The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1909-05-13

OFTEN, he soliloQuized. We'll. lady, IL
they've took to the Chinese quarter.
we'd better be looking up Chink to
help us, | guess. | know a fairly de-
cent one"
Il think | know a better" inter
rupted Mrs. Winter, with faint smile.
She had detected a suppressed pity
in the mans regard. Motor slowly
along the street. There is shop, If
| can find it, where there ought to be
man"
MAN you know? Say, lady, guess
| better go in with you, If you don't
mind"
No; stay in your car. You don't
know how safe | am. Not only my
gray hair protects me, but have
only to say a few words and any of
these men will fight for me if neces-
sary. But this is in confidence-just
between us, you understand You are
not to repeat it, ever"
She looked at him with frank
smile, and involuntarily his hand went
up to his cap. What you say goes,
lady. But jest remember I'm right
here, spark going all the time, ready
to throw her wide open when you step
in; and"-his voice sank-"I amt abb
solutely unprepared for scrap;
either
i understand, said she. looking at
him keenly, and few moments later
she stepped briskly into the shop be-
fore which he halted with little light
ening OF the heart because of this I'M
couth knight Of the lever The shop
itself was like any one of a score on
the street. crowded with oriental OBJ
jects, bizarre carvings of ivory and
Jade, daggers and strings of cash,
swords. gorgeous embroidered robes
of silk and gold in huddle over
counter or swinging and cleaning in
the dusky background, squat little
green and brown gods with puffy eye
lids, smiling inscrutably amid shoes
and fans and Chinese lanterns of glass
and bronze. glittering with beads-in
all these, like the score about it;
yet the clean windows and certain
order within gave it touch out of the
common. a man and boy served the
snop. both in the American dress, with
their pigtails tucked under the visor
less caps. Both greeted her in the
serene oriental fashion, bowling and
smiling. their obsequious courtesy
showing no smallest sign of the sur
prise which the sight of an unattended
woman must have given them.
Nevertheless, Mrs. Winter was
aware that both, under their lowered
eyelids, took cognizance of that soft
carven disk of jade among the laces
on her breast. She asked the man If he
had seen Il lad and an older man. or 1t
might be two older men, one police
man, come into that or any other
neighboring shop. She explained that
the lad was her granddaughter and was
lost (she eschewed the harsher word,
for she had no desire to set atloat
rumor which might bring the police
upon herr. She named a sum large
enough to kindle a sudden CLEAN in
the boys eyes, as the reward awaiting
the lucky man who might put her on
the right track. But hef words struck
no responsive spark from the China
mans yelled gaze. In perfect English
and a very soft voice he avowed ig-
norance and sympathy with the same
breath.
And all the while she could feel his
glance slant down at the jade orna-
ment
Send the boy to look in the shop
next door, said she. AS she spoke
she raised the charm between her
thumb and her first two fingers, look
ing at him directly Her tone was
that of command. not request. He
frowned very slightly making an al
most imperceptible gesture, to which
she returned a single Chinese phrase,
spoken so low that had he not eX-
pected the words they had been lndls-
tinguishable to his ear. Instantly he
addressed the boy rapidly in their own
language The boy went out. The
master of the shop returned to Mrs.
Winter. His manner had utterly
changed: the BRIDESMAIDS perfunctory
Difference was displaced by an almost
eager humility of bearing. he Wouid
have her sit-there were rev cane
seated American arm chairs, In gro
tesoue contrast to all their accom-
paniments-he Frustrated himself pe-
fore her; he put himself at her ser
vice; still to her trained eye there was
a corner of his mind where incredibly
wrestled with a stronger emotion.
do not fear" she said, gently, III
is really my own, and he gave II TO me
himself almost 80 years ago. he
was hardly 80 years old himself then
You see. my husband had been so for
tunate as to do him kindness. IL
was he who had it first. When ne
died II came to me, and now for the
second time in my life | am using IT,