San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-11-24
Flnne sJoou SHINING.

Lay the table for two, FiGne; and sery,
supper at once
But monsieur will not sup with that in
dividual thereP'
But yes, my charming Fiine. Why nOt2
Monsieur is q musical artist. | am musi-
cal artist also. We will eat together, eh,
Nebuchadnezzar? And,-dispatch, Fifine.
l am hungry"
Fine withdrew, Lalf vrXed, half laugh
ing, and wholly pD zL.vd. The traveller drew
OIL a pairOt bearSkin gloves, revealing hands
OF singular wniteness and delicacy, but
broad at the finger tips, and capable. Now
that II was possible 10 see more of him than
1t had been, he came out handsome young
ster than otherwise. Ills head was well set
on pair of broad shoulders, and his figure,
which looked ut once strong and agile,
showed to much advantage in many-plaIt-
ed tourist coat Of dark tweed, confined at
| the waist by a belt Of the same material,
| tightfitting tweed breeches which showed
the tOurnure of shapeIy leg, and boots Of
dark brown leather, reaching to the knee,
and laced in front from the instep TO the
ankle.
Now, Nebuchadnezzar," said the tray-
eler, returning TO the stove, and chatting his
hands above 1t, you will probably have
twinge or two of rheumatism after this
| experience. am not used to take my meals
in vapOr bath, but, in the sacred name of
hospitality, bid you steam as much as YOU
please. You don't mind my calling you
Nebuchadnezzar, do yOu?" The China
mans almOnd-shaped, impasEive eyes wan
dered all over him, without curiosity, ap-
prevail or disapprOyal. do you kIi0w, Neb-
uchadneZZar," said the traveller, you ORR
entail gentry have discOmpOsing way with
you, as if you scOTned all the world too pro-
foundry to care to show il. Damp and i'm
pecuniOus Celestial stranger am i'll at ease
before you. / dare say you are thinking
what an ass am to go on jawing in a Ian
guage of which you don't understand syl-
liable. Let us make channel Of cOmmuni-
cation them lie took a tumbler from the
table and tapped it twice or thrice with his
finger. mi, NebuchadneZzarr The Cees-
tlars mind had wandered; but at the change
of tone he looked up, and assumed an atti.
tude of studiOuSly polite attention. CLASP
said the traveller, tapping at the goblet.
Glass" He set it down again, and took
up knife, which he held daintily between
finger and thumb under his guests nose.
Knife"
Knife" said the visitor in q reedy voice.
Glass" He nodded at the knife, and
pointed yellow finger at the tumbler. Then
he nodded at the traveller.
The traveller nodded back at him yehe-
mently, and, dropping the knife upon the
table, touched himself rapidly and lightly on
the head and breast.
Smith" he said, with an aspect almost
~ l..
his forehead as if in inquiry. Smith," re-
peated the traveller, renewing his panto-
mime. bill Smith"
"AhW responded the Celestial, twinkling
again, but family.
'Eh?' cried the traveller, lunging lightly
ut him across the stove and tapping him on
the breast. "Eh?'
"Chi Lung" responded the heather, bow
ing. The traveller bowed in answer; and
when Fifine entered with the soup the two
were bObbing at each other across the stove
with an aspect Of profound seriousness on
either side. The brOad-set Flemish woman
sat down the tureen and burst out laughing.
But he is droll to see, that individual"
she said, blushing after her laugh.
The savOry odOr of the soup reached the
travellers noStrils so temptingly that he be-
came all at once most ravenouSly hungry,
and with affected hustle he placed chair
for his visitor, and mOtOned him toward it
with sweep of the left hand. The China
man drew back little and raised palms Of
protest; but his host put an end to his OBJ
jectiOns by laying hand on either shoulder
and forcing him into the chair. Taking his
own place he served the soup briskly, and,
spreading napkin upon his knees, signed
to his companion to begin. What the lonely
Celestial thought of all this was necessarily
a secret. His features were as expression
less as human features well can be, and he
did not even twinkle over the soup as he
had twinkled over the Geneva. But in imi-
tatiOn of his host he spread a napkin over
his knees, and then attended his further
movements. When his host took a little
pepper and a little salt upon the point Of his
knife from the tiny glass stand between
them, he followed suit. When his host stir
red those condiments into his soup with a
spoon, he followed suit again, and when
these preliminaries were over, and the real
business began, he keI,. time precisely with
spoon and napkin as If the performance
were a sort of elaborate ritual.
"Reverting,' said the traveller, pushing
away his soup-plate and leaning back in
his chair-an example which the guest i'm
mediately follOwed-"r to the theme
on which we last converSed, l confess that
the name Chi Lung does not recommend it
self to my sympathies. prefer Nebuchad-
nezzar, as being more homely and accustOm-
ed. Do you know, my poor Nebuchadnez-
Ear, l pity you profoundly There is some
thing saddening in the thought Of your
friendless wanderings. What would you
have done, my fOrlorn and solitary Chinese
friend, if Providence had not drifted stray
Englishman into this out-of-the-way little
village? Is there a wife in the Flowery
Land, Nebuchadnezzar? Or sweetheart?
Did you bolt from family jars and an army
of little pigtails and small snub nosesP or
did you break a piece of cash with club
footed little sweetheart, and set out to seek
your fortune? How old are you? Five-and-
twenty or five hundred?'
To all these questions Chi Lung very nat
urally returned no answer; and what with
the warmth OF the room and the soothing
influences of the Geneva and the soup, he
even began to nod little, aud film of
sleep crcpt over the almond eyes. The clat-
ter of Fiiines sabOts on the floor aroused
him, and he followed her with his impassive
glances as she set upon the table dish Of
outlets and potatoes,
Bring me a bottle Of your excellent Bur-
gundy, Fifine," said the traveller. "And
NebuchadnezZar, fall to-"
He set an example to his guest, and again
the Obseryant Chi Lung followed him move
ment by movement, insomuch that the trav-
eler was conscious of an absurd inclination
to arise and dance for the joy of being imi-
tated in that proceeding also.
"FlOwer of Eastern politeness, your jolly
good health" said the traveller, raising his