Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-03-27
\ N INSCRIPTION
"A ON A FAN.


My friend Charnley keeps in a glass
case set up on brackets against wall
In his smoking room at home a paper
and bamboo fan. There is nothing
about it to indicate that it is of especial
value. Indeed. 10 or 10 cents would be
a good price for 1t. 1t is spread out to
show some Chinese characters daubed
across its face. 1t occurred to me that
this inscription might have something
to do with the care taken in the fans
preservation, and one evening after
dinner while in the room where Il was
l asked Charnley II it were not so.
II should think So" he said, knocking
the ashes of his cigar. ITS all In the
inscription"
"Well, out with it." knew By his
expression there was story coming.
you remember some years ago." he
began, 81 was obliged to go to China ON
business. l needed only to visit Pc
king, Nankin and few other points.
In going from Nankin to Khaifeng l
met with an adventure. was on
horseback and well armed. Hearing q
commotion on the road before me,
spurred on and found a mandarin be-
Ing robbed by couple of bandits, who
were trying to kill him before taking
his money. His position was very
plain to me. and, dashing among them,
fired at both of the assailants In rapid
succession, purposely missing them,
since didn't care to kill any one and
probably be delayed by doing SO. The
robbers ran away, and the mandarin's
servants skunk back to him. He was
the most grateful man you ever saw.
Since we couldn't speak the same lam
guage, he could only thank me with
his eyes, which told his feelings plain
enough. He picked up that fan, which
during the melee had fallen in the
road, shook the dust of 1t and, taking
writing stick, wrote that Inscription
across its face, handing the fan to me.
Il supposed that he had written his
thanks.
"'Glad to have your autograph
said, though l knew he didn't under
stand me, and we went on together In
silence till we reached the next vii
lage, where we parted with many fare.
wells which neither understood, Then
I went on alone.
II heard great deal about the rising
wrath in China against the foreign
devils but didn't suspect It was a
premonition Of the celebrated Boxer
movement then about to break out.
Reaching mission station In a small
town, I concluded to remain with the
family Of Mr.. Fisk, its manager, for
a few days. On the afternoon Of my
arrival his daughter Evelyn, a girl Of
twenty, saw me using the fan. She
could read the inscription, of course,
and said to me:
Take care Of that fan. Don't lose
Il as you value your life.'
II asked her why, but at the moment
she was called away, and did not see
her for some time. l don't remem-
Der whether when did see her had
forgotten the matter or had no op-
portunity to ask again. At any rate, 1t
was very soon after that we heard
shrieks up the street. Every one pres
ent turned white, knowing that a mob
was numbering the Christian converts.
The noise came rapidly our way, and
Mr.. Fisk, his family and servants
gathered in the living room in con-
sternation. l got out all my weapons,
but Mr.. Fisk shook his head. Never
theless thought that / might as well
die defending my countrymen, espe-
cially as 1t would be pleasanter than
dying without action.
Nearer came the yells and shrleks
till suddenly we saw through the win
dow a gang of cutthroats coming,
doubtless. to the station. At that mo-
ment Evelyn, who had been out, rush
ed in looking like a ghost.
1.-The fan! The FAM she cried.
Where Is it?'
"'What fanT
1.-the one you had yesterday
II remembered that it was In my
room and from Evelyn's eagerness
about it knew that 1t must be Of impor-
lance, so ran there, snatched it from
a table and ran back again into the
living room. Evelyn pushed me to the
door, crying:
"'Open it! Hold it upp
II did as she directed just in time to
face the ugliest gang Of fanatics l
ever saw or expect to see. Their lead
er, an immense man, was about to
dash In. with an ak raised above his
head. when he caught sight of the let
tiers on the fan. He stopped, lowering
his ak, while those behind him seemed
to be paralyZed by the inscription.
Then the leader. calling for a writing
stick, wrote something over our door,
and the mob rushed on, yells and
shrieks following in its wake.
They had no sooner started away
than, the strain on Evelyn having been
relaxed, she tainted, and l caught her
In my arms. Laying her on a couch. I
went out to look at what the Chinaman
had written on the door. The charac-
tiers were the same as those on the fan.