The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-03-14
AN INSCRIPTION
Al ON A FAN.
forigfnaL1


about II to indicate that 1t 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 It's 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 it was
l asked Charnley IL 1t were not so.
II should think So" he said, knocking
the ashes of bis cigar. Its all in the
inscription"
''Well out with it." l knew by his
expression there was a story coming.
you remember some years ago." he
began, III was obliged to go to China on
business. needed only to visit Pc
king, Nankin and few other points.
In going from Nankln to Khaifeng l
met with an adventure. was on
horseback and well armed. Hearing a
cOmmotion OH 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.
| fred 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 Ian
| 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 it and, taking a
writing stick, wrote that inscription
across its face, handing the fan to me.
II supposed that he had written his
thanks.
"'Glad to have your autograph
said, though ! 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
went on alone.
II heard great deal about the rising
wrath in China against the foreign
devils but didn't suspect 1t was a
premonition Of the celebrated Boxer
movement then about to break out.
Reaching a mission station In a small
town, / concluded to remain with the
family OF Mr.. Fisk, its manager, for
few days. On the afternoon OF my
arrival his daughter Evelyn, girl Of
twenty, saw me using the fan. She
could read the inscription, Of course
and said to me:
. "STake care of that fan. Don't lose
\ IL as you value your life.'
''T asked her why, but at the moment
she was called away, and did not see
her for some time don't remem.
Der whether when | did see her had
forgotten the matter or had no op
portunfty to ask again. At any rate, II
{ was very soon after that we heard
= shriekH up the street. Every one pres
. emit turned white, knowing that a moi
; was numbering the Christian converts
!. The noise came rapidly our way, anC
!. Mr.. Fisk. his family and servants
gathered In the living room In con
sternation. | got out ali my weapons
but Mr.. Fisk shook his head Never
theless / thought that / might as wei
die defending my countrymen. espe
0 cially as It would be pleasanter thar
q dying without action.
q Nearer came the yells and shrek
n till suddenly we saw through the win
q dow q gang Of cutthroats coming
! doubtless, to the station. At that mo
|. ment Evelyn. who had been out, rush
ed IN looking like a ghost
"sThe fan! The fanT she cried
70 Where In itr
D. "'What FAM
. "sThe one you had yesterday
y II remembered that It was in m,
/ room and from Evelyn's eagernes
!. about It knew that It must be of impor
lance. so l ran there snatched II fron
a table and ran back again into tn
y living room. Evelyn pushed me to tn
= door. crying:
70 "'Open It'll Hold It upF
u 81 did as she directed Just In time I
- face the ugliest gang of fanatics
" ever saw or expect to see. Their lead
i. CT. an immense man. was about I
D. dash In. with an az raised above hi
a head. when he caught sight Of the LEI
: tiers on the fan. He stopped. lowerin
:, his az. while those behind him SCENE
- to be paralyzed by the Inscription
" Then the leader. calling for a writin
= stick. wrote something over our doc
b and the mob rushed on. yells an
Is shrieks following In It's wake.
b Thay had no sooner started ava
NJ than. the strain on Evelyn having bee
a relaxed, she tainted. and caught he
:, In my arms, Laying her on a couch.
went out 10 look at what the Chlnama
had written on the door. The ehara'
70 ters were the same as those on the far
u When Evelyn revived she told me the
lg meaning. Respect this man and thoa
a with him.
80 The signature was that OF a mRndl
2. rim. Chang Lang. very influential wit