The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-04-10
The Beetle of the Mandarin

By vera L. Connolly.

lceed me, IL my son lives not. MY sons
life is dependent on the recovery of
the beetle. Don't you understand?''
"Yes. He must be stopped. Why
not appeal to the law?"
No, no. 1t must never be known
that the Jewels Of the house of Luang
were sold. 1t would mean everlasting
disgrace"
is there no way?'
Yes. think there is one way; if
you will recover it fol, me. At my ap-
preach all signs Of it would be hid
den. | must pretend ignorance of its
Whereabouts. You, foreigner and a
stranger to Canton. could enter the
shop where the things are exhibited
and, seeing it, offer to purchase it.
Will you do this for me?''
The American stretched out his
hand. Il am glad l can do something
for you. 1t will not inconvenience
me in the least, as | had planned to
run up to Canton on Monday. How
much shall offer for it?"
The mandarin drew purse from his
sleeve and handed it to the consul.
1T is all l have If necessary use
the last tael." He rose as he spoke
I and walked to the door, His coolies
were summoned. and soon his chair
was in readiness.
He drew the consul back into the
hall and embraced him.
Ny good FRIEND" he said, from to-
morrow morning the Chang Road is
open to American merchants. Good
bye."f
Thank you, Luang Goodbye"
The consul stood watching the chair
until it disappeared behind the trees.
4 Then his care-worn face lighted up.
4 am very glad. No more driving
through the old cemetery. The fever
will be greatly lessened this summer"
He closed the door and went back to
his study to arrange his affairs for the
| morning start.
Four days later in the early morn
ing, a little steamer nosed her way up
the Pearl River toward the city of
Canton.
r The river was alive with boats and
noisy with gable of rival merchants
as they poled their cumbersome junks
through the throngs of houseboats, for
which Canton is famous. These con-
sisted Of sampans rooted over in one
place by mating, and indescribably
dirty. They were usually propelled by
women and children, while their lords
and masters smoked luxuriously in the
stern.
John Hartman stood on the steam
er's deck, watching them shove from
under the boats PROV barely in time
to escape being swamped. They
closed the steamer in on either side as
a huge ice pack might. Scarce. a
square foot of water could be seen be-
tween them.
Occasional splotches of color marked
the progress of a fower-boat, for
these heathenish relics of former days
are still to be seen on the Pearl River.
The whole scene was full of life. Even
the boats themselves. with their care
fully painted eyes, their graceful
prows and tapping sails, resembled
huge brown birds.
Soon the endless string of house
boats gave place to long wharf, from
which narrow, irregular streets ran
back, lined on either side by shops, on
through the old city of the dead to the
great Tartar Wall-this was Canton.
/ AS the steamer made fast to the pier
amid a great changing of bells and
cries of chairmen, the coolies poured
from the lower deck, and soon the con-
sul's chair was in readiness for him.
He gave few directions and the cool
les trotted up the principal street,
which was so narrow that the hang
ings of the chairs almost brushed the
shops on either side
Overhead the roofs jutted out to with
in few inches of each other. making
the street look like a narrow hallway.
The shops were open to the street,
and their owners could be seen within
arranging their display, or seated be-
side their counters, smoking. In the
meat shops, rats, ducks and chou-dogs,
dried and cured, were strung from the
ceiling.
Everywhere the Americans chair
was followed by sulky, scowling
glances. Once meeting another chair,
the consuPs coolies were forced to
back into neighboring shop in order
that the others could pass.
After twenty minutes Of such travel,
the chair halted before 9 shop more
pretentious than most Of them, and