Page:Modern Japanese Stories.pdf/57

 But Sōichi is the living image of my dead wife. I suppose that’s why I worry about him most of all. If only you could have a child by him, my girl, I could pass on my money with a free mind. The trouble is—well, I suppose it’s something you should have been told about before you got married, but it was a terribly hard thing to mention at the time. Now that you’re a wife you’ll understand quite easily and you’ll realize it’s nothing so bad. The fact is that Sōichi led too wild a life before he went into the army and as a result he can’t have any children. It’s not all that bad, is it? Still, it makes me rather sad that my family is going to end when Sōichi dies. Now please don’t think I’m using all this as an excuse. I’d hate you to think that. But suppose you were to have a child for Sōichi. You know what I mean, girl, don’t you?”

Kanako had been listening carefully to what her father-in-law had to say, but suddenly her expression changed. She jumped to her feet and ran upstairs without paying the slightest attention to Wasao’s apologies. A few moments later he heard her quietly leaving the house. He did not even try to stop her.

Thus Wasao’s plans for a united family life in which all the money remained secure were abruptly shattered. The young couple rented a separate house and the family was split.

Kanako was happy about the change. She thought that at last she and her husband would be able to live a life of their own. She remembered the hosiery factory, which she had not thought about for a long time. When she worked there before, she had given part of her earnings to her mother and this had been a great help for the household expenses. Why should she not help her husband by doing some work now? As soon as they were settled in the new house, she visited the proprietress of the factory and discussed the matter. It was agreed that she could very well work at home on mending the tabi which came out of the machine with tangled threads, tears and other imperfections.

Kanako promptly set to work and to her satisfaction found that she was earning enough to pay for their rent and their