The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1904-01-28
A CHE Foo
TRAGEDY
BY WILLIAM z. S.
FALES
Copyright. laB. by w. E. 8. Fslcs
~ EVIOUS people sneered when
III Percy Strathford Grey passed
n the civil service examinations

Percy Strathford Grey passed
H the civil service examinations
with high hOnors and said TINT
It was due TO his being cousin Of the
Duke of Eustmnstcr There was an
iota OF truth in the sneer ny there IL I'm
most snccrs The distinguished rcla
tive had aided Percy by the confidential
hint that the Chinese examination was
the easiest Of all aud that tn" chief OK
anincr was deaf aud cgOtstlC. Th"
student took advantage OF the hint aud,
being ambitious and pcrsrvcring, had
no trouble with the department Of red
tape. Shortly after the announcement
came his appointment as student In
tcrprcicr to the Ticntsin consulate.
Here lac arrived IN due season aud he
gan his official work This for the first
two years consisted In mastering Tia"
mandarin or official language Percy
engaged an old Chinese gentleman In
reduced circumstances and made the
slow progress which marks instruction
under such auspices.
He accordingly had recourse to the
method employed 10y student inter
prefers from time imucmOrinl In tia"
far east and bought n Giving dictlon
ary"-.thHt IL, hc purchased from her
grateful parents Chinese wife. Nj
Hu, the lady I'm question. was "A girl Of
eighteen, well built ana strong, NJ are
most OF the women OF ShangtunG. Plain
from Chinese point of view. she was
attractive aud even handsome TO Eu-
ropcau eye. Her family belonged to the
poor middle clnss, so TINT she hnd had
the advantage Of highly educated sur
rOundinga, lf not of n high education
herself. SIZE was bright, lively and af
fectlonnte.
Percy hired Chinese house and lived
the life of II native scholar. His prog
ress was rapid In three months he had
good collOIunl knowledge OF the
mandarin. At the end Of two years he
spoke, read and wrote it ms tluently ms
Professor Giles, the eminent authority.
In the examination which then occur.
red he received high praise from the
Judges, upon whose report he was pro
NOTED from student interpreter TO vice
consul and WINS assigned to the city
and district Of Che Foo
In the hitter city he took n pretty
house, installed his Chinese wife and
lived the happy go-luCly life Of the far
east. Five years passed uneventfully.
Twice Nj Hu presented him with n
pretty babe which inherited his red
blond hair aud gray eyes md the moth
ers Monaghan cheek bones. As she
was devoted mother and they ndmira-
BILE Infants their presence did not dis
turh him in the least On the contrary,
Ire grew quite fond of them. They
were his children by Chinese law. just
as NJ Hu was his wife, but by English
law neither they nor she bore my re
lation To him except II mrretriCiouS one.
Percy did his best to advance himself
Mt Che Foo. His superior, the consul
had grown gray in the service and did
lust ms little work as possible. He was
therefore delighted 10 have the vice
consul perform the duties of the office
BY degrees the younger man exercised
more and more of the consular func
tons until he was practically consul IN
nll but name. The reports and dis
patches were such models MS to attract
the attention aud win the praise of the