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CHAPTER 4 SHOPPING SHOPPING Miss Kato and I went down to say good night to them before going home. They were sitting in the car looking rather bored. When they saw us ready to go home, they asked if they might accompany us. They wanted to have a walk and do some shopping. “With pleasure,” we said and set out together. Now the station was at the far end of the town and a broad road ran through the town. At about half way it branched off into the other big road leading to the main gate of the barracks. It was a good paved road, and two months before we saw students of the Army Signal School marching along it almost every day, perspiring , covered with dust, and singing military songs. Poor boys! We walked leisurely. People of the town stared at us. Children followed, keeping a cautious distance. The three American boys, in their turn, looked around with curiosity at the roofed sidewalks —in winter when snow falls so heavily and reaches the second floor, this roofed sidewalk becomes a tunnel for people to walk in—at the stones placed on the roof—because of the heavy snow, the roof was made with light boards and the stones were to prevent them from being blown away by the wind—and at women in mompe with their babies on their back. We looked into each and every shop. There weren’t many. When we came to a shop that sold miscellaneous goods, Johnson spotted a small mirror on the shelf and went in to buy it. The boys bought mirrors. “What are you going to do with it?” I asked. “Just a souvenir,” was their answer. The mirror Johnson picked up had a red back. He held it before him and bashfully said, “Monkey.” Indeed, if any one should ask which animal he resembled I should say without hesitation “monkey,” and he knew it. However, it was a fine face, grave and trustworthy—German type, to which young Howard also belonged. Grey was obviously of French origin. We passed the big mayor’s house, post office, bank, and, in front of the barber’s they said, “I’m coming back here to have a haircut.” At the end of the street, we parted. I assured them that they could not possibly get lost, the town being so small. Walking toward home together, Miss Kato and I said to each other, “It is very thoughtful of the Americans to send such boys first. They will surely give a good impression to the people of the town.” As we predicted, the “three soldiers at the station” became very popular with the townspeople. Especially Johnson, who remained at the station until the last, who became the best known and most popular of all the American soldiers stationed at Muramatsu. 28 ...

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