The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-01
STORY OF A FAN.
P~reseD ted ON Black Tray 1t Ordered
n Chfnaman tO Suicide.
San Francisco Chronicle.

bcA n anNAC1
A curious bazaar has been opened in TrouviIIe
py the Duchess De s., who conceived the ingeni-
Gus plan, the results of which are to be devoted
to the relief of the widows and orphans of fisher
men drowned in the late storms. The duchess
has written TO all her women friends. French and
foreign, to send her one of the numerous fans of
which each probably had drawersfuI. The collec-
ton was so wonderful that the buyers of these
works of art were asked to wait another week
before taking possession of them. They were put
on view, with the names of the new owners at
tached to the rings, and they form an artistic
exhibition, which is always crowded, in spite of
the entrance fee being rather high.
The Baroness Won Keep, of Holland, lent, for
exhibition only, a large and superb fan composed
OF fine openworked blades in gold, the sides being
made OF twenty-five diamonds. Years ago an an
cestor of the Baron Won Keep, having succeeded
in penetrating into the heart of China, started
trade in the capital of the empire and got SO far
advanced in the rare favor of the Emperor that
he was constantly admitted into his sacred pres
scholar acted as interpreter between the soyer-
eign and the Dutchman. His name was Y-lin.
He had never been thought much Of by his coll
leagues, who soon became ferociously Jealous of
him and organized a cabal, which caused him TO
fall into disgrace and to be sent to prison. 1t
vas only with the greatest dificulty that the
Baron Won Keep succeeded in modifying the i'm
perial wrath, but one day, the conversation hay-
ing become painfully difficult between the Fm-
peror and his Dutch friend, the former relented.
and, smiling blandly, took from a stool near by
him a splendid fan and handed 1t to the baron,
making him understand at the same time that he
%pardoned Y-lin, and that this fan was to be
SboNh " tHt pTlSOHtT a = a sign OF MS new FAVOR.
Mynherr Won Keep, besides himself with joy,
took the fan, went home and called one of the
officers assigned to him as a guard of honor to
send him with the precious fan to Y-lin. Just
then a mandarin, one OF Wins pet enemies, en-
tered the room and saw the imperial fan. He
laughed g~ood-humoredly though he had turned a
deep yellow, and quietly took it from the hand of
the officer. saying that his joy was so great al
the news of Wins pardon that he would go him
self and take it to him. An hour later a rumor
reached the ears of Baron Won Keep that his
friend Y-lin had performed the happy dispatch.
He heard, furthermore, that the perfidious man.
DARN, before leaving his house, had taken from
a table In the ante-chamber a tray in black
lacquer, without any ornament, and had gone
away with it. a fact which seemed to cause the
members OF his household much dismay.
In the evening the Emperor himself. III bad
English, explained to the Baron Won Koep that
the death of their common friend was the result
of a slight mistake. The imperial fan had been
given TO the prisoner on a black tray instead of
having been put simply into his hand by the mes
senger. The former method was an order for "
lin to kill himself within the next two hours: the
latter was a token of forgiveness.
They don't attach much Importance to human
life in China, and the son of heaven, panied at
the distress Of his friend, the baron, graciously
offered him, as a little consolation, the superb
fan. which has been preserved carefully in the
family ever since.