The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-04-10
The Black Spot. I

There was much mirth in Hong Kong
The ball at the club-rooms in Victoria Town
eclirsed those which the governor and chief
Justice, and the one hundred and seventeenth
in their white washed mess-room, and the
admiral on board his gailylighted flag ship,
had given during the past fortnight.
Beyond comparison, the belle of the ball
ZOO n was the beautiful Mrs. G.. a fair young
wife, almost bride, who had just come out
from England with her husband, Captain G.
the junior captain of the rifles. All the en-.
signs and middies, and half the lieutenants,
naval and military, to say nothing of the
parboled young gentlemen in mercantile
houses, were fairly raving about the ang, lie
stranger. The foolish boys devoured her
with their eyes, and wrote sonnets to her
eyebrows, for aught know and she never
moved along the little parade at band-time
without an overwhelming escort; but no
one ever said Geordie was not worthy Of the
good luck he had found, and the great prize
he had drawn in the lottery matrimonial--he,
the "best fellow" in the service. On this
night Mrs G. was ia the highest spirits, and
waltzed and firted, well to all appearance,
and was the very center Of attraetion-the
target of all eyes. Geordie, who knew her
too well to be easily made jealous, was in
very good spirits, too so were most people.
Mrs. G. went through dance after dance,
al, L., oIp rod tocf fo
and spirit, and still partners buzzed about
her, and her little ivory memorandum
was as filled with writing as a bauk ledger.
When she entered the tea room on one
occasion, early in the evening, the old COM
prador Ching Lung who presides over the
walters, and was steward Of the club, started
as he looked keenly atthe beautiful "Faukwil
lady. She passed by him, repressing, good
naturedly, smile at his outlandish dress
and figure He started after her with SEEM
ing rudeness or curiosity, and then gave
grunt and wheeled off to his avocations.-
Several officers noticed this bat Ching was
o character, and no one asked what he
meant, or if he meant anything. 1t was an
hour or more before Mrs. G. left the ball
room again. This time she entered the sup
per-room leaning on her partners arm. While
the latter procured her some refreshments,
the old Chinaman hovered near, looking
sharply at the fair "barbarian,' and then
drew back with muttered remark in his
native tongue. Mrs. G. never noticed him
Two minutes after Ching Lung was seen in
close confabulation with the doctor of the
Rifles, a sensible, experienced surgeon, who
had been in Hong Kong three years, who
had served on the medical staff in the old
war, and who was regarded as the chief pro-
fessional authority on the island.
DR.. Rogers was man who knew China
we'll. He seemed much disturbed as Ching
took him by the lapel of his coat, and whls-
pered some communication. The two mems
eyes ranged across the ballroom, in the
doorway of which they stood little apart
and fixed on Mrs. G. The eyes of several
Ioungers followed theirs by common in-
pulse. What did they see /? Surely no ter
rible sight, but a young, happy, high-bred
English woman, radiant with beauty, health,
and gaye.y, crowned with flowers, and sweep
ing through the ballroom like its queen
What was there in this to make old Ching
purse up his expressive Chinese. mouth,
and DR.. Rogers lift his eyebrows, and bite
his lips, with brow that knit with spasms
Of involuntary anxiety Smoothing his
rufflsd brow, the doctor slept from his place.
passed Mrs. G., and looked full and stead
lily on her face. She looked surprised. and
little annoyed but presently turned away
smiling. She thought the doctor, no doubt,
an odd, rude old gentleman. Very m, CT,
compressed were the doctors lips, and very
often did the frown Of care return to the doc
tol's brow, as tc threaded his way through