The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1907-08-28
The CHINESE COIN
Ey MAXWELL Alley
Copyright by Daily story Pub. Coz

NppNfbhI hy la
The shop where the Chinese coin
came into my possession was in thar
part of Shanghai wherc foreigners
sSldom go. | went there to get some
rare porcelain.
A wizened-up Chilaman came for
ward salaaming 60 me- was mo-
toned TO a silken cushion and after
| had seated myself the shop keeper
disappeared. | glanced about the
bazar. / gave a long-drawn "Ah!' as
| | saw a matchless tea service of the
ware | sought. That indeed was Ke-
angsee porcelain, but finer than any
/ had ever seen before. Alacla would
be pleased with that
The shop-keeper returned. On a
| tray he bore a pot of tea and two
small cups He placed the tray on
the teak-wood stand by my side and
after gravely pouring me a cup, did
! the same for himself Nothing was
said of buying or selling; that is
against eastern etiquette. We drank
in silence When the tea was fin.
/ ished the old man arose
"Chang-ho he speak Englaish. Me
no" he said by way of explanation,
and then vanished.
In the course Of time Chansho ap.
! peared He was a fat Celestial with
face as innocent in expression as a
baby's. He was young, little more
than a boy. He hoped my most glo-
rious excellency was well. after hav-
ing salaamed gravely for just five min
utes We exchanged a few more
formalties. and then | began by ask
ing to see everything in the shop, but
the Keang-see tea service. After /
had looked at a quantity of things l
did not want. asked to see the thing
so much desired.
Chang-ho brought the tea service
over to the teak-wood stand. 1t came
into my possession for so low a sum
that | was ashamed of my bargain.
had nothing but a rather large
piece of silver to give in payment, so
IL was necessary for me to have
change Chang-hoo went to the back
of the shop and returned with a hand
full of coins. lie placed them in my
outstretched had and just as | was
Withdrawing It an evil CLEAN shot
over his angelic countenance and with
his eye on the old shop-keeper, who
had reentered the room and was
busily arranging some of his wares
he placed the Chinese coin in my
hand.
emerged from the incense-laden
air of the bazar into the foulness OF
the alley and made my way to my
rooms. | did not think of the coin
till | was retiring late in the evening
Then took it from my inner pocket
and examined 1t by the light. 1t was
indeed peculiar II was nearly a quar-
ter of an inch thick and about the size
of half dollar. The more looked
at II the more the mystery of what II
could be grew upon me. studied its
cabalistic characters till far into the
uight
II must have been a week after the
Chinese coin came into my possession
that a peculiar thing happened | had
left Shanghai and was in Canton
One day while walking along the
street | heard something hit the pave
ment with clink. | looked down. II
was the Chinese coin. It bounded
along over the rough pavement with
most remarkable velocity, and
gave chase Just ahead of me vas a
crowd of coolies "Good-by, coin
said to myself, and sure enough 1t had
vanished. | spoke with what little
Chinese | knew, Offering the coolies
any price to restore my coin. But
they protested that they knew nothing
of it. / really felt grieved over the
loss for had intended to keep it fol
a pocketpiece and curio.
From China | went to Japan, spend
ing several months there. From
Japan | went to the Philippines, where
my stay was somewhat shorter. Just
before | left for India another strange
thing happened. | was walking along
the beach when my foot hit upon {
small piece of wreckage, and stoopeC
to examine IT, 1t seemed to have
been lately washed up, for the woot
was well preserved, though much
water-soaked. Idly turning the piece
of wreckage over | was astonished Il
see a coin securely embedded In iti
under side. By an effort | managed
to extract the piece of money Wha
was my surprise when | found It t
be the Chinese coin. / looked at it II
astonishment. The coin, the coin
THE coin!" | kept murmuring oyei
and over again to myself
| left Manila on a large Chimes,
junk instead Of steamer. We wer,
four days out from land when a sud
den storm seemed to drop from no
where. In these regions the typhool
comes with little warning. II is
whirlwind of enormous velocity and
diameter of from 200 to 500 miles
Tho center of It is the most dangerou.
part and a ship cannot possibly liy,
there A large steamer can often es
cape a typhoon by proper manipula
tion, but with a sailing vessel there Il