Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-11-19
THE JOLLY MANDARIN.


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
lor, and Aunt Phoebe knew that If she
gave it to Clementine she would have a
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 Ppbe gave over to Glenn
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
more 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
declarative point. She was such live
ly, fun loving girl, and love. you know,
is such intensely serious business. Sew
eral times Randall fancied he had found
her in sober and properly receptive
frame of mind, when, with trihing
jest, she would defeat his intention and
put the little god to fight.
Now, however, when the slant eyed
mandarin on the blue jar winked at him
through the vines, Randall said to him
self enthusiastically;
"Well, old boy; that's the very thingi
Thank you for the bright ideal Are
they all as clever as you are over in
Chinap"
That night, in his room under the
caves, he constructed an eloquent letter
to Clenientine, and in the early morning
sneaked into the parlor and deposited it
in the robust bosom of the old blue man
DARN.
eff she finds it before she goes home it
Is all right" said the timorous, adoring
fellow, ''and if she doesn't find it until
afterward it will be all right too"
But the mandarin felt little funny
that day; so when Clementine 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 his 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 a girl who al
ways had great many things on her
mind, and when she had unpacked the
treasured jar and placed it on 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
AuntcPhpbe with messages about them
In Midtown, as you may imagine.
Randall waited for the answer to his
letter. Awhile he waited patiently, then
impatiently awhile, and then dived 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 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 Ciementine was feeling the situar
tion with all the sobriety that was desix.
able She had suspected all summer
that Randall had q tender feeling for her
which she felt qualified to reciprocate,
but she was proud girl, and could not,
by q feathers weight, influence the bal
ance OF his attentions Therefore, be.
hind her smiles, she had been not little
wounded that he had allowed her to
come home without having given ex-
preston to his sentimenta
80 she. too, now took on sober coun.
tsnancs and banished thought and regret
by Joining several new clubs and taking
membership In two or three mere chari-
table organizations.
just before Christmas Randall one day
experienced in his breast a sort of i'm
perative intimation perhaps direct from
the slant eyed mandarin. who knows?-
that he might hear of something to hin
advantage if he should go down to the
city and call upon Clementine; so, after
some futile resisten CO to the message. he
betook himself thither.
He was graciously received by Glenn
entlne- that is, graciously enough for .
young man who had played the trifier
with her invisible affections and he
seated himself in cozy chair near the
pretty table which held his old friend
the blue jar
As he talked with Clementine little
constraint being apparent on both sides
he toyed with the lid of the jar, and
the slant eyed mandarin appeared to
wink at him three times very knowingly.
Under some occult but imperative
pressure Randall removed the lid and
touched with his finger the sflken texture
Of some mysterious contents
Curiosity further constrained him,