarked:

"Dear old Papa, there he is with two visitors."

"I'm not at all surprised," said Miss Campbell smiling, "your Papa is one
of the most general inviters I ever knew. He always loved to entertain."

"How do my five beautiful American ladies feel?" called her jovial
relation as he entered the summer house. "Rested with humble refreshment
in poor modest little house?"

"Yes, indeed, honorable father," answered Billie laughing.

"I want you to meet my two friends, Nicholas Grimm and Yoritomo Ito,"
went on Mr. Campbell.

Nicholas Grimm was apparently a young Dutchman. His figure was well set
up and stocky, his features regular, his mouth firm with a good square
chin, and his clear dark eyes under bushy brows gazed on the world with a
frank, good-humored expression.

Yoritomo Ito was the best type of Japanese, lithe and straight, rather
tall, with shrewd brown eyes and a smile that always hovered about his
shapely mouth. He was immaculately neat and his skin looked as if it
might have been scrubbed and then polished. Not a speck of dust marred
his spotless linen or his dark blue suit.

"Mr. Ito, will you sit on a mat on the floor or in a chair?" asked Miss
Campbell when the introductions were over.

"Oh, he can be Japanese or American, whichever suits him," interrupted
Mr. Campbell, "though I'll wager you didn't do much floor sitting when