1914-09-05 — Page 8

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SHORT

THE HONG KONG TELEGRAPH.

STORY.

THE CAMEL OF HAN,

08

BY SAMUEL MERWIN.

В

EXTRA

HONGKONG, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1914,

need the extra time."

"If you don't mind, Rhoda was groping in utter bewilder dear, will etart early in the meat. morning. Even if it clears up, No traine! No trains for two the ronds will be had. I mayor three wooks! And Mr. Simon Blumstain, of the Blumstein- I'll order the litter around Wilberly group, moving directly for six-thirty, if you say so," re (if with some necessary Orieval -plied the missionary simply. deliberation) toward a private but Edith lid a moment's calculal- unassailably official settlement of ing: then nodded.

the little misunderstanding over They went to bed early; but the Shansi mines, And abe her sleep was slow in quieting Mias self, with that precious woo fen Audia's racing mind. At mid- box, to he delivered over to her night she was still propped un jaunt and naels before this day's bed, writing in her diary. Tais un should set,no secaping that now!-to sit by, rebuked, defeat ed, a mere saddened spectator of the quiet little olimax to Rhode Livesby's life, drame that had been, Chiness fashion, fifteen years in the playing.

was some relief."

American anger.

SHORT SERMON.

What if robbers should come! Railway or no railway, this was Rhods had said that the province still the ancient Faking-Tiber was still overrun with them. How road, where innumerable camels about the hundred and sixty and mules still churned the mud whites that had been killed with and ground up the cating dust in the province not a dozen years delusion that he gains much for and helped the most vital high- before? And what were the himself when he cheats or injures Miny a man is under the way of all history to eat its way blueous faces that came into her another; he may even think that deeper and deeper down below dream-vision-brown faces with he can prove it by showing the the fruitful plateaus. And at horrible mouths and clanting, dellars and cants which he bas intervals, all day long, while this equinting eyes? It was all so amassed in this nefarions manner. fascinating pageant of old Asiatin strange-like going into an- But, in trath, that man is saking life and times was impressing it other star," she thought once,aladiorously partial view of the self with bewildering variety on when the faces had frightened case and is leaving out of the the quick negative of Edith's her swake. That's it like be- account absolutely every factor young mind, the younger of the ing on another star. A different which is of any permanent value. muleteers eang, as he pledded kind of people; a different kind along the road or swang himself up to the back of the pack animal, a

For there is something higher quavering endless melody. Edith Wondered, glancing timidly ont ainging of love. at his villainous face, if he were

of life. You could never tell and greater in a man than the them at home. You couldn't physical body, which is, after all, compare it with anything they nothing but a vesture; and that know about. You couldn't make which is of importance is not the them see it."

apon the vesture, bat upon the effect of any given" transaction man who wears it.

10

Then, half sick from the auf focating air, ele got up and every one of the paper squares thrust her small fit through

face close to one of the openings that she could reach, and put her

air.

whole, nothing which injures one man can ever be really for the Since humanity is literally a

good of sny other, for therm

(Continued from last Saturday.), work will begin within

[Below

give a month. And I can't raise my further instalment of hand-can't raise my hand! It another of Samuel Mer would take me daye and days, win's clover Far Eastern even if I had the money to stories, which he has been con-work with."" tributing to Maclure's Mag She sighed, and for a moment azine. It deals with a further studied the delicate needlework chapter in the charmed life of on Miss Austin's kimono, even that train will be Miss Edith And in the very sort of vehicle beautiful foreign woman with and breathed in the sweet spring done influence, ro only the ilcer, Miss Austin, and will doubt reached forward and abseatly lesa be aa thach appreciated as have been the other stories by the same author which we have from time to time published.] The little missionary looked thoughtfully at the determined, pretty face.

"I oughta't to let you go,"

I feel like a burglar eh wrate] I'm living at this minute every known kind of lie. But I'm sure it's right. It must be. They'd never let me do it if they knew. And then, this way, if up rigidly in the swaying car, Bal wait a minute! She sat I'm all wrong about it, nololy clinging to the sides with tease will be hurt.

There's a train leaving for accessary? Didn't the mission

bande, Was the railroad so Chingting and Peking at seven-ary people travel freely all over thirty to-morrow morning. On these interior provinces? Sarely! Austin, accompanied by a wicker which was now hers to commsad. Gagered the thin silk. "That's suit-case, a equare wooden box. She sat thinking thinking. She Kioto embroidery," she mused. and a very small dog. To-morrow thought of wrinkled Oldjohn back Then she went on "I'm going night at this time I shall be in there astraddle of that absurd to send you up to join your uncle Peking-sleeping maybe. And, little burro, with his toes trailing and aunt the first thing to unless I'm greatly mistaken, on tho the mud of the street. He was morrow, Edith. It's safer. You morningoftheday after to-morrow responsible for her; he could not, see, the governor himself is pro- Mr. Geatherington's old porcelain in any circumstances short of tecting them. It's nearly a day's merchant in the La Ta High death itself, ovade that respon- ride, by male-litter. They're in Street will be transacting busi-sibility; but he was also a servant, the hills, up north, stopping withness with little mo.

and must obey her. That, she Mr. Greene, Blumstein's chief

knew well enough, wasthe Chinese engineor."

of it. At the worst, it could take only a few extra days-there might yet be time. It would be a wild plunge into the unknown

+

#t

know that there is no such thing but all those who are about him, So the student soon com 18 to

cost, and that the only tras advantage for him is that benefit as a private gain at another min's

which be shared with all.

just as she had so often seen it shias at home. The courtyard Outside, the moon was shining,

Now that she could see it all, it seemed very quiet, very peaceful: was bathed in the pale light,

Even the stirring and crunching of the animals took on a friendly sound. And she went back to self-control, be assuredly 80- her chair, and to a sort of slum-quires much for himself; yet be If he gains knowledge and ber her untrained young imagin takes nothing away from any one ation stirred by the age-old my else, but on the contrary, he helps etery of the East-of the peace and strengthens others. Oogaiz int able-bloodthirsty. bideous-beautiful East.

silent-noisy, na be, is of the absolute spiritas!

through Shanai Province. One truth, the interest of one cas extending in various directions in this lower world also, in real There were telegraph wires unity of humanity, he knows that

from Tai Yuan to Chief Engineer can be made by one msn which of these wiros, the one leading of all, and so that no tras profit never be opposed to the interest Greene's compound in northern hille, was humming and the sake of all humanity; that one is not made in the name of and for singing at intervals throughout men's progress must be a little that night.

the

that

At about seven in the evening of a village inn, and waited in they entered the squars gateway

Lounged about, studying the the courtyard. Tattered coolies

insolent eyes. In one corner a little girl way trudging round and round a primitive stone mili, grinding out the morrow's supply of flour, a another corner an itinerant barber had set down his stool and tripod, and was at the moment deftly soraping the inner side of a young man's eyelid. sbe said.

Edith wanted to rub her eyes Here she was, suddenly sat down "You aren't letting me," re plied Edith.

in the midst of actual Chinese And she smiled

It was very romantic and satie

life, with everything going on excitedly as she turned away.

Mise Austin was looking at her factory, early the next morning,

naturally and simply as it bad Girl-like, she had not given all with unconscious intentness. to stand at the compound gate in

gone on for thousands of years. her reasons. She was going to You're perfectly sure,' T'ai Yuan Fu to see that camel. said, "there's nothing you can the strange, gay little caravap but there might yet be time!

ahe the bright sunlight, and watch

from one of the cell-like room They went south on the Han do?" kow "local" the following morn.

on her right came a haunting coming up the muddy street from Just one thing," replied the somewhere, surely, far off in the city streets outside the wall into played on some sort of reed in They were emerging from the minor melody of the Orient, ing, in a spring rain that drove little missionary, with a faint Arabian Nights, to carry her (or the open country of the Fen Ho strument. incessantly against the windows smile. "There's a bit of my

so it had been planned) into Valley. She called to the older another appeared a slim, calm At the doorway of of their dingy compartment. A wrong side left. It's in that the northern hills. The litter in maletuer to stop. He understood, young Chinamsa in a blue gown, Chiogting they changed from the box.'

which she was to ride was a big and obeyed. Oldjohn game rid-eating rica from a blue and-white main line to the narrow gauge She slid the covar off, and tuck Sedan chair suspended between. ing absurdly up to the window, bowl with chop-sticks, Tai Yuan Folios; and climbed, out a large object wrapped in two males. It had a curving with a few extra and inquiring be's positively good-looking!

Why, twisting and crawling along many thicknesses of cloth. These roof, and latticed windows in wrinkles on his face. earthen precipices and creeping aho carefully unrolled, one by front and at the sides. It was

thought Edith. timidly over donbiful bridges one. "No," she asid, with a wist-covered with bright red and blue john," she said decisively. " her car. With some prodding vent and two unknown maleteers, gle toward the light is litting, a No can go this side, Old- Oldjohn now appeared beside ed only by an aged Chinese ser and suffering nobly in bis strag Por Miss Edith Austin, attending to humanity as a whole; that spanned swollen streams, ful noto in her voice, and a faint, cloth. And, delight of delighte! other way. G3 Chingting Pek and much chatter, the bearer had, while on her way north from little of the heavy load of the every one who bears sorrow into and over the terraced brown sad smile; it isn't beautiful, there were tinkly little belle on ing side. Sorry?" hills of Shansi. Late in the but" And she held up her the saddles of the mules. Then,

males were brought to afternoon the train slid cautionely treasure, slowly turning it around there was a pack-animal for her parchment eyelids

Oldjohn's face went blank; his ground. Miss Austin stooped face of the earth. At about two sorrow and suffering of his bro

the T'ai Yuan, disappeared off the down into a wide valley where and around before Elith's star-suit-case, a burro for Oldjobp, Go Paking side!" he muttere 1: and Oldjohn, with much shaking search party, in charge of Mr. When he recognizes this bro-

fluttered. low and stepped out of the litter; hours after midnight the first there as well. there were forts, and frequent tled eyes.

who was to act as ber essors and then shook his head energetiually. of the bead, escorted her up the Greene himself, struck south to therhood not merely as a hope villages, and twin pagodas, all It was a curious piece of pot dragoman, and two hard-faced"No can do! No can do!" misty-looking behind the sheets tory Bactrian camel perhaps muleteers. As abe glanced at

steps of the building at the end rouse every village on the T'ai cherished by despairing men, but of rain, and glimpass of a city fifteen inches in height, mounted these latter persons Edith thrill.

But Miss Austin insisted. of the court. with high masonry

Yuan road. Within an hour, two as a definite fact following in wolle on a flat base of the game materi-ed with a delicious borror. Sure had no provisi908, 15

Oldjohn tried to explain. They When, Edith found herself other parties, in charge of young scientific series from all other and huge gate-towers. They al. The strong, shaggy body, ly, between jabs, they were at There was no folding cor for the took in the grimy woodwork, the scour the hille, each carrying a sbsointe certainty, his attitude water. actually within the structure, and instrument man, had left to facts; when he sees this as an were hustled across a crowded the muscles of flank and leg, the least brigands. platform by Miss Eavesby's spreading, pad-like feet, wore wrinkled servant, "Oldjohn," to there to the life. The long sag

ting: and the rods would be eingle bentwood chair and pri- At five, the patiout, overworked It becomes a posture ever of help- by the highway, even to Ping heaps of dirt in the corners, the week's rations on paca-animale. naturally changes very greatly. dy. It was three daya travel aged, crumbling plaster, the trustworthy interpreter and a toward all those around him. covered rickehas, and drawn for ging neck, fringed with hair,

impassable. a long time over rough streets durved up to a head that was

mitive table, and the brick plat Mr. Harbison started north, with fuldess, ever of the deepest with a great many turns. Then thrown back the moath open

square of dirty matting, that was twelve turbined soldiers from the which clashes with their higher form at one end, covered with a his own servent and an escort of sympathy, for he sees that nothing Miss Austin found herself in aand angry, the eyes fashing, modern brick house, talking to a Bat the extraordinary fidelity of

clearly the kang, or bed, the gamen of the provincial judge, interest can ever be the right Mr. and Mrs. Harbison, who had the modelling was even less strik

excited shine left her eyes and In his pocket burned and sizzled thing for him to do or can aver patient, kindly faces and tired ing than the rich, glassy, golden-

her face blauobed. A charcoal a long message from Mr. Wilber be done for him in any way. eyes. Finally she and her little brown colour that paled to a

br. zier, set in a corner, filled thely, in which missionary wore shown int creamy yellow on the two humps.

blingly he instructed the mule-

that sometimes. Oldjl was beaten, Trom apartment with gaseous fumes. irasciblo business щад adjoining bedrooms to change If the image had lain, as was pos-

tears.

And so it naturally, follows "It is pretty bad," she thought. minced no words in expressing that he becomes filled with the their wet clothing, sip tea, and sible, for nanumbered centuries

There WAS sudden But Oldjohn was watching her, his opinion of one particular widest possible tolerance and in a gravo of Shansi or Shensi, it} **An hour later, Edith was writ Lad bouehow, been protected from

discussion. But Mies Austin only rice, eggs, and tea, prepared quite as if she were one of those shows him that it 10attera Inttļe crowd gathered and swelled the argument voices were raised and she collected herself... missionary for sending off Mis charity. He cannot but be always. For food that evening she had Edith Austin virtually alone, tolerant, because his philosophy ing with a fountain-pon in her diary, when Miss Eavesby enter Edith took it in her bands.

on aside road. Oldjohn, mutter thirsty; but the water, she knew, artby incrustations.

waited.... Finally they turned off by Oldjsha's hand. She was young missionary women. ed the room carrying a square Ob, that colour.! Was it brown,

ing, dropped behind.

what a man believea so long as wooden box. Edith was shocked after all? Was there not a deep

he is a good man and true. Ohar- like the vegetables, might easily

itable also he must be, because his to observe how "frail and white" biscuit" red under the glazed Why," he exclaimed, “I and the twin pagodas. They

They passed the series of forts mean death.

wider knowledge enables him to she looked.

surface? It was warm; it glow-entirely forgot to tell you! I am climbed slowly, slowly, step by still more from excitement. The

which the ordinary man does not She was tired from travel, and

make allowance for many things "Oh, my dear," oried Edith od."

sleepy. A message reached us step, hour by hour, into the hills. eleven hours of swinging and

understand. reproachfully, "you ought to be "Do you like it?" naked the just before midnight, saying that. They were in the sunken roads by jolting in the litter had left her resting! How on

earth am I little missionary.

not three hours after your train noon, floundering along a maddy with an ache for every bone. going to keep you off your feet? Oh, my dear," there was a came through yesterday, five canon ten, twenty, forty, fest But she could not look at the lay, querulous, moaning even, on is always higher than that of the The standard of the theosophi You'll simply break down, dear!" catch of sheer excitement in bridges went out along the rail- beneath the cultivated plateaus of brick bed and its brown matting her bed, while her fat husband less-instructed man; yet he is far cal student as to right and wrong The missionary carefully de- Edith's voice, my dear, it is" way, or were at least undermin- the bill country, They passed without a sinking of the heart. walked the floor, ran excitedly gentler than the latter in his posited the box on the foot of the with a deliberate effort, sheed. It will be two or three week camel trains from Mongolin, Kan. She dropped into the uncom outside to hurry up the searching feeling toward the sinner, because "Mr. Harbison tells me that controlled herself"it is fascin- before they can get any traina sub, and Tibet. They forded fortable chair to think. Then, parties, walked the floor again, he comprehend- more of human

ating!"?

through. It is fortunate that swollen rivulets, and slipped with a sudden rush of timidity, Breakfast was not cold before nature. He realizes how the sin the province is all confusion," she "I want you to have it, then." you are to be with your own excitingly on the brink of more ahe tried to fasten the door, Peking, mysteriously, knew the appeared to the sinner at the said elowly. "There's no more Edith could not trast herself at relatives and under such special than one precipics... public spirit-the revolation ex-all now. hansted that. There's no trade merely looked at Rhoda Favesby marooned in Shanet..... Good-by.gamente on the road. Thore latch; but, like all Ohina, it had eive right to the Shanai wires could possibly be made by the which hung loosely by one leather story. The New York Herald moment of its commission, and so She said nothing; protection for you are certainly There were quarrels and ar- hinge. There had once been a man instantly bought an exclu. he makes more allowance then to speak of. Robber bands are out of big, humid eyea. She A pleasant trip!" still prowling everywhere outside glanced aguit at

were villages in which naked fallen into decay. By exerting from an obliging offoml, who man who is ignorant of all this, the cities; they've burned one of What were some of tho distin- whips; the mules plunged for and snarled in swarms. There move the table over against it.

The muleteers oracked their children and "chow" doge played all her strength, she contrived to promptly sold the same privilege and Sian-Tu. The officials, like guishing characteristics of those off on its way to the northern that crowded close and shouted chair. The evening wore slowly The A. P. man, suspecting this Simon Blumstein, the Baptist posts between here

ward; and the cavalcade swung were ragged groups of riper years, She returned to the slippery

to the Associated Press and to ono all the others, are looking out for Yaan, Tang, even the ancient hills, between grey walls of sun- at the bold, beautiful white woon. She fell to dozing, but was duplicity as a matter of course, director) resident at that point

Barly dynastic periods-Bung, themselves. It is the perfect Ha?" No false alarms," zan her dried bricka and low, curving man who exhibited herself shame awakened over and over again by sent his assistant to the tempor entertained them with tales of th time for the Blamstein-Wilberly thoughts Not a word until roofs of grey tile, and past early fally, without escort, in an open the mysterious stirrings and cronary end of the railway at Pingling, beauty and charm of the Amerio n group! They're working fast-

carts of merchandise. litter. At times the girl's expres chings of the animals in the open instracted to use his judgment on girl whose tragic disappearance Austin saw nothing. Her heart from calm to almost unbearable watchman's gong as he made his eagerly taken in by three lonely

But of her surroundings Miss sive hazel eyes rang the changes stable, or by the banging of the the field. And this last-person, and ses ile quilized world ablaze, had all but stopped beating. Her exe.tement, from trembling frequent rounds to frighten rob young engineers of the North usually clear, if unformed, mind timidity to bearty, wholesome Bers away.

China Development Company

rest.

bed, and sat beside it.

or as fast as you can work

know!."

the camel.

in China." Mr. Harbison says the little missionary, and fitted "I'm glad you like it," said the new papers will be signed back to her own room. within two weeke, and the

After dinger, Edith remarked:

I

in her palaoquia-Wing cuddled She was seated now on cushions in her lap, the box that (her secret) wse to save Shaust beside her on

the cushioned seat. The little missionary, who had insisted on dressing and coming dowa, kissed her good-by. She had blue rings under her eyes, and was white. It wrung Edith's heart to look at ber. Mr. and Mrs. Herbison, who had breakfasted with lior, shook hands cordially.

The leae villainous of the two Oldjoba mounted his burro,

Mr. Harbison, with a sudden re- muleteers raised bis whip. Then collection, stepped to the window of the litter.

A

a

sinking heart. "Go back. See Go back," he suggested with lady." and frowned. "Peking side," Miss Aasti sbook her head, the said calmly.

1

had

By six o'clock in the morning, the provincial judge, the treasurer, and the governor himself were connoil room to discuss measures. assembled in the governor For the killing of foreigners had come to be an expensive lazury.

And all night Mrs. Wilberly

or two Middle. Western papere,

managing

(2%

Copoflided neat Saterday.)

$