Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-07-25
STORY OF THE
STOLEN IDOL
eY GEORGE

After the show Barnes. with the picture
of ching Moy still in his minds eye, ac-
"epted an invitation to meet the members
or the company, much to the disgust o.
HIS assistant. who was SLOW to realize thai
this was the very object for which the vet
cram had been angling. They passed on,
or The theater, going through a passage
way which had on one side the educated
horse and on the other a French cafe where
catfish and waffles were the chief CASTRO
npinic attractions. They elbowed their
way through the crowd. and All Sin final
~ landed them n q low, enc story wooden
building. which served as the dining room
of the Chinese artists. The members O.
the troupe were already scatcd around d
long. wooden table. drinking tea and chat
snig away like magpies.
Harnes. intent on his secret quest, no.
itsrd that Lew Palg. the stage villain:
81 90 Tong. the coiGriess hero. and his be
loved. the heroine or the drama. sat at tie
head of the board intent upon one am
other and oblivious OF their surroundings
Ten other Cinnamon We're there, FIVE on
either side OF the. table. All had smooth
yellow faces. triangular eyes. glistcning
white teeth, expressionless countenances
and a gravity of deineanor that was ter
ribly depressing. The face and manner
of each one OF them, the blue cotton
hlouscs. the white drawers. the heavy
wooden shoes, with their brocaded uppers.
and the lonE, shining, plated pistails.
were so precisely alike that Il b.bulous
spectator might have been pardoned for
believing he was seeing the same man ten
times over.
When Barnes identity became known
the Gathering conversation ceased with
nerve raclSins suddenness. The Mongo-
Hans were all very reverent in the pres
ence of a representative of the Upited
states government. The Interpreter. who
gioatcd over his work. insisted upon pre-
sen;inG the chief TO the actors. He began
with the fond parent in the drama. who
bowed low to Barnes and gave vent to a
series Of shr.ll CALCULATIONS lasting for
half Il minute.
He say" remarked the Interpreter,
blandly, "he velly glad TO see you"
Its Fortunate" whispered Clancy to
Barnes. he didn't wish We the compli-
rents of the season. He'd be talking
yet"
Barnes noticed that the girl at the head
OF the table in high snirits. but saw
that the men on either SIDE OF her, the
villain and the hero. were alternately
raised to the highest heights of hope or
plunged into the deepest depths of despair.
The sight of her childish face. framed In
a mass of coal black ha.r. melted the
antagon,stic heart Of Clancy. and he nut
tered some familiar quotation about IA rose
be tive two thorns. But to Barnes she
looked more like a doll. a play toy. than a
flower. The pinkish checks against the
tawny skin, the tiny dots of eyes peering
out of the heavy lids. under the arched
brows: the waXen ears. like the most deli
cate of shells, the fat nose. the small,
s;raigh: mouth with the blood red lips, all
Helped the illusion. A pearl comb was
thrust careiessly into a glisten.ng coil of
her Jet black hair. She wore the costume
Tho had 1n,,n orx,an IL, III, ,l,, ,l,l
trimmed garment with a gracefully draped
tain. The light blue waist was ki,nono
shaped, and the large flowing sleeves con-
t:asted oddly with her small hands, which
seemed alto ,ctfer too dainty and trans
parent to be real.
She held a rose coquestishly in the doll
like fingers. and the two men struggled for
j. with q p~reterse at bcy,shness which was
beiied by the glitter in Their usually dull,
ii.asy eyes. Lew Fang whispered very
earnestly to Iier, but she answered with
en- Indifferent shrug and q laugh. His face
hardened. ana jumping up with an angry
GESTURE. re strobe from the room. After
shat the coal back head CT Ching Moy and
tac Sicrea crown OF Woo Tong got very
c.ose together. Presently there vas a
.iGt;er n the room. One of the stoiid
faced C'hi.ar,ea on the side of the table
race 4 discovery. The l.tt.e god OF love.
lowering above thein-or vas It VICE
Tca@?-hal softly dropped something on
Tie tab'c. ], VAS eNqu;si.ely simple. A
paper dragon was before the man and a
ia3rr phoenix in front of the woman.
Tilcs were scwed together with two pieces
OF rel silk. Every one in the room-ex-
cc1t Barnes and Clancy-recornized the
meaning Of the ancient symbols. Woo
rrrg and Ching Mcy were het-othed. All
were happy over this beautiful. bit of m
agery, and no one CAV; any thought to the
absent Lew Fang, thus worsted by his
r.val in real life. as he had repeatedly.
been on Tire mimic stage.
Noth.ng would do but tha. Barnes
should stay for the evening performances
and then participate in a genuine Chinese
dinner to celebrate tho real en~gacement