The Comrade. (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914, 1910-12-23
CHAPTER Vi.-Continued.


In the middle of the block, sunk a
little back from the fronts of the
others, the goldsmiths shop showed
a single, filmed window; and the pale
glow through it proclaimed that the
worker in metals preferred another
light to the suns. The threshold was
worn to a hollow that surprised the
foot; and the interior into which it
led them gloomed so suddenly around
them after the broad sunlight, that it
was a moment before they made out
the little man behind the counter, sit
ting hunched up on a high stool.
"Hullo, Joe," said Harry, in the
same voice that hailed his friends on
the street corners; but the goldsmith
only nodded like nodding mandarin,
as if, without looking up, he took
them in and sensed their Grand He
wore a round, blue Chinese cap drawn
over his crown: pair of strange
goggles like a mask over his eyes, and
his little body seemed to poise as
lightly on his high stool as wisp, as
If there were no more flesh in it than
In his long. dry fingers that so mar
velously manipulated the metal. Save
for that glitter of gold on his glass
plate, and the grin Of a lighted brazier,
all was dark, discolored and cluttered.
Over everything was spread dim
ness of age like dust. It enyeloped
the little man behind the counter, not
with the frailness that belongs to
human age, but with that weathered,
polished hardness which time brings
to antiques of wood aad metal. In
deed, he appeare1ate like a carp
idol in curio shop cit Flora wa. L
little startled to find that he was look
Ing at her.
Harry" she murmured to Cressy,
who was stirring the contents OF a
box with a disdainful forefnger, this
little man gives me the shivers.'
"Old Joe?" Harry smiled indulgent-
ly. Hes a queer customer. Been
quite fgurehead in Chinatown for 20
years. Say, Joe, heap bad!" and with
the back of his hand he flicked the
tray away from him.
The little man undoubled his knees
and descended the stool. He stood
breast.high behind the counter. He
dropped a lack-luster eye to the box.
"Velly NICE" he murmured with
vague, falling infection.
ooh, rotten!" Harry laughed at him.
"You no like?"
mo. No like. You got something
else something nice?'
mo- 1t was like door closed
In the face of their hope-that falling
infection, that blank of vacuity that
settled over his face, and his whole
dropping figure. He seemed to be
only mutely awaiting their departure
to climb back again on his high stool
But Harry still leaned on the counter
and grinned overwhelmingly. "Oh, joe
you good fen. You got something
pretty-maybe?"
The curtain of vacuity parted just a
crack--let through CLEAN Of intense
Intelligence. Maybe" The gold
smith chuckled deeply, as if Harry
had unwittingly perpetrated some joke
some particularly clever conjurer's
trick He sided out behind the coun
ter, past the grinning brazier, and
shuffled into the back Of the shoI
where he opened door.
Flora had expected cupboard, but
the vista it gave upon was long
black, incredibly narrow passage, thai
stretched away into gloom with al
the suggestion Of distance of a road
going over horizon. Down this the
goldsmith went, with his straw slip
pers clapping on his heels, until his
small figure merged in the gloom ant
presently disappeared altogether, an6
only the faint flipper-fap of his slip
pers came back growing more ant
more distant to them, and finally dy
ing into silence. In the stiffness tina
followed while they waited they coult
hear each other breathe.
Then came the flipper-aap OF thu
goldsmith's slippers returning. The
sound snapped their tension, and Har
ry laughed.
.'Lord knows how far he went K
get 1t!
Across the street?' Flora won
dered.
''Or under it. And it won't be worth
two bits when it gets here" HI
peered at the little man coming to
ward them down the passage, fappint
and shutting, and carrying, held be
fore him in both hands, a square, deel
little box.
It was a worn. nondescript box tina
he sets down before them, but thu
Jealous way he had carried it had sug
gested treasure, and Flora leaned Gag