San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-11-25
CHI LUN G;
A BIT OF HUMAN NATURE.
BY DAVID CHRISTIE MURRAY.

knight, and entertained by MIN In pagan
land, could scarcely do less than pay for his
supper with a song. Your concertina, Neb-
uchadnezzar."
The Chinaman had already smoked his
cigar to a mere stump, when the traveller
proffered him the cOncertina. He accepted
it with low bow, and began either the dtty
he had sung outside, or one so much like it
to an English ear that his host supposed 1t
to be the same. Now and again Chi Lungs
impassive glance encountered the serious
regard Of the young traveller, and whenever
this happened, the Eng .ishman bowed
slightly, and Chi Lung in his native polite
ness bowed also.
~ am profoundly obliged to you" said
the traveller, but perhaps we have had
enough. Enough, NebuchadnezZar-e enough
Will he never stop? have created Frank
enstein. He thinks am applauding him,
and his dreadful forces multiply. Perhaps
If really applaud him he will stop. Bravo,
bravo, bravo, brayssimO, bravo"
The traveller shouted, and Chi Lung sQuall-
ed, and the cOncertina, with its alternate
sob and squeak, welded the noises into one
appalling discOrd. When this was at its
height, the traveller, turning round with
gesture OF humorous despair, stood for one
moment as il he were suddenly frozen into
stone, then blushing crimson he bowed,
and, turning upon the wandering minstrel,
possessed himself forcibly Of the concertina-
After the unearthly concert of five seconds
back the silence was oppressive.
A lady, with one small gloved hand rest
Ing on the handle Of the door, stood just
within the room, and on her face was an ex-
preston midway between surprise and fear.
Her appearance was so silent and so sudden
that she had startled the young traveller al
most as much as if she had been ghost
She was no ghost, however, as even the sud-
denly bashful eyes Of the young traveller
could see, but real creature of this world,
and delightful to look upon. A little figure
clad from the throat to the feet in a coat Of
sealskin, cunningly fashioned, and crowned
with little hat Of sealskin, from which
number of rebellious curls Of bright gold
had somehow wandered. These bright curls
and the lady's hat and shoulders were pow
dered with snow when the young traveller
first beheld her, so that she looked like q
sort Of winter fairy, queen for all possible
winter fairies. She was quite young not
more than eighteen or nineteen certainly,
and,to the travellers fancy she was exqui-
sitely pretty.
Pardon, madamep he said, stammering-
ly. His knowledge Of the French language
seemed limited to that phrase.
Fifine came bustling in, and half relieved
him of his embarrassment.
"Mademoiselle is not hurt at all? But that
is fortunate, indeed. 1t is fortunate also
that 1t happened so near at hand. Joseph
and Jean have gone with lanterns already.
Monsieur the Baron will be here in a mo-
ment Be seated, mademoiselle."
IAN ACCIDENT" cried the young traveller
to Fine. Can do anything?" He snatch
ed his traveling-cap from the corner table,
bowed again, took Chi Lung by his blue cot
ton sleeve, and led him from the room.
'Wait there, ACKNOWLEDGMENT" he said,
thrusting the Celestial into the hall, and
with that he darted into the roadway, and
looked up and down. Two lanterns were
dancing and waving at little distance, and
he could hear the hrrrying footsteps Of the
man xuho narriad fhau