pencils, note books, etc. And she even furnished me,--this happened some
time later,--with about three yen, I did not ask her for the money; she
offered it from her own good will by bringing it to my room, saying that
I might be in need of some cash. This, of course, embarrassed me, but as
she was so insistent I consented to borrow it. I confess I was really
glad of the money. I put it in a bag, and carried it in my pocket. While
about the house, I happened to drop the bag into a cesspool. Helpless, I
told Kiyo how I had lost the money, and at once she fetched a bamboo
stick, and said she will get it for me. After a while I heard a
splashing sound of water about our family well, and going there, saw
Kiyo washing the bag strung on the end of the stick. I opened the bag
and found the edict of the three one-yen bills turned to faint yellow
and designs fading. Kiyo dried them at an open fire and handed them over
to me, asking if they were all right. I smelled them and said; "They
stink yet."

"Give them to me; I'll get them changed." She took those three bills,
and,--I do not know how she went about it,--brought three yen in silver.
I forget now upon what I spent the three yen. "I'll pay you back soon,"
I said at the time, but didn't. I could not now pay it back even if I
wished to do so with ten times the amount.

When Kiyo gave me anything she did so always when both father and
brother were out. Many things I do not like, but what I most detest is
the monopolizing of favors behind some one else's back. Bad as my
relations were with my brother, still I did not feel justified in
accepting candies or color-pencils from Kiyo without my brother's
knowledge. "Why do you give those things only to me and not to my
brother also?" I asked her once, and she answered quite unconcernedly
that my brother may be left to himself as his father bought him