Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-04-01

WjloQ he lilCH5hl VI ~, ssS Ae'
in strange land. The split matging
he lay on might grow more and more
ragged; the little jade snuff BOTTLE
s[9eight break and the odd far-traXsled
Lares and Penates might fall to pieces,
hut the dragon was always the same.
So long as he kept the black smoke
plDe with the lotus mou;h-piece, and
the small can of opium, and the pea
nut Gil lamp at hand, the dragon would
come and keep him company.
Every night when he was tired OF
his window and felt little lonely ne
he would light the peanut Oil lamp be-
side the mat and cook one fat. bub-
bling pill of opium after the other on
his needle and smoke slowly. The oc-
casional tlme-killing pipes of the day
no more kept the pains out OF MS
lungs, and it was the evenings smok-
ing that was the days event.
When tho air was close and sweet
smelling from successive pipes and
the small lamp fame grew misty, then
at last, ont from behind the battered
grimy screen across the room, Quoy's
dragon would come crawling little by
little into view. through the floating
smoke streaks and dusk, with his pink
and burniched scales rasping. actual
", on the rough floor. When he was
ali In view, his bulk seemed out OF all
proportion to his screen hiding place.
HIS great head. with its horns and
long teeth and the saffron beard from
its chin, was very near the little lamp
between the two big fourpaws. Be-
hind, the scaled back and the folded
wings, and long, silky tail blended
with the smoke streaks and dark
ness. So. very scciably, it would set
tie down on one side of the lamp while
Ouoy, on the other, rolled his pills and
looked slccpily into its big red eyes,
and talked to it about Canton content
edly. AT the dragon had known his
father and Canton city from the Wall
Pasoda to the Flower Roats. Quoy, in
isolation and solitude from his fellows,
was never positively lonely.
\,
dragon had gone, Quoy woke up from
long dream very sick man indeed.
The several diseases and the Black
Smoke had pretty nearly finished him,
and for once the pipe was almost too
far away for him to reach When his
fellow townsman came in presently
and chased the shadows off the mat
by lighting the peanut oil lamp, Quoy
fixed him with his eye and said:i
GO to the missionary man tonight
and tell him to come here. Tell him
| that shall want him to take my
money and buy ME a coffin and send
me back in it to China"
His friend sat down on his heels and
peered prospectively into the !opiun
can.
II would dc that as well as tho mis-
sionary man." he said solemnly and
plainly. Quoys face cracked in a
ghost of smile.
mo" he said 81 would not put a
shadow on my friends cons science.
Bring him here quickly or no oEe will
ever find it.
The friend got up silently an ID went
out. Quoy managed to pick UP pipe
and needle and 20 light the lamp. He
smoked his makeup pipe febelg. Once
he stopped and said, half aloud (which
showed that he was not HIMSELF:
"Many hide money in mating and
clothes ard screens, but who would
hide it in the queue on his head?" A
little noise startled him and he looked
up to see his fellow townsmhn grim
ming III at the door.
The man camc in and deliberately
unwound Quoy's rusty queue, while
QuCy dragged at his hands filriously
but too weakly. When he found the
tight roll cf bills lie laughed and
| jumped back. while Quoy jabbered
nercely Mt him and then ccugHed him
self to pieces. BY foolish word he
had thrown away his nope ofilying in
sacred ground outside the Canton
1oo1loI for