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[61.
HONGKONG STORYETTES.
-THE VISION OF THE WEST PORCH.
[Br.. JOHN SAMPAN.]
All games and characters in these storles are fatitious,
And
I heard the story from Dick Cameron, | foolishness of pandering to the vanity af clergyman and schoolmaster, and he told women who were even greater fool than me that his wife, Bessie, at whom we themselves The simpler, homelier type always laughed for her trick of jumping of life, lived by such people as Dick to hasty conclufious, sensed domestic Cameron and his wife, beld no kind of disaster the very day the Rev. Basil attraction for her.. women like Whitehouse arrived back in Hongkong pretty, wholesome-minded Beasis were after his Home leave, and introduced to all merely frumps" to her somewhat them all his English bride, before he went erratio mental vision. So one thing led on with her to their inland home. He to another, and long before their child bad-lots of friends in the Colony, for was born, she was spending nearly all her his work often brought him there, and island city, and it was clear to all that time away from home, down in the while on the island he was always a neither her husband nor his coming familiar figure in the pulpit of St. John's child had the slightest place in ber Cathedral.
heart, or the callously physical organ that served her as such.
the same brand as she herself, and will not trouble to glance in the dire tion of her stumbles. But Whitehouse hau always been an unrivalled gegius at holding his tongue, and what he thought about it, either then, before, or after, was never more than a matter of con jecture to anyone but himself.
were all miserable creatures like his own silly little wite! It's perfectly saintly of him to excuse her as he does, but in his effort to make everyone else excuse her too, hu is dragging all womanhood down to the same weak level. Sauce for the goose' is not "sance for the gander'— if women were not made better than men, and intended to remain so, there wouldn't be much consolation for us in bearing ∙all we do for you stupid 'creatures 1'?
Whereat Dick would laugh heartily and tell her she ought to take his pulpit for him the following Sunday,
The Camerons as a rule attended Evensong at the Cathedral. In the morn, ings Dick preached at one or another of the churches or at his own school chapel, but he was seldom required in the oven- ings, so they generally enjoyed themselves One early July evening, not but temper as members of the congregation then. ed by a gusty breeze that swept in the windows and helped the electric fans as it laughing at their artificial efforts, Bossie settled herself back in her seat
with a sigh of resignation as the Rev. Basil Waitehouse ascended the pulpit step He looked particularly well that evening. His black hair was very grey round the temples now, and there were But in spite of these signs of age he many lines round his mouth and eyes. was, at fifty-six, a remarkably bandsome man.
ecat or wrap, was found at the harbour's edge, washed down evidently, by the monstrous force of water from one of the overflowing nullahs, "in the fury of the storm.
Exquiries were made at the various hotels, large and small, since no local' resident came forward to claim the body; and it was ascertained that at one of them that morning a lady and gentleman. had booked a room, under the name of "Mr. and Mrs Jones!" And directly. after tiffin, the gentleman had gone down. stairs with a "boy carrying a suitcase which he had put into a rickiha, and the stranger had been whished away to join one of the small northern-bound steamers. in a few days, and that she would do the He said his wife would be following him
nancial settling up when she left... really nicant to join him was a matter Whether they had quarrelled and he pur. posely had deserted her, or whether she that would always belong to the great Certain it is that he never returned, and ailences, for no-one would ever know.
ac-one bothered to trace him, or, at last, not to any extent beyond that of mere
no
fermality and oficiaidom, for the lady's belongings covered, in value, her actual expenses, though with very little surplus: quietly left alone. and for certaju reasons the affair was Sometimes, even under entirely new. newspapers can be kind. The hotel was management, and The Cathedral was uncommonly well- thereabouts before, no one would have ever if these people had ever been seen Alled for a July evening, especially, as the typhoon signals had been up all day, just two ordinary and very commonplace. tzken suicient notied to recognise them. as if in reminder of the treachery of the looking travellers in the rush of the soldiers and sailors and Chinese students lady had left the hotel late that night, island's good-weather smile; there were tourists comings and goings. But the visiting clergyman had quite a large had not returned. Her room-boy told his as well as the European civilians, so then the height of the great stormy and she drastic sentences. congregation at which to hurt his usual story graphically, My go loom, makee
talkee bed ploper, eight clock-Missy have plenty ely." And the hall-boy told how wancbec any dinner-Missy
suade her from going out in the wind and y he bad tried, though to no avail, to dis
the rain. Their information could hardly be relied upon, however, for a third both confused "boy" solemnly avowed that they had Mrs. Jones' identity lady, who had left the hotel and the and movements with those of another Colony early on the Mandey But the drowned creature with the lady who had manager of the hotel identified the 'poor arrived on the Sunday morning, dress and all, beyond a doubt, so that was all that was heeded. She had probably, he sug gested, set out to End a certain place that night, missed her way and her footing. and fallen into the rushing nullah, easy enough in the wind and darkness, and so met her death,
"Awfully out-of-place subject for all these boys," commented Cameron to him- self. Foor old whitehouse will be going off his head over this sort of thing if he doesn't look out
The discourse, if it had not been so wearisomely stale, was a good one and the threads well held together, and it drawing to an impressive close, when he was evident that the preacher was just suddenly paused, passed his hand over his forehead, gripping the pulpit-rail with the other, and gazing, staring fixedly for a few odd seconds, right down at the door light still, though the lights were on, and of the big west porch It was broad day- everything could be seen as clear as noon- atmosphere was tense and strained. No- day. For nearly minute the whole one except those at the extreme back of the Cathedral could see what was going on in the porch and open doorway.
Then the watcher at the pulpit recover- ed himself. Those in the. front seats
At the time of his marriage, the Rev. Basil Whitehouse was close upon 50, and
After the baby arrived besutiful he never seemed to have bothered much little girl it was, too-she gave up much even to look at a woman before, except of her reckless rushing after mere sense- in purely business-like way, as they less amusements, but the pleasures that served to help him in his semi-missionary, became hers instead were of a subtler. semi-parochial labour. He was quite a less childish, more sidious kind. Of fine type of man, with sound orthodox course, Whitehouse stw it all. What be opinions, which never inclined to ex actually did not see with his own eyes, tremes in any direction, a little cold and through hot being always with her, he formal in his discourses perhaps, shade new fast the same; everyone is sure cynical on occasion, and again more than of that! The idea of the trustful hus shade kindly in sorrow or distress. band's blindness in these cases has seen Ilis appearance, too, was in his favoured ever to me a keenly humorous and well-built, with glossy black hair, only pathetic thing; as though any mortal just streaked with grey, keen brown eyes, mate, possessed of human passions and and a generally well-groomed air that the natural gift of healthy suspicion, made him look more suited to be the cauld be really blind-unless he be of priest of some fashionable city church than in charge of an, outside, largely native community in South China. And, except in the matter of his wife, I always heard of him displaying a good stock of solid commonsense. Bat, in the matter of his wife As far as general opinion went, she was about as inadequate a bit of so-called womanhood, especially for a clergyman's wife, as could be found in the proverbial day's march. A few loyal souls of her own sex, and a few disloyal ones of the masculine gender, stuck to it that she was passably pretty, though of the commonplace vivacious modern type, and quite charming if she felt inhusband, not long, after her second child could hear distinctly his laboured gasp clined; but of her one accomplishment, was born; and of its paternity poor tiny of which she was inordinately proud, I soul, with the tell-tale likeness of its don't think even her fondest admirers parent's folly on its face, the less said had much opinion, except perhaps her the better, adoring husband, whose ideas he was too Basil Whitehouse nerer divored his cautious to disclose. She fancied the wife. There were some who said that he could paint-and she obtained a certain used his religious scruples as a cleak for degree of publicity, she called. it fame, his spiteful determination to deny her over het pitiful daubing; but that was freedom and marriage with the man sh only through the strenuous efforts and loved. Hat there are alwaye people to misguided assistance of someone who bad give voice to those smart, theories as all with some professionals in the Lameron said- "They had to say somer artistic world-and that takes as ahead thing! Anyway, she went on living of my story.
at home, maintained by her far-away, It was a glorious evening in September hard-working husband, and pursuing her when they arrived, and quite a number ridiculous efforts as an artist, having of friends were there to welcome them, to got in with an artistic set, some of whet congratulate the fortunate man and wish were relatives of the aforesaid naval the bride good fuck, with the usual polite man. assumption of doubt as to her wisdom of choice which that absurd observance of ettiquette implies.
To shorten a dragging tale-a blasé young man, who wore the uniform shame to him-of a Commander in His Majesty's navy, strode at last into the centre of the stage. And, after much pre- liminary by-play, Stella Whitehouse was sent quietly home by her muck-enduring
And Whitehouse's maiden sister took charge of the upbringing of the two children; even that fact being accounted for by him with, the excuse that his wife's health was too frail for her to have the strain of their care,
for free heath, as he finished his son- sinned and come short of the glory of tence. Remember, friends, all have God.'-cct one, or some, but all-each according to his or her own cemptation!" the Father but he said no more; in- Then he turned. "And now, to God stead he shipped down, fainting, and two men from the choir, just at the back of fell. They helped him out into the vestry him, sprang up in time to hold him as he with very little fuss. And the resident chaplain gave out the closing hymn, and the service finished with no commotion at all, only, a, feeling of sympathy for the man whose strength had so evidently failed him through the summer beat.
Dick Cameron slipped round to the choir vestry immediately. They had been fanning the stricken toan and giving him water, and had left him alone now, and he was looking almost himself again, Rave for a strange expression of perplex ed wonder in his eyes.
And when Dick Cameron, with some plausible excuse, went to look on the grey-white face-it was scarcely · bruised at all from its terrible death-journey-he felt no "shadow of surprise to see the he feel surprise when he clapsed the band features of Stella Whitehouse, Nor did of Basil Whitehouse, to And that he had he asked a few careless questions of that gone on the same errand. Not yet when
hotel manager, and knew quite surely from his description that "Mr. Jones was Stella Whitehouse's former lover.
beauty of the cemetery at Happy Valley, among the maguclias and hibiscus; and someone it mattered little, who-put up aplain, simple cross of grey Hongkong granite, with nothing on it whatsoever but the date.
They buried her in the wonderful
Daly a few months later, the Rev. Basil Whitehouse was bravely attempting to aave the life of a little Chinese child who had fallen--or been throws more, likely, for it was a little girl-into the river from a sampan, up at Canton; he saved the baby, but the waters claimed their toll; and, like his wife, he was drowned.
1 asked Dick Cameron if he would tell
"Of course, I know, from what you've told me," 1 said, " that they had bolted together. But I mean-why should they return to Hongkong? And do you think she really was there at the west porch, in a long, white dress, as he said Or do you think it was only-weil-a vision, you know?'*
And it was after the little welcoming dinner was uver, and all the good-nights and good wishes said, and Cameron and It was a very sordid story, I thought. his wife were having their usual chummy Any of the cheaply "up-to-date" tales "I never fainted in my life before," chat on the verandah of their Peakside which we are in the habit of reading, and he said apologetically. It was a ridico me what was his real opinion of what had bungalow, that Bessie made the remark of condemning, would have fitted in with lous thing to do. But there was some-occurred that, July that betrayed the combination of pro-it. Except that Basil Whitehouse was so one standing in the doorway, you know- phetess and private detective in her. very much the soul of conventionality and she looked up at me-a woman in a
Dick, I don't think I've ever seen and high morality where these things long, sweeping white dress." a more gorgeous sunset than we had to were concerned. He went. on working and glanced around, as if to make sure The Rev. Basil Whitehouse stopped, night
ight."
like a Trojan, among English and "No," said bar, husband, "It was unChinese alike. Ho fougat for all sorts they were alone. Cameron," he went usually fine. What else, Bess}" This of reforms to better the condition of the on in a queer half-whisper, "I know with an anticipatory smile. *
lower class Orientals. Indeed, he became Well," said Bessit, and paused entirely a missionary in his service to Then When we were all coming over them, and no work was too grimy or from the ship on the launch, it was so gruesome or uninteresting to secure his heavenly the whole beauty of everything, attention and devotion. I mean: the clouds,and the harbour and It was about then that he commenced the islands, and the Peak and Tai Mo to preach his famous sermons that an. Shan and Lautau-in every direction noyed Bessie Cameron so much. They that one could look-that it simply took were sermons against divorce, and I call my breath away; and I know Molly them famous because his Hongkong Burrows and Mrs. Hunt felt the same friends became so use to them that they even though we are all used to seeing it learned to look for them every time he every day. But Mrs. Whitehouse-her-preached at one of the Colony's European home, through the now quickly gathering husband says she is an artist, you know churches. Someone would say genially-storm, up in the Peak tram," and along -was so busy talking and enjoying the "Whitehouse is down again-ba's to the country road in chairs, and as they jokes of those two naval boys Mrs. preach at our church to-morrow, so I sup stood, dinner over, on the closed-in Newcome's brother and his friend-that pose we shall have another treatise on verandah watching the wonderful evening she didn't have time to look at anything the divorce laws!" And the supposition turn into a night of shrieking wind and
was sure to prove"correct.
torrential rain. round her. So I just wondered. She stopped short,
But Dick was in an uncommunientive mood or possibly a shrewd one. He only laughed, and rose larily from the depths of his rattan loungn-chair...
Bessie's indignation towards these tirades was not because she favoured a dissolution of the marriage-tie as an easy way out of troubles-quite the reverse What she objected to was his attitude towards what he called the injustice of the old law, whereby a man might obtain decree against his wife for the sin of adultery, while she had not the same. advantage regarding her husband. Ha said, in effect, though he used more nicety of expression, that what was sauce for the goose was sauce for the gander; and this moral levelling of the seres hurt Bessie's high feminine pride. Of course, had her own husband been inclined to wards staying in that direction she might have felt differently!
Come along, my lasiz, it's time you were asleep when you start romane ing" he said lightly. But he also won dered.
However, it was not left very long a question of, wonderment either to romantic Bessie Cameron, or to any other of Basil Whitehouse's associates, what manner of woman it was that he had married. Once or twice the remark was made that she was too young to be his wife. Be that as it may, she was twenty-eight or thereabouts, and behaved as though it might have been eighteen. "You see," she would contend (she was She made use of her over-rated talent supposed to be arguing with Dick, but tor depicting weird and impossible cari as he really only listened in good. eatures of scenery on scraps of canvas, natured toleration, her opponent was an to take fortnightly, if not oftener, trips imaginary one 1), it's quite as horrible to Hongkong, and she was soon as well for a man to fall as for a woman, but I known as any of the regular Peak re-think God really did give us wonen a sidents a great deal-more so than the higher standard to uphold than men, and majority at any sort of "upper-class in giving it He made it easier in some entertainment that was given or indulged ways "for us to hold it. The world in. Dancing, bridge, tennis, launching, always looks on a woman's fall to be a bathingbo flung herself into them all, worse drop than a man's that is whare whether good, bad or indifferent in the it pays un cuch a wonderful pison of accomplishment of the pursuit, provided homage, in acknowledging that we have there were always men-of a Bort so much farther to falll. Mr. Whitehouse making pretence of joining too, for the pretends to stick up for us women; sake of indulging their own vices, which that is what annoys me, just as though were usually born solely from the sheer we wanted to be stuck up for, and
Dick sad Bessie discussed the extra- ordinary incident, but only in a very few words, after they had made their way
you'll think I'm crazy, but I must tell you, or my brain really will break, I Dick smiled "I have always de- think. She looked up at me, and I saw
nounced anything in the shape of a her face plainly it was Stella, my wife "ghost story," he made answer," so I And Cameron Bothered the ejacula- must stick to my principles I think t tion that rose to his lips, and caly said
in likely they came to Hongkong out of soothingly, "You'll be all right now
sheer bravado-' romance she would you've told someone-have another go at have called it. And for the other ques the water, old man!"
tion-she probably strolled round to the Cathedral, having been there so often before, wearing some sort of a white coat over her blue dress, and paturally kept out of sight of the congregation so as not to disturb things; but what she heard was rather too big a dose even for her- and so she-finished things up the way she did."
There was a pause. And then he went on in a rather lower, graver tone.
*But "It seems incredible that big wife | that wasn't what Whitehouse thought, you should be here," said Dick thoughtfully. know. I never could determine to myself And I asked young Dawson, who was which was the greater fool-she for giving sitting right next to the open door, if he him up, or he for keeping to her. But. saw anyone there (of course, I didn't | anyway, he always seemed very contented say what Whitehouse told me), but he after it was all over; and he never said he felt pretty well sure there was bothered preaching about divorce again. no-one at all
I know he held to it that the third hotel "He might have been mistaken," said "boy' was right in saying she wasn't Bessie. And she might it's, poisible the lady who stayed in her room at dín- be cut here. It isn't either of those doubts that makes the thing seem-queer
in my eyes. It's the fact of his descrip tion's leug, sweeping white dress like she wore when he met her first, suppose.Now Dick, could you imagine any ordinary white woman in a long, sweeping white dra in these days of flapper frocks and bare knees?".
+
wer-time and cried, and then went out in the storm. He thought she had broken with the other man because the sigirt of her old home, had brought repentance, and remorse. That she had slipped away to walk by herself on the hillside-and sitting down, at sunset, had fallen asleep, and so into death. And the fooded uullah had carried her body away Bours after the soul "had left it. But as they That was a terrible night 1 The typhoon | parted, soul and body, she had gone, in broke on a small island just off the the graceful,, sweeping dress of the old Colony, so_all but its worst force, was days, when she had at least pretended to spent on Hongkong, The wind bowled love him, to mile at him from the Cathe.. like demons playing hide-and-seek among didi porch in gratitude for his childlike the banyans and bamboos and the massive excuses for her weakness and his more city buildings; the rain fell in a blind than earthly love....I couldn't imagine sheet, as though poured from some mam- her doing anything so decently human, moth bucket; and the waters tore down myself, either in life or death," he finish. the swollen aullahs on the hillsides, turn ed. resuming his more natural tone. ing them into rushing, thundering rapids.But, there you are. There are
And the next day a short paragraph in
more things in heaven and earth,” etc.—- the account of the typhoon in the local. you know
"
papers had a tragie little tale to tell. A I know," I assented, "Our philo. white woman's body, clad in a dark blue sophy only carries us a very little way, silk dress, spoilt and torn, and without after all!"