University of Virginia Library

Any Story at All

“The last story was picked like the toss of a penny. I was given three stories to choose from. I do not like any of them. Still they insist I must choose one of these. So I say: 'Eenie, meenie, mynie, mo!' and put my finger on one. A story picked like that cannot be good. It is a gamble. Impossible to put the warm heart into it. I do not play well where is not my heart.”

“Surely you did not drop out of pictures because of that?” I asked incredulously.

“Oh, no; oh, no!” said Hayakawa, hastily. “That was just one of many irritations.”

He thought a while, his face somewhat stern. Suddenly and almost roughly he spoke:

“I will tell you. I will tell you the true reason. It was something deep. It strike me inside!”

Hayakawa smote his chest hard. His dark eyes were smouldering now like black coals.

“It was something said to me that no true man should speak, and no true man can hear. Something that should not come out of the mouth. It was, you understand—not decent.

“I was associated with certain men in motion picture enterprise. They owe me $90,000. I never ask for this money. I think there is plenty of time to pay. Perhaps it was that they think too much about this debt. They

think it good to goad and humiliate me—to pick a quarrel. I do not mind a quarrel. It is all one side, you understand. I let them say this, that, or what they wish, and I do not make reply with my mouth. Then it is that one of them—the chief one—get very angry, and he called me by a name. It is something should not come out of the mouth. Something that is unpardonable insult to me and an affront to my nationality. No man can help where he is born—what is his blood. Only an ignorant coward throws up to a man that he does not like his race. I come of a proud people—a man of my quality could not endure such insult. Still I did not speak. I stare at his face, but I say nothing. He say then 'People in this country have no use for Chinks.' I am not Chink. I am Japanese gentleman, and the word Chink is not fit to be spoke. I continue merely to stare at him, and speak no word. Every man in that room look uncomfortable. Then I bow with politeness to all and I leave that room.”