tabtabt Satoko wore her hair in a straight bob barely hiding her earlobes and the fringe hanging over her forehead was banged horizontally in straightedge. She had an egg-shaped round face and long and slim eyes, and the eyebrows were thinly penciled. Rubbing a match on the table top, She lighted it and turned the fire to her tobacco, then she taught me how to make those matches. Moreover, I found that she was 18 years and besides the date of her birth was just the same with me.

tabtabt "I've been playing for a long time.", Satoko said, "But now gradually graduate and work." she continued; Satoko's younger girl friend came in accompanied by her boy friend and they sat at the same table; Satoko, casually fingering the buttons of the girl's overcoat, strained an unforgettable, still small and sweet voice saying, "Chie, you'd better now mend this button."

tabtabt After that, it turned that I unexpectedly met Satoko again, this time in my town. A haberdashery named "Narrow Path", fairly chic as was in the time, newly opened and I, passing by, found Satoko working in the shop. I was lacking the courage to come into the shop upon the moment, but firmly decided that I would surely visit her on the common birthday of March 10th.

tabtabt Sooner or later, the day had come, and I went to the shop preparing a small present. Looking around the inside of the shop, I could not find Satoko's figure in any sight; for the response of my query I received a somewhat ill-natured answer "If you mention the girl, already left, a long time ago." (In the box, which was sealed with red ribbons eternally, lost destination, besides an fragrant pouch which I asked a favor of my sister, who was commuting to Tokyo, to purchase in a department store, there must have been my trifling poem now turned into wastepaper.)