o
Merrit's.

He lifted his eyebrows quizzically. "See here, Yuki San, you are fast
developing the symptoms of a coquette."

She quickly straightened her back, and with a smile of bewilderment,
exclaimed:

"Me croquette? No, no; croquette, him li'l chicken-ball what you eat.
I no can be eat!"

Merrit shouted with delight, then grew grave.

"No, Yuki San, you don't ever want to be a coquette. You want to be
your sweet little self, and make a good wife to that handsome soldier
Saito, with all his gold braid and dingle-dangles. But what about
breakfast? You see, my train leaves in an hour. If you don't give me
something to fill my honorable insides, I'll have to eat you, sure
enough."

In mock fear she quickly brought a low table from an inner room, and
with deft hands placed the steaming soup and broiled fish before him.
The knife and fork were a concession to Merrit's inability to wield
the chopsticks, and sitting on his heels was Merrit's concession to
the inability of the house to provide a chair.

"Hello!" he said, picking up a long-stemmed rose, "where did you find
this beauty?"

"I guessed her with my nose," the girl answered. "You know what make
her heart so red? Long time ago, most beautiful princess love with
wrong man. Make Buddha ve'y angly, and he turn her body into white
rose. But her heart just stay all time red 'cause of beautiful love
that was there."

"My! he's a fierce old customer, that Buddha of yours," said Merrit.

Yuki San paused in the filling of the rice-bowl and looked at him
gravely:

"Merrit San, do you know God?"

"Do I know God?" he repeated, with a half-embarrassed laugh.

"Yes, Christians' God, what you must love and love, but no never can
see till die-time come. You know, Merrit San?" Then, lowering her
voice in earnest inquiry, she went on: "You believe that Christians'
God more better for Japanese girl than Buddha?"

For a moment Merrit felt the hot blood of confusion rise to his
temples. The role of spiritual adviser was a new and somewhat
embarrassing one. Struggling for expression, he floundered hopelessly.

"I--I--I guess I don't know very much about it. But there's one sure
tip, Yuki San, the Christians' God is all right. You can't lose out if
you pin to him." He stammered like a foolish schoolboy, but struggled
bravely on: "When things get pretty thick and you've struck bottom,
that's the time you find out. I know. I've been there. More's the pity
I don't remem