The Norfolk weekly news., 1900-06-14

along the side of the passage and In the
class covered vcrnnda outside the hall
door. lie had wired up for rooms the
night before, so they went NJ To them
nj once n stifr sitting room on the first
floor with cane furniture and n big
bedroom down stairs, one side OF II
close to the rock; In fact, one of the
windows was entirely blocked up by
rock not foot on Hut II wns well
furnished aud even had electric light,
which their sitting room had not.
The childrcn's rooms were far of
down long corridor on the first floor
and fronting the sea toward kowloon,
with wrctched bathroom; cold, crnck-
cd, whitewashcd walls that looked as
If n very small earthquake would bring
them down instantly. The ayah was
sulky and made the worst OF every
thing Not till Mr.. and Mrs. Lawson
nni Fat were seated at n little round
table In the dining room and having
breakfast did the family's spirits begin
to revive. Pat thought II very good
fun to come TO n hotel and attacked the
many dishes on the menu steadily one
by one, ending up with oranges and ba
nanas.
The hcad waiter was Chinamnn, OF
course. All the walters were China
men, but the head man was n very dig
niiicd person, with an India rubber
kind of face and n peculiar way OF tax.
Ing stock of ench guest rs he entered.
Only to n favored few did he attend
himself. The captain OF an English
ship In harbor and n judge of the high
court were among the recipients OF his
attentions. Ordinary casual customers
he rclegatcd to his satellites, who slip
ped about actively in blnck shoes and
very white socks, short blue trousers,
tight fitting round the ankle, and loose
blue collar. A little round black cap
surmounting their pigtails completed
this costume, the usual one for house
servants in China. For late dinner
they MI changed to spotlcss white.
The large dining room was crowded
with little round and square tables:
the sun came out from the fog-alto-
gcthcr 1t looked very cheerful and
bright. Mr.. Lawson recovered his TEN.
per, aided thereto by some excellent
prawn curry.
Perhaps, after all, my dear, you
were right to come up here" he said.
"You see more of your fellow creatures
Mt any rate and can't sit moping by
yourself all day long and imagining
you have every disease under the sun"
II do nothing of the sort, Walterw
cried his wife Indignantly. IF it were
only n question of myself, | would stay
down below"
Mr.. Lawson grinncd unbcicvingly,
but said no more about It..
81 must hurry up to catch the 10
o'clock train" he said, looking ut his
/ watch. 'By Jovc, had no idea it was
so late" Many other men hurried Off
at the same time to their work in the
town, and the dining room was left
principally to women and some few
globe trottcrs who had no fear of an
office below to hurry them over break
fast. Captain Lowry of III. Nj. S. Dis
patch came up and sat at Mrs. Law
sons table to have n little conversation.
''IIave You heard of my wrctched
luckf" he said laughngly. "Scriously,
| though, it Is no laughing matter for
me-"
mo. What is it?" said Mrs. Lawson.
"Wcll, when | was dining on shore
last Friday" said Captain Lowry, my
ship somehow cut junk in half just
outside the harbor, and the Chinese au-
| thorities are making no end Of ROY
| 80 a..
his favortc wife was on board and
| was drowned, and he values her at
| $1,000"
Dear me-" said Mrs. Lawson, "what
: n bore for you! Was she really drown
ed, do you thinkT'
| Il don't believe she was on board at
ALL" said Captain Lowry contcmptu-
ously; these men are such liars. My
sailors saw no signs of n woman when
the junk was run down. Still, it was
getting dark, and the truth of what he
states is just possible. In any case,
| true or not, ! am afraid the naval au-
thorities will make me pay up"
But you were not on board" cried
Mrs. Lawson. What a shame! ! dare
say the Chinaman wanted to get rid Of
: his wife. too, or he would not have sent
her out in junk so late"
"Oh, she was going over to some rel
atives at Kowloon, he says" replied
Captain Lowry carelessly. "Iow long
are you going to stay up here, by the
way, Mrs. Lawson? Isn't it rather ear
ly to come up?"
1T Is bee ,use Of the plague" said
Mrs. Lawson, coloring rather guiltily.
There seems so much of 1t about, and
l am SO afraid Of it,"
II believe there is good deal in the
town." said Captain Lowry, "but Euro
peans do not as rule take any notice
of it,"
mo; know" said Mrs. Lawson.
80 my husband says"
Captain Lowry laughed. 81 expect
he doesn't like leaving his comfortable
house. I'm sure | shouldn't in his
place. Wen, goodby, Mrs. Lawson.
must be off too"
Mrs. Lawson felt on the whole re-