Page:Zodiac stories by Blanche Mary Channing.pdf/64

Rh with her already dust-begrimed forehead in assent.

"What for?"

"Because no one has red hair like that of the August One, except he is a sake-demon: the August One is aware of this."

Whereupon the stranger laughed so loud that the children were more sure than ever that he was used to living on sake, which is apt to make people noisy.

He soon recovered himself, however, and trying to speak gravely, said—

"Know, O maiden! that I am not a sake-demon, but only a man so unfortunate as to have been born with red hair."

"The words of the Illustrious rejoice us," said Cherry-Bloom with exquisite politeness.—"Have we now the gracious permission of the Illustrious to depart?"

"Oh, no—please don't go yet!" cried the young man. For he was an artist, and it had struck him that Cherry-Bloom would make a charming sketch in her