The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-02-28
THE MANDARIN'S DAUGHTER
Continued from fifth page.)

with a passing ship before the storm o
yesterday, he was safe. If not, he mus
have persisted. The time had been too
short to permit of his reaching land
No reasoning would solve the problem
she must wait for news. But fancy
filed the place of fact, and, as she
walked, her mind was busy with visions
She would see great ship gliding to-
ward the boat. Ropes were let down
and all were safely brought to the deck
Then she would see the storm sweeI
down, and great wave would rise and
dash the little craft to pieces. With
such fancies would mingle pictures OF
the boat alone on the wide sea with nc
sail in sight, and the despairing men
facing hunger and horrible thirst. She
saw, indeed, all the dangers, and the
one small hope.
With her mind in such a tumult, she
at length reached the little house in
which she had passed so many days
happily. Ii Kean sat in the door
way and started back in terror at the
figure in its strange dress, the uniform
OF the Toyhai. The sound of the ia
miliar voice, however, quickly treasured
her, and then when the venerable ia
Their had been summoned the sad story
was told and tears were shed. Sho Mai
offered such consolation as she could
from heavy heart, and the thought Of
her own miraculous escape helped to
inspire hope. 1t was evident that moth
ing could be done. Ii Xiii would send
tidirgs Of his safety at the earliest pos
sible opportunity.
Seeing the grief in the little house
hold, Sho Mai would have remained
with her friends to comfort them, but to
this they would not consent. That she
should sacrifice the competition need
lessly was not to be thought Of. The
old philosopher would listen to no re-
fusal, and from his scanty savings he
provided her with what was needed for
her journey. She accepted his Kindness
knowing that her father would requite
him hundredfold.
A ship sailed from Teng Chow the next
day, and in it Sho Mai began her voyage
anew. Capricious fortune smiled at last,
and tavoring winds filled the sails every
day. The junk had never made so quick
a passage, and the captain to whom Sho
Nal had confded her anxiety for haste
said that the Gods were on her side and
that the prize she sought would be hers.
Despite the excitement and the hard
ships Of the past few days and the fears
which filed her mind, Sho Mai felt that
she hid never been 80 we'll fitted for the
great task. The WEAKNESS of her body
passed away with the rest she found on
the voyage, for the free life Of the past
year had given her strength and health. |
Then the strange experience Of that
year had taught her lessons and had de-
veloped her mind as no mere study OF
books could have done. The joy of her
love for Ii Xiii, tempered by the sorrow
of her separation from him, were forces
10 strengthen her powers.
So she came at length to Picking mar
rowly In time, and yet not too late. The
great day OF the competition dawned,
Ind she took her place among the forty
thousand scholars who, by winning the
Thin Shi degree, had qualified them
'e'ves for this final struggle. She found
10 trace OF Ii Xiii, and yet he might
10 there, for in that multitude their
Meeting was but chance.
In the remarkable hall Of the Han Lin
fuen Foo the scholars gather. Its thou
ands OF narrow, cell-like rooms, devoid
u doors and built In rows upon rows
ike the balconies OF theater. face a
'reat arena. Long, narrow galleries
rovloe passages by which the cells
nay be reached. Each aspirant for
onors is assigned cell in order that
~ communication may be cut off. In
ne grand arena sits the Chung Yuen
90 OF the royal family, surrounded bv
cores OF secretaries. The subject upon
hitch the competitors are to worl, is
'rltten In large letters and hung up in
conspicuous place where 1t can he
sen from every cell. A sharp rap from
mace In the hand OF one of the as ]
stants brings hush like that of death
pom the assemblage. The great com s
etitlon has begun. !
Many heart beat wildly with excite
ent as the task was begun. MANY a
'lliiant mind was defeated by its own Q
agerness which untitled it for the long n
Dor OF the battle. Among all those s
no strove for this high honor it is Q
'uDtful II there was one whose calm
'ss equaled that of Sho Mai. The n
riliing scenes through which she had
ssed 80 Tar from unsettling her nerves. c
a ieft her In state of quiescence t
aich nothing could disturb. She felt n
at all her faculties had never been tt
ore perfectly under her control. Per- n
ps the despair regarding Ii Xiii
lich had gradually crept into her s
art accounted in some measure for ts
T mental state, for who has not known
1t strange awakening Of the mind
Ter great disaster, comparable only
what the aoul xaax- - -,