Arizona republican., 1891-11-27
THE JOLLY MANDARIN.

mind that she would bend all her ener- gies to wheedle Aunt Phoebe out of the old blue ginger jar that Uncle Julius had brought home from China, little thinking that the old slant eyed, fat sided mandarin would take such jocu- lar interest in her joys and sorrows.
 The old blue jar had perched for many years on the corner of the high mantel- piece in the old fashioned country par Tor, and Aunt Phoebe knew that if she gave it to Clementine she would have dreadfully lonesome feeling every time she stood on chair to dust the old clock, the shells, the peddler vases, the feather fans and other companions of its lofty abode. But Clementine was an accomplished wheedler, and the fond old aunt finally said she might have her wish.
 When Aunt Pebe gave over to Clem- entine her right and title to the old blue jar, Randall was leaning in the window and idly sitting rose leaves from the old climbing vine through the meshes of his tennis racket He sympathized with her lively admiration for the antique and unique in china, and was glad that she had attained her hearts desire; but a moro absorbing interest possessed his manly breast.
 Clementine was going home in the morning, and he had been trying in vain for several days to get the feeble cour- age of his ardent convictions up to the declaratiye point. She was such live ly, fun loving girl, and love, you know, is such intensely serious business. Sev- eral times Randall fancied he had found her in sober and properly receptive frame of mind, when, with a triaing jest, she would defeat his intention and put the little god to flight.
 Now, however, when the slant eyed mandarin on the blue jar winked at him through the vines, Randall sad to him. self enthusiastically:
 Well, old boy; that's the very thing! Thank you for the bright ideal Are they all as clever as you are over in China?'
 That night, in his room under the caves, l 9 const Icted al eloquent letter to Glen ntine, md il le early n orning sneal;et into tl par or and de2o tied it in tn, robust b som If the old blue man. darip
 "Ii she fines it bef)r she goes home it is all right" aid the tinorous, adoring fellow, land if she doesn't find it until sfterward it will be all right too"
 But the mandarin felt little funny that day; so when Oementine packed her trunk he inspired her to stuff the ginger jar full of her silken hose, that the precious article might take no risks of breakage in its voyage. So, when Randall parted from her at the station she made no sign of knowing anything in particular, and bis hopeful heart de- cided that she would surely find the let ter when she reached home, and he would then hear from her.
 |. Now Clementine was girl who al- ways had great many things on her mind, and when she had unpacked the treasured jar and placed it on a dainty table in her pretty parlor-with self congratulatory thought that it was So respectable to have things that ones relative had brought from China-she wholly forgot the curious load that the mandarin had on his breast She missed her silken hose, of course, and pestered Aunt Phoebe with messages about them.
 In Milltown, as you may imagine, Randall waited for the answer to his letter. Awhile he waited patiently, then impatiently awhile, and then diyed into his law books with that "composure of settled distress" which lovers have known in every age and cline. He did not dream that the slant eyed mandarin would be guilty of the ungentlemanly trick of intercepting a love letter.
 But the fun loving mandarin knew what he was about. He was not with out experience in these matters, and he wanted to punish Clementine trife, and bring her to the proper condition of seriousness.
 And Clemenfine was feeling the situa- ton with all the sobdety that was desir- skle. She had suspocted all summer that Randall had b tender feeling for her which she felt qualified to reciprocate, but she was proud girl, and could not, by feathers weight, influence the bal ance of his attentions. Therefore. be- hind he< smiles, she had been not little wounded that he had allowed her to come home without having given ex- pression to his sentiments.
 So she, too, now took on a sober coun- tenance and banished thought and regret by joining several new clubs and taking membership in two or three more chari- table organizations.
 Just before Christmas Randall one day experienced in his breast sort of i'm perative ntimation-perhaps direct from the slant eyed mandarin, who knows?- that he might hear of something to his advantage if he should go down to the city and call upon Clsmentine; so. after some futile resi- ten co to the message, hd betook himself hither.
 He was graci usly re eiyed by Clcm- entine- hat is, ,raci )u ly enough for a young nan who had p ayed the triher with her invisible ahecions--and he seated himself in cozy chair near the