, an unwonted thing with the little Japanese,
who usually let the sunlight flood her room through unshaded windows.
But a shaft of light from the open door disclosed her seated
cross-legged on the floor in front of a beautiful screen showing
Fujiyama, the sacred Japanese mountain. At the foot of the screen she
had placed two statues, one of Saint Anthony of Padua and one of Saint
Francis of Assisi, presents from Mr. and Mrs. Murphy on two successive
Christmases. And still another graven image caught Molly's eye as she
tiptoed into the room: a small figure of Buddha seated cross-legged. He
was placed at a little distance from the two saints and his antique,
blurred countenance contrasted strangely with the delicately molded and
tinted faces of the new statues.

If Molly had come unannounced upon Nance on her knees or Judy at her
devotions, she would have beat a hasty retreat, but it came to her that
Otoyo, sitting there cross-legged before the images of strange gods,
needed help of some sort.

"You aren't angry with me for coming in, Otoyo?" she began. "I knocked
and you didn't hear. I'm afraid something is the matter. Won't you let
me help you? I have not forgotten how you helped me once when I was
unhappy. Don't you remember how you let me sit in your room and think
over my troubles that Sunday afternoon at Queen's?"

Otoyo rose quickly, flushing a little under her dark skin. She seemed
very foreign to Molly at that moment, in her beautiful embroidered
kimono of black and gold. Also she seemed very formal in her manner and
distant, like an exiled princess who still clings to the dignity of her
former position.

First she made a low Japanese bow, quite different from the little
smiling nods she had learned to give her friends at Wellington.

"I feel much honored, Mees Brown. Will you be seated and I will bring
refreshments."

"Why, Otoyo," exclaimed Molly, filled with wonder at this new phase in
her friend, "I don't want any refreshments. I thought I'd drop in for
half an hour before English V. and find out what has happened to you.
You never come to see me any more," she added reproachfully. "You
haven't been since that Sunday afternoon with your father, and you
always have a 'Busy' sign on your door. Are you really so busy or are
you trying to avoid us?"

Otoyo drew up her one chair she used for visitors and sat down again on
the floor.

"I have been much engaged," she said, avoiding Molly's eye. Molly
noti