The San Francisco call., 1906-09-02
THE SEVENTH CUSTOrIFP J
AND THE MANDARIN -

naming to him in pavning tho man
DARN in the most distant pawnshop he
could think of which happened to be
Hagar's. AS Mr.. Smith left the court
10 40 his four months a wizen-faced
man slouched close TO him.
bill" he growled. edging against the
policeman. where's that doll?"
That's all right Monkey! I've put
it where you won't get IT," grunted
Smith.
When Black Maria rolled away, with
Bill inside. the man he had called
Monkey stood On the edge Of the pave
ment and cursed freely till a policeman
moved him on. He had a particular de-
sire to gain possession OF that doll, as
he called IT, and it was ON this account
that Larky Bill had taken the trouble
to hide It. Monkey never thought Of a
pawnshop. II was a. case OF diamond
cut diamond. and one rogue outwitted
the other.
In the meantime Hagar, quite m
aware OF the value attached to the Chi
nese toy, placed 1t away among other
pawned articles upon high snelf. But
il did not always remain there. for
Bollxer, a child in many WAYS. notwith-
standing his precocious intelligence.
found it out. and frequently took it
down to play with. Hagar would not
have permitted this had she known, as
the toy was given into her charge 10
keep safe. and she would have been
n inc
or rubbing off the gliding. Bolker
knew this and was clever enough TO
play with the mandarin only when
Hagar was absent He placed it on
the counter and made it sway in its
quaint fashion The waving arms the
nodding head, and the roseleaf of a
tongue Slipping In and out enchanted
the lad. and he would amuse himself
for hours with 1t. 1t was strange that
a gilded top. no doubt made for the
amusement OF the grave Chinese Em-
pePors, should descend to afford pleas
ure TO an arab of London city. But
the mandarin was an exile from the
fiowery land and rocked as merrily in
the dingy pawnshop as ever he had
done in the porcelain palaces of Pekin.
A. month or two after the mandarin
had been pawned Bolker announced in
the most unexpected manner that he
intended to better himself He had
been given, ne said. the post of shop
boy in a West End booksellers estab-
lishment, and as he was fond of litera-
ture he intended to accept it. Hagar
rather wondered that any one should
have placed sufficient confidence in this
arab 10 give him a situation. but she.
kept her wonderment to herself and
permitted him to GO She was sorry to
lose the benefit of his acute intelii-
gence. but personally she had no great
love for this seampish hunchback; so
she saw him depart without displaying
much sorrow. Thus Bolker vanished
from the pawRshop and from .Carby.s
crescent and ascended into higher
spheres.
: Nothing new happened after his de-
parture. The mandarin remained un-
touched on the shelf and the dust col
lected over his motionless figure. Ha-
gar quite forgot about the toy and it's
pawner, and It was only when Larky
Bill was released from prison and came
to claim his property that she recalled
the incident. She took down the figure
busted it carefully and set 1t swaying
on tfe>counter before Mr.: Smith. Nei-
ther Bill nor Hasar noticed that it did
NOT roll as easily and gracefully as
usual
Here's the quId and interest and
ticket" said Bill. rendering all three
. I'm glad TO get this ere back again.
no ones touched it, ave they?"
mo. 1t has been on that shelf ever
since you pawned it. Where have you
been7"
Larky Bill grinned i've been stay
in at a country 'ouse of mine fur my
'ealths sake" he said, tuclsing the man
DARN under his arm. Say. missus. a
cove called Monkey didn't come smeIlin'
round ere fur this himageT'
Not that know Of. Nobody asked
for the toy"
Guess it's all right" chuckled Bill.
gleefuily. Lord. to think as how I'VE
done that bloke. Won't he cuss when
he knows as I've got eml'
What them were Mr.. Smith did. not
condescend to explain at that particu-
lar moment. He nodded famiiiarly to
Hagar and went off, still chuckling
with the mandarin in charge. Hagar
put away the money and thought she
had seen the last of Bill, but she
reckoned wrongly. Two hours after
ward he was back i'm the shop, manda-
rim and all, with a pale face. a wild
eye. and a mouth full of abuse. At
first he swore at large without CIV
ing any explanation so Hagar waited
till the bad language was ended. and
:. then asked him quietly what was the
matter. For answer Bill pumped
down the Chinese toy on the counter
and clutched his fur cap, with both
hands.
Matter. cuss you." he shrieked, fu-
riously las if ye didn't know! I've
been robbedr'
Robbed. What nonsense are you
talking? And what have L to do with
your being robbed?
Bill gasped and pointed TO the man.
DARN, who was rolling compiacently.
with a fat smile on his porcelain vis-
rtss