The San Francisco call., 1906-08-12
By FRANKLIN HIGHBORN.

wrong Ihaf is
why tho san Francisco Courier paid
him a handsome salary to act as its
special correspondent in the compare
.K.vely insignificant city Of San Jose.
- was only when he permitted an over
Indulgence Of reason to complicate mat
ters that he went astray.
his nose for news" on a bright De-
oenber morning OF the year 1900 led
him straight TO Millard's newsstand, one
ef San Jose's most favored centers. He
had no reason for going there. but SO
unerring was "the nose" that his eyes
were sauarely upon Philip Levy when
that gentleman Strengthened up as
though an electric shock had passed
through him ives" was all attention
In a moment.
Philip Levy had grown old and. inoi-
oentaily, rich IN the questionable art
OF making easy money" ostensibly
q real estate agent, he furnished the
Eastern penny-a-liners and cartoonists
With subject for caricatures Of Cali
fornis real estate men Ee knew Just
shops. lie knew at q glance the com
nerciaI value OF everything salable.
from a city block TO q family scandal
Following his regular morning custom,
ne was at aillard's stand securing
free reading OF the San Francisco
morning papers. when the shock and
Yves" Wilson's eyes struck him at the
nA-s instant
Turning half round. the Courier in
hand. Levy's eyes and Wilson's met
Five minutes reflection would have
made Levy as close as q clam, but
bursting with his discovery and i'm
portanee, he had TO unload or explode
wilson appreciated all this at glance
and edged up closer. There were no
preliminary questions or answers
Pointing with a somewhat dirty fore
finger. that shook with the excitement
that stirred its owner. TO a short para
graph on the Couriers first page.
Levy delivered q whisper with thrill
in It:
Read that!"
Wilson read. The paragraph stated
that the powers, Just then having COM
pleted the humiliation OF China, de-
nanded ten concessions, more or less,
from the Chinese Government, the last
OF which was that the Great Seal Of
China be produced for ratification of
the covenant But the Great Seal OF
China was not TO be found. The Chi
nese claim" went on the dispatch, that
the Great Seal was taken during the
looting Of Peking by the soldiers Of the
powers. but the impression is that the
willy MongoIians know where the Seal is
- are only working for delay. Nego-
II lions, however. are at a standstin
until the Great Seal can be found"
Welt" said Yves" with his eyes,
after he had concluded reading the
article.
closer, so fearful was the speaker that
one Of the fateful words would be over
heard. although he was speaking to the
most active reporter in San Jose The
Great Seal OF China" he whispered, lis
20 Santa Clara County"
Yves" was visibly disappointed A
more probable story would have sent
him of on tireless hunt But that
piece OF news upon which the fate OF
nationas hung centered IN Santa Clara
County, California, was too much for
even Yves" Wilson TO credit, much ad-
dicted 70 the sensational though he was.
His looks, for he said nothing, exas-
perated Levy.
Il tell you, II is." insisted that worthy.
'Ive seen 1t. At 4 o'clock this after
noon" he continued, his whisper get
ting even lower, TIL be at the bank
corner with the man who stole it from
the royal palace and brought it here"
Wilson gave q careless agreement to
be at the meeting place, his small inter-
est In Levy's story decreasing every
moment.
But q few minutes before o'clock,
true TO his word. Yves" was on his
way to the bank corner. His course
took him past the telegraph office, and
following the rule that correspondent
should never pass a telegraph ONCE,
he went IN There was a message from
his paper waiting him.
william Kelly" the telegram read,
whose wife with her four children left
him two months age. shot himself to-
day. Left a note beseeching wife to
kiss him IN his coffin Wife can't be
found. Supposed to be in San Jose.
Find her. Get pictures Of children.
Send her to US on first train Artist
and representative will meet her to go
70 coffin. Name-Mamie Kelly"
Between Mamie Kelly and the Great
Seal Of China under the circumstances,
there was absolutely no choice. yves"
smiled grimly as he thought Of the
picturesque indignation Of his editors
should he neglect Mamie Kelly, and
give as his excuse that he was off
hunting the Great Seal OF China He
failed to keep the agreement with Levy.
Levy did not wait long at the bank
corner. He had spent the day in
fruitless search for his man with the
Great Seal OF China. and regretted that
IN his hrst excitement at the discovery