The St. Johns herald., 1894-11-08
A MYSTERIOUS OFFICIAL.
The Romantic Career of Bel
 gian Mandarin.
His Story as Related by Himself to . Couple of American Tourists Whom He EDtertains in
 Royal Fashion.

: While the young American bicyclists,
 Messrs. Allen and Sachtleben, were
 crossing the desert of GObi, they heard
 much of a mysterious and powerful
 official called the Ling Darin. No one
 could tell who or what he was. Final
 ly, as they emerged from the desert,
 starved, i'll and ra@ged, they were met
 by richly-dresScd mandarin, accord
 ing to the story they tell in the Gen.
 tury. He greeted them cordially in
 clear but broken English, and, mount
 ed on waiting horses, they were at
 tended into the city of Su-chou. Ut
 was some time before the idea flashed
 across our minds that this might indeed
 be the mysterious Ling Darin about
 whom we had heard so much. Yes,
 said he, that is what I am called here,
 but my real name is Splingard.' He
 then went on to tell us that he was a
 Belgian by birth: that he had travelled
 extensively through China, as the com
 panion of Baron Richthofen, and had
 thus become so thoroughly acquainted
 with the country and it's people that on his return to the coast he had been offered by the Chinese government the position of custom mandarin at Su- chou, a position just then established for the levying of duty on the Russian goods passing in through the north west provinces; that he had adopted the Chinese dress and mode of living, and had even married many years ago, a Chinese girl educated at the Catholic schools in Tientsin.
 We were so absorbed in this roman tic history that we scarcely noticed the crowds that lined the streets lead ing to the Ling Darin's palace, until the boom of cannon recalled us to our situation. From the smile on the jolly face beside us we knew at once whom we could hold responsible for this reception. The palacI gates were now thrown open by host of servants, and in our rags and tatters we rolled at once from the hardships of the in- hospitable desert into the lap of luxury.
 "A surplus is not always so easily disposed of as defcit-at least we were inclined to think so in the case of our Su-chou diet. The Ling Darin's table, which, for the exceptional oc- casion, was set in the foreign fashion with knives and forks, fairly teemed with abundance and variety. There was even butter. made from the milk of the Tibetan yak, and condensed milk for our coffee, the first we had tasted since leaving Turkey, more than year before. The Ling Darin us that can of tAis milk, had been mistaken for face cosmetic, and was so used by the ladies of the family. The Ling Darin's wife we found an excellent and even artistic cook, while his buxom twin daughters could read and write their own language-a rare accomplishment for a Chinese woman.
 'As guests of our highly respected and even venerated host, we were visited by nearly all the magistrates of the city. The Ling Darin was never before compelled to answer so many questions In self-defense he was at last forced to get up a stereotyped speech to deliver on each social oc- casion. The people, too, besieged the palace gates, and clamored for an ex- hibition. Although our own clothes had been sent away to be boiled, we could not plead this as an excuse. The flowing Chinese garments which had been provided from the private ward robe of the Ling Darin fiuttered wildly in the breeze, as we rode out through the city at the appointed hour. Our Chinese shoes, also, were constantly slipping off, and as we raised the foot ! to readjust them, shout went up from the crowd for what they thought was 3 fancy touch in the way of riding"