Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-12-27
who met my inquirins glance with

uohdr. fOor Deggar, he doesn't seem
to possess too much OF this worlds
goods. What's more. Davie. you know
as well as l that In every country allie
glance may be bought. We are stran-
gers In strange land. watched, for all
we know TO the contrary, by those who
DO not love us. All Yon may prove of
use. Unless l am greatly mistaken. he
is shrewd fellow"
Almost too shrewd. I thought. and
mentioned the curious smile which 7
had seen play across hN FACE, and cast
some doubt upon the genuineness of
Mr.. Yon's endeavors.
$50. So" muttered Mr.. Jim quietly.
but am not blind either. If All Yon
falls in his search tomorrow L shall
double his present"
l admitted that this WINS the most ex-
troordinary method OF procedure OF
which had ever heard.
Jim smiled. Perhaps, but we are I'm
China, the land OF inverted notions. II
he fails a third time 1 shall raise the
81 to So"
And so on" said rather mockingIy.
MFR. Yon has only to fail to earn a
comfortable competence. What will be
the reward for the fourth failureT"
Il shall add to the dollars a sound
thrashing, and then-well, / may hand
him over to the police for obtaining
money under false pretenses"
But All Yon, great as may have been
the temptation, for some inexpIicable
reason failed to succumb, and Just be-
fore lunch OF the following day he In
formed Us that he had discovered Mr..
koon-Si Jim patted him on the shoul-
der and gave him a couple Of dollars
for his good news, and we arranged to
set out for the abode Of the esteemed
carpenter as soon as we had finished
luncheon.
Calling q couple Of rickshaws, we,
under the guidance of Mr.. Yon, who
trotted beside my uncle's carriage,
were run out almost to the extremity
Of the native quarter, and at the bot
tom OF narrow. dark looking street
our guide called halt Here the rick
shaw men were discharged, a proceed
ing which might have been fraught
with some trouble had not Mr.. Yon.
who seemed little inclined to handy
words, hit one of the presumptuous
coolies a severe blow on the side of the
head. This effectually silenced the fell
lows garrulity, and he took the prof
fered fare with an idiotic grin.
We were then led up the above men,
toned little dark street, and presently
we stopped before low, wide doorway
and window combined which opened
upon a room some three or four feet
below the level OF the road. Here the
smell Of freshly sawed wood Immediate
ly assailed US, and after infinite peer
ing we at length made out the figures
Of two men working In the interior
gloom.
Alb Yon said something in Chinese.
and presently one OF the figures looked
up from his work. dropped his saw and
then came slowly toward us. Natural
ly my anxiety was very great. for II
was highly probable that this poverty
stricken carpenter, living this wretched
life in this vile den of cellar. was the
man we had come so many thousands
or miles TO see, the man who might
possibly be our salvation.
Therefore I scanned him closely, and
a dirty, ugly, almost repellent face II
was, but saw with Joy. with a Joy
which was not unmixed with horror.
that bis broad left nostril had been sill
In two,
IT'S he" said Jim.
yes"
The carpenter looked up, and his eyes
were black and beady like a rats.
What seeks your honorable conde-
scensionT he asked In very good Eng
lish-
Jim looked about him before speak
Ing. Then leaning forward he lowered
his voice and whispered, THE writing
OF Kung is once more seen In the land.vi
The carpenter bowed so low that III
could not see what effect these wordss
had on him, but from that moment his
manner became one of intelligent con-
sideration, and with many gracious ex-
cuses he begged us to enter his con-
temptible howell. This we did careful
ly. for the little stair which led down
to his workshop was badly conditioned
throughout, while its base was lost In
gloom. Our esteemed All Yon wash
somewhat peremptorily ordered by the
carpenter TO remain out in the street. a
command which he obeyed without the
least demur. Indeed, poor and ragged
and ugly as he was. Koon-Si was a man
OF an indefnable presence, and one in-I
stinctively felt It's influence. He mayt
have been only carpenter, but he was
master among carpenters.
He led US through his dingy works
shop to stair at the back, and bowling
low, motioned for Us to mount. 1t was
but makeshift of a stairway, straight
almost, and entirely free OF a hand rail. :
but Notwithstanding such slight de-
hciencies we succeeded in mounting
with safety TO the room above This, |
though not In any way elegant, was a |
welcome contrast to the shop below,
and though an abominable smell per-
vaded the atmosphere, 1t was the one
thing which is iDseparable from Chi
Dese house and may to a certain ex.
tent be obviated by free use of tobac- |
co. We begged permission OF our host
TO continue our cheroo4s