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

uuoI nave ulduS a. IHlSldhc. dkl
searching for Song Wen, the auc-
tioneer."
II am he"
II wish to see the articles to be sold
at Wednesdays auction
Certainly. Follow me" Song
drew aside hanging at the back of
the shop and they passed into long
room, dimly lighted by two brass
lamps suspended from above, 1t was
crowded with furniture, brasses, cloi-
some jars, worries, fans, embroidered
hangings and trays of Jade and uncut
stones.
The American paused in the midst
of all this splendor, while the mer-
chant lighted several lamps, which
tlared up brightly.
you have heard of the worries? No?
They are very beautiful" He led the
way to a large black cabinet, on which
the cleaning pieces were strikingly
arranged.
He picked UP the carving of tiny,
half-open peach, in which a child
nestled. Every feature of the infants
face was perfectly represented; the
peach itself was without flaw, and
all of it was no larger than marble.
Beautiful" Hartman stepped to
the light and examined it.
Song Wen quietly named the auc-
ton price.
"Sell it to me now?"
mo. Nothing is to be sold until the
auction next Wednesday,
81 will come then"
The auctioneer smiled and led him
from one fascinating heap to another.
Finally he stopped at a black cabinet
and, with quick push, secret
drawer sprang out. On silk pad
glittered a half-dozen uncut stones,
blue and red.
AS the consul bent over the box, the
purpose of his visit came back to him.
They are certainly beautiful. But,
have you no feather ornaments? /
am greatly interested in the feather
jewelry"
The auctioneer jerled out large
drawer with look of disgust at such
plebeian taste, and leaving the Ameri-
can to look them over he turned back
to close the drawer of jewels.
Hartman bent down over the orna-
ments eagerly. The half light dis
played collection of pins, armlets
and earrings. There were insects,
flowers and birds, mounted in steel,
and cleaning red, blue and purple.
In the very 'front.' of the drawer lay
tiny green object He bent closer.
A sharp metallic click started him,
| and he Strengthened up. 1t was prob
ably the charms on his watch chain
striking against the ornaments in the
drawer.
I'll have to take them closer to the
light" He moved across to the lamp
and examined the contents of the
drawer infinitely.
The red and purple bees and butter
flies stared back at him from their
cushion of cotton There was not one
green ornament in the box He ut
tered an exclamation of disappoint-
| ment
| Going back to the cabinet he at
tempted to replace the drawer. 1t
stuck, and while he was jerking at it,
Song Wen came over to him.
Never mind that. I'll replace it.
Have you found anything you admire
particularly
NO. Hartman moved to the door.
carefully stepping past a pair of tall
ox-blood jars, passed under the hanging
and into the bare little shop, the auc-
tioneer following.
His coolies awaited him at the door.
"You will come again? On Wednes-
day, perhaps?" the auctioneer asked.
Eyes. Good-day.
"Good-day." Song Wen stood bow
ing in the doorway until the chair had
turned sharp corner and the last
coolie disappeared. Then he entered
the shop and passed under the hang
ing into the long, dark room. The
tray lay as he had left it moment
before. He carried it to the light and
began to arrange the articles on the
cotton pad.
Suddenly he jumped back, his olive
face paling. '"The green BEETLE! 1t is
not here! am ruined!s am ruined"
He stood there a minute, mumbling
to himself. Then, calling to coolie
he hurried into the shop and on down
the street, calling excitedly as he ran.
Meanwhile, John Hartman lay back
on his cushions, tired and disappoint-
ed. He had failed to obtain the one
tiny object on which the health of all
the American residents of Shanghai
had rested. For he knew we'll that in