The San Francisco call., 1906-08-12

hand, this story was so improbable
that anybody, as the doctor had done,
would take it as drunken man. S
! dream. In this, he realized, did the
| only possibility that he would not be
| "scooped" lie. Walsh could get no fur
ther than the recital that the story
would "paralyze shivilized world" To
loosen his tongue, Wilson dragged him
into a saloon. There Wilson poured
drinks down Walsh's capacious throat.
But the more Walsh drank the less he
knew. He had started out with the
statement: The Greatest Shtory on
earth, .Paralyze shivilized world Worth
ten thous any mans money" Gradu-
ally, as Walsh drank. he began to drop
words from the set speech, until he
went out" with the murmur, "Shiv'
VOL" on his lips.
Wilson put him to bed on two chairs
and left the saloon, resolving to ask
every man he might meet about the
STORY" The very first man he met
knew all about it. He was perfectly
sober. Wilson felt himself grow dizzy.
He came back to the earth at the mans
next words.
brought it back from China with him.
He showed it to me the other day.
Most curious thing. you ever saw. Got
a dragon on it with five toes, which
shows that it's the royal seal, for all
other Chinese seals have fewer toes
on the dragon. At least that's what
Keiser says. He's going to make a
pile out of it.. Levy, the real estate
man. is going into partnership with
him."
Oh. but 1t was simple then, that
story of the Great Seal of China
yves" marveled that he had not solved
it before. Keiser had been second
rate politician, until he had left San
Jose to become camp follower in the
Philippines. and later in China. Just
the man, yves" thought, to steal the
Great Seal from the Imperial palace,
and smuggle it into the country. The
college clock was striking midnight.
Six minutes later, Keiser, in scant
attire, was entertaining Wilson.
Keiser was more than willing to
talk. Wilson. the precious moments
gliding fast, almost went mad as the
drawing German insisted upon going
| into the most minute of details. The
alleged Great Seal was produced, a
beautiful specimen OF jade, curiously
carved, worth, it was plain, aside from
any international question as to it's
being the missing seal. many times
it's weight in gold. With his ears
| listening to Keiser, the reporters eyes
| feasted upon the beautifully carved
! jade.
| The seal had been cut from block
about six inches square. dark green,
| almost black in color. The pattern
| OF the seal bore on one half old mys-
| teal characters. such as Wilson knew
were used in the writing of Confucius
and other Chinese classics, signs which
are mystical and emblematic rather
| than graphic. The other half of the
seal bore antique characters, which.
unused at the present day, are still
understood by the literati OF China.
| Surmounting it all, to be used as a
! handle, was a marvelouSly carved
dragon and il had the five toes OF the
royal household of China.
Finally the story OF the German was
| told, story stranger than any fiction
Yves" Wilson had ever heard. Then the
/ reporter rose to go, with an hour be-
! fore him to tell the story which was
! indeed to paralyze the civilized
world The German listened with
amazement to Wilson's excuse for hur-
rying away.
What" demanded Keiser, you're
not going to telegraph that up to-
night? You needn't" as a happy in
spiration seemed to strike him, 'for
it was all printed in the San Francisco
Californian two weeks ago. In Sun