THE HONG KONG TELEGRAPH.
SHORT STORY.
THE PEKING PUG,
BY SAMUEL MERWIN,
EXTRA
HONGKONG, SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1914,
black hair hung loose on her collar, gathered in a bow at the neok. "She makes up for sixteen, thought Edith, "looks twenty, and is probably all of twenty-five."
The girl's oyea were a strange, palo green, the paloat ayes Edith had ever seen. In figure aho was slim. Her thin faco was cuid, vorging on the ascetic, bad appeared always to be under per- fect control. A strange, silent person, who appeared to have no friends and no emotions, yet was inexplicably attractive. The one Below will be found the Legation Quarter of Poking definitely known fact regarding firet instalment of a vitally sheltered at the moment a hor intoresting short story, which ridly fascinating amblage of her was that she was to be found will be concluded on Saturday adventurers and adventure3303uy evening in the your presid next. Set in Peking, it deals from avory corner of the earth ing over a Rambling" olub" just with "the charmed life of Miss appeared rather to please Edith outside the Quarter and not so far Austin," and the Oriental than otherwise; that, until the from the Italian glacia. atmosphere is admirably per lull of the past few weeks, for- troyed by the author. The eign troops had boon arriving by our every train, and panicky Man story will appeal to roaders. It recently appeared oluy and Chiness residents
caris boon hooping into in Nocture'])
gold and silver, their brouz33 And, oh, Edith! While you're ivorios, porcelains, oloisonnes, in Peking won't you got me one silks, jules, and carvings,
streaming frautically. of those darling Peking Page-and a blue and white one? You can out through every gate of the give it to me when wo mount at Tartar City, seemed meroly to stir Yokohama. Probably could the girl.to a romantic impationco buy one in New York, but it for the event. would never be the same. I
reir
Mrs. Wilberly prossed her want to know that in actually bands to her throbbing templos, came from the wonderful old city and reflectel or the burden he and direct to me! You just bears who assumes responsibility can't imagine how I eavy you for another lifo that part of your tour. I think it was perfectly drer of your uncle and aunt to take you there! But aren't you just a teeny bit afraid, with everybody saying the revolution may break out yot-- any second ?"
":
Miss. Austin camo slowly down the broad stairway into the min hall of the hotel, pausing on the lowest step for a glance at the gay, exotic scene before her.
through the courtyard, stepped Are you sure it is safe ?" asked into separate rickshaws, and Edith.
r
LANGKAT OUTPUT.
Total för July-8,433 Tons.
The Langkat utpat for Jur was 8,663 tone and the averag daily output was 288.76 tons:
Mesara. Wright and Hornb advise us that the output fo July is 1st July...
263 ton
$
3rd
**
8th
before her mind could compasa the situation, Captain Waters whirled away. For a moment The Captain souttered them lifted her off the ground and longer she stood there thinking with a look and a word. "Per- almost threw her back into a of this ungoverned, desperate fectly," he replied then, "They recessed doorway. life of the Coast through which would do this any time. There's There was an explosion that little Miss Austin was moving always some anti-foreign feling, flattened her against the wood as with utter innocence but with an ❘ you know."
if it meant to drive her through, adventurous question in ber The Captain shouted at the that tore at her ear-drums, that demure eyes. She wondered 'rickshaw men. They turned off, rooked the ground under her fest, what that aunt was thinking of, picked a way through the crowd, that hurled sprawling figures Was she insane? Did she sup- and entered a narrow aide street. against her. For a moment she paso you can feed a male brute It was nearly dark here. The was unconscione, on whisky, gion, and the Coat Captain stepped down and came Sho" must have fallon ladies for five years, and then to her side.
into" the Captain's arms. 2ad expect him to know adventurous innocence when he sees it?...here," he said, "and have a looked he was gripping her clase in th
"We'll leave the rickshawe Certainly, when her brain clear-
bis iron left arm, and his right th Miss Carmichael started slowly see on foot."
He reached up to take her hand was in the not of lowering th down the steps; hesitated; came back to the porch; hesitated band, but she eluded him and an automatic pistol. She wonder- Th again; and finally stood mction leaped to the pavement like a boy, ed if he had been shooting. loss, her pale eyes turned toward As she did so she was uncom Her eyes opened wider, and she th The two moved squately into the treat and the line of wait-fortably aware that his eyos were made an effort to free herself. 10th the doorway as Edith came outing rickshaws.
intent on the free movements of It must have been a weak effort, 11th there was no escaping them.. Edith Austin breathed deep her slim body, Then be took her for he paid not the slightest 12th The Captain was saying some and looked about with joy in her arm and guided her along the attention to it. thing in a low, passionate voice-heart. For two days she had crowded footway, up the dim out into the little street, that was
He was staring 13th
off short in the middle of a word, ebo could again fill her healthy something that had to be broken boen cooped up in the hotel; now little street.
now a smoking litter of wreakage. 15th They stopped before a row of He raised his revolver again, hes 16th Embarrassed, Miss Austin young langs with the looked away from the Captain to November pir. All along Le-
crisp barred and shuttered buildings. Litated, then lowered it.
"That's what I was afraid of,"
The red chair had disappeared 18th We're entirely indeed, what appeared 19th the girl. And the girl returnedgation Street were soldiers said the Captain easily. the gaze with a rather pleasing meok, machine-like Germans, too late. Not much doing here to be a piece of it was lying almost 20th directness.
anappy little Japanese, slouching after nightfall, you know. They at her fest. Where it bad bean 21st Meantime Captain Waters' American marines, brigandish haven't learned yet all that when the bomb fell, the street. alcoholic flash had deepened to Italians, loose-breeched French artificial light will do for them: was choked with a confused guess it's a case of go back to tangle of bricks, boards, mules, rich rod. "Miss Austin," he walking and loafing by twos and
Car: broes. There were extra son- the hotel that is, if you feel you and human bodies. finally got out" Mies
tries at the gate-houses of each must barry." He consulted his (To be concluded next Saturday.) legation compound. Long heaps watch. "It's early not much of reserve sand-bage were piled aftor five. We might walk along
paving the big street and see the sights." along the curbs like material. From somewhere-no- whore-ated the magic notes of a buglo.
michaol.'
a
The two girls smiled as they bowed; nad with that smile went an unexpected wordless flash of understanding.
You wore going out alone?" nsked the Captain, after a moment.
Miss Anatin nodded briskly, Why not?"
go with you."
Ho WOO .insistent.
14
per
:
Miss Austin looked aquarely at him and shook her head. 'No," she said; "we'll go back."
There was something in the quality of her voice that caused him to relax his hold on her arm. his eyes and out again. A puzzled expression flitted into
*See," be observed in a casual voice, as they turned; if you are still thinking of any possible danger, look at that."
4
a
The natives were crowding against the buildings to make way for the great man. Miss Austin stood on tiptoe and looked over a blao shoulder...
204
249
220
219
223
"
258
244
218
208
181
12
201
"
14th
297
31
283
13
187
宴喜
218
ง
17th
228
294
11
383
影
305
}
358
"}
22ad 23rd 21
24th
25th
**
"E
26th"
97
27th
"}
28th
1
29th 30th 31st
1
Total to date
Daily average
SHORT SERMON.
Faint-heartedness is the word that describes the condition of" The walls of the passage blazed
Lifting hor oyes, she could see
the Christian Church in many with the Mandarin coats, skirta,
the top of the fifty-foot Tartar
places to-day. With a world- wall that backe and dominates
wide and deeply intense mission, couch with one of her nervous privileged vendore were offering precisely loose, fast men of the wore seuiries up there, too-toy
Mrs. Wilberly, who was on the and equares of embroidery that
It occurred to her that it is the Legation Quaster. There
with assured power for its full- ment just within reach, the great headaches, dropped the letter to for sale, Moving about, chatting Captain's type who hold most soldiers silhouetted against the
mass of Christians yet live and earth does Harrist mean by aand-soda with richly gowned desperately to the old notions of radiaat sky. Just beyond either
die afraid to venture, timid, hor lap, saying: What on quietly, eipping tea or whisky-
women, worn, officers in the soolusion, protection, and rigid end of the confines of the Quarter,
irresolute. The martyr spirit | mankind. Much of the Apostolio Peking pug, Edith 7"
more than a mile apart, loomad
must, in every age, be reproduced writing is directed against the Miss Austin turned toward her uniforms of many nations, nearly propriety for their women-folk. aunt a girlish face that exhibited all with the blurred oyes of the the hour, Miss Austin."
Well--it will be dark within the great pagodas over the Chien Wheeling into the narrow way in the Church. It is of the very narrowing tendency of the times.
and Hata gates. She knew that from the Ratsmen Street came an nature of Christ's Kingdom that How carefully do these men-go. no trace of whatever adven-hard driakor, yet all vigorous of
Edith reproseed an impulse to these, like the wall, were occupied imposing procession of mule there should be the continuous newly-delivered from Hebrew turous desires may have been body. Craical gentlemen from stirring behind it. The well-various legations wore in evidence say a perfectly able to, now-the Hatamen by German litters and carts, preceded by demand upon the self-denial and prejudice-explain the compre modelled mouth, the broad, low loro and thero. Almost at her take care of myself, thank you!" troops, the Chienmen by Ameri- buge, gaudily decorated sedan heroism of men and women, hensiveness of Christ's religion. forehead, the straight nose, the elbow, two Russians,& Nor. Itead she merely inquired can in order that the perils of chair with eight bearers and as Moral conquest and spiritasi With them it is meant to run the firmly pointed chin, the healthy wegian, and a Chinese Mandaria Isn't there a native market near 1000 might not be invited again. many outrunners.
encoess are only attained when whole gamut of human needs, The hotel might ba "It's some rich Chinaman," the there is, on the part of each be wrongs, and woes. And should colouring, that was softened by a were talking together in French, by where one can buy dogs?"
The Captain looked densely at pasta. board It is like a little pastoboard
Paris; this, Captain went on, coming back liever, enthusiastic compliance not the Church be political ? trace of ocean tan combined to make it an extremely pretty face. Paris set down out here," she her without replying; but Miss this was Peking-Peking the with his wives and his treasures, with that demand. There are Often she has been so negatively.
Carmichael nodded. "Not so swarming, Peking The hazel eyes wore wide and thought.
the A fortnight ago they were all portions of the human body dea-Some of the grestaat social to- demure. Though she had been Her breath cams more quickly, near, though," she said, "It's barbaric, Peking the enchanting.fying to the sea coast for foreign oribed by biologists as vestigial; forms have been carried out not loanging in her room all this and a barely perceptible neight-quite a way up the Hatamen She wished, for the moment, that protection. This tells the stary. that is, they represent a structure, only apart from the Church but
Stroet."
the scattered mutterings of If there was the slightest danger or structures, once more complete often in spite of opposition from rather tiresome afternoon, "hor cuing of colour intensified the fluffy brown hair was in place to beauty of her girlishly immobile "My dear girl," the Captain revolution might really gather you'd never see that outfit turning in functional activity. They are the Church. Think of the the last strand, her shirtwaist was face. Blie was aware, moving weren't thinking of going clean royal Manchu family would flae is a wise person the wisest on state estiges of a once higher of slavery, Bud, again, in the put in, genuinely shocked, "you and break. Then perhaps the into this street, John, I tell you, in a dwindling and degenerate Church's attitude on the abolition immaculato, her porfect-fitting alowly through the queerly cloth skirt was as trim as if it had mixed little gathering, that she out of the Quarter-by youreo!!!" again through the sacred gates, earth."
development. Ae to the function early days of the temperance just beon iroued to her figuro, ought to resent the, really alarm-
Edith nodded, with smiling as in 1000; perhaps beautiful,
of many of these degenerate parts, question. The Church membera painted harom girls would seek
scientists are not sure. We fear collectively felt no personal re "Oh, you know," she replied, ing glaucos of these fascinating eyes but compressed lips,
Then you must aurely let me refuge here in the Quarter; por
that there is in the organised sponsibility in these matters, and rather absoatly tiny sleove officers; but no resentment could
hapa wonderful old eunuche,
Christian Church of our age a the brave, and, in most cases, dog, with long hair and cunning stand against the rising sense of little eyes."
sheer adventurous delight that
Edith right out of Marco Polo and the
good deal that is merely vestigial, godly persons who bore the brunt $1 would come "But who ever heard of a blue had set her nerves tingling. She shrank from the prospect," But, "Arabian Nights,
Behind the glass front of the Nevertheless, as to the general of the battle in the agitations for and white dog? Chinaware, had to pick her way around the after all," she thought,
lying in terror from within the red chair some object was moving. function of the Church there can them were often bitterly malign- pprcelain-yea. But a dog! wizened old native conjuror who haps it would be safer with him secret walls that had hidden the It was a face, doubtless the face be little dobbt. Wo hear from od and opposed by the very
"There are querer things was sitting on his heels in the than without him, especially as intrigues of an empire.
of the great man. She looked many that it should not do this, people who should have been than that in China," replied Miss midst of his glass bowls and don't know where the market is.
For a moment the two 'rickshawe past it to the row of three, four, nor attempt that. For example, their enthusiastic helpers. Austin engely, opening the door acquored flower-pots and mys- And, of course, ho won't insult ran side by side. Captain Waters five litters. Was there a wife there are those who declare that If we are really anxious for the to the adjoining
Loom, then torious lumpy objects under me; he'll have to behave.". At looked across at the glowing face of a concubine shut away in it should not meddle with politics; betterment of mankind, for the this thought she was almost beside him; then, with speeding each? How would it seem to be others, again, who say that it has lifting of the race up to God, we lingering a moment to ask: coloured clothe. And as she stop-
"You go about by pulee, dropped his eyes.
one of a man's several wives? no bueniess to undertake social must take up the burden” with "Uncle Frank basn't sent any ped out on the porch there was a regretful. word, has he?"
faint, happy smile dancing in her yourself, and shock everybody, A German sentry stopped them That was certainly what you had work; while some proclaim that all that it involves. What we No; he's still out with those eyes and hovering about her and nothing ever happens. No- at the East Gate, marked the to submit to in China. Perhaps its function is wholly along the pload for is that the Christian Belgiau ongincers. He says there mouth-a smile that died sud-body ever bothered me but once Captain's uniform, esluted, and he was thinking of the man at line of cultivating religious emo- Church should bravely take up will be a fortune here in opal and denly when she found herself and that turned out to be just arcod seide. They swang across her side with the big shoulders tions and aspirations. All through the Cross and follow her Lord. iron after the revolution."
face to face with Captain Waters
interesting.
the flat glacie to the wide and and the watery bluoeyes-perhaps the centuries there have been Simon of Cyrene was "compelled" An expression that might have and the girl gamblor.
The Captain burried in for his popalona Hatamen Street. As the experience was not wholly those who have tried to limit and to bear the Crosa after Him. meant great inner impatience. She had met the Captain cont. Miss Carmichael's eyes they turned north, the Captain unknown to the secret-most hearts confine the offices and operations That compulsion of indignity flitted across Miss Austin's face, number of times since he had followed him; then she turned showed his teeth and pointed of patient women in Western of Christianity in the world. and shame is upon us 11a But ahe composed horseli proved useful to her unclo in and looked thoughtfully at Miss ahead. The light was fading lands. She wished she hadn't They have seen in it a force mak- because so large a number of His instantly, and gazod with arranging one or two rather Austin. You won't like my fast, but she could make out a come with him even mayed half. ing for righteousness in a general professed followers are really meditative oyes toward the win-important introductions. He was but why don't you wait until approaching, awaying and dip against a staring yellow man. If merely a superior sort of civilisa. will is not impressing itself upon saying it," she remarked quietly; long string of laden camels a step away from him, almost way. With them it has been ashamed of His Cross that His dow. "I was just thinking," a man of nearly middle age, with she mured, that it might not close-cropped moustache, folks?"
morning and go with your own ping and winding above the the man only knew how she hated, tion creating a better social en the life of this State to-day. be too late yet to go out some lushed face with minute but
traffio of the street like an end- hated to be touched m
vironment, and all the institu- Ussful reforms would, in recent where and buy the dog."
Miss Austin bristled, and was less brown serpent. observable purple veins over the
A dark figure appeared on a tions of the Taith have been years, have been carried out it lingered a moment longer, then cheekbones and on the nose, pointedly silent...
"You see," be called across, roof further down the street, regarded only na necessary to its Cluistion people had only been The girl gambler gave a little "the danger is past now. nearly where the red chair was perpetuation. How large a num game (to use a vulgar word) suddenly turned and entered her weteryne eyes with a network shrug. I know him," she said. Trallic is going on again. You passing. He wore baggy trousers ber of such Christians have to do their duty. If we are to
of criss-cross lines under each,"He's the wrong Bort.' and magnificent shoulders.
can trust John Uhinaman's in- and legginge, a carbine elung shunned the responsibility which falfil His plan for the world we Edith bad lately made a point of and turned away. Then the
Miss Austin pureed her lips stinot."
across his back, a small turban on a vital personal connection with must go down with Him into the avoiding him.
Edith looked about. Hundreds bie bead, and on his left wrist a religion should impose on them? depths of obloquy and scorn, Wa But the Church of Christ has must go forth to Him without The girl gambler, on the other and was struggling into his coat. passing; coolies in tatters or bare bim for a Manohu.
Captain was with them again, of yellow-skinned ones were falcon. By this token she knew Mrs. Wilberly Bank buck hand, was easily the most inter He quite annecessarily took of back and leg, merchants in
manifold, wide, and all-embrace the camp bearing His reproach, among the cushions and sighed. esting person in the hotel. Edith's arm as they started down long blue gabardines and black hand, poised it for an instant, of Jesus as to His Kingdomas prince amid the scenes of Egypt's The man slowly raised bis right ing functions. All the teaching Moses did it. Brought up ne a "Girls, ebo roflected, aro Apparently the lived there alone. the stops. She withdrew it and skull-capa with red buttons. A then throw something that might Be loved to call it Hist Sermon advanced civilisation, reared in becoming utterly unmanageable the dining-room she always moved away from him, chatting few young men oaught her eye, have been a piece of pipe, sud on the Mount His parables, Hie "the lap of luxury," and "learn. emancipation and independence in the evenings, she invariably walked along And Miss Car shouted Oriental insulte, and into the shadows of the Street:
with all the ideas of had a tablo to herself. Except with porfect composure, as she fell in and ran behind her. that circled slowly end over end. instruction of His disciples, and ed in all the wisdom of the they pick up nowadays." That wore a simple blue middy blouse michael stood looking after them, swelled to a crowd.
His replies to His orities indic Egyptians,” he ́ ́ ́ esteemed the this very hotel, here in the and a short blue skirt; and hor closely, until they had passed out The Frickshaws were olose.
A bomb!
ate how thoroughly it is meant reproach of Christ greater riches. She heard the word; then, to deal with all the interests of than the treasures of Egypt.
own room.
#1
She
Be careful about going out alone!" called her aunt, in.
voice that rose nervously.
But the door had closed.,
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