Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-06-25
The Seventh
Gate
A Story Of the Chinese
Forbidden City.
BY cLARIssA MAcKIE
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

of Picking and covered the Tcmaining
distance toward the city gate on the
back Of donkey.
AS he approached the seventh gate
he paused for an instant He had
come on a journey Of thousands Of
miles to accomplish n mission, and now
that the object of his search was al
most within his grasp he hesItated.
Fear had no part In his Hesitation.
He was comparatively safe In the dis
guisc afforded by his Chinese dress
as safe as any native Chinese who
wished 10 gain admission to the For
hidden City.
Then. with quick indrawn breath, he
moved into the deeper shadow OF the
| gate. as his hands touched the bronze
doors they swung softly inward aud
engulfed him.
A dark shadow loomed at his side
and, without sound, guided him close
| against the inner wall In curving
line. They came to nm abrupt stop In
grove OF trees whose tops rustled
high over their heads. Before them
were the dim outline and bulky mass
Of some huge building.
At last q door closed softly behind
them, the hands were removed from
Ryder's lips and arm. aud presently a
light twinkled out Of the gloom.
The American turned 10 look at his
companion. who had withdrawn the
cover from small bronze lantern and
stood revealed In its dim light.
Ryder stared and stared again ut the
tall. spare figure that confronted him.
This was no Chnese-this man with
deep sunken blue eyes and wlsps of
fair hair sticking out from under the
cue bound about his forehead. Owen
Ryders wondering gaze travelled over
the ycllowed skin drawn tightly over
| the protrudlng cheek bones. down to
the handsome nose and bitter. curling
| lips, down to the common blue cotton
Chinese dress and then up again with
puzzled eyes 10 study the face with
something lacking what?
The man laughed silently as he lift
ed his bony hands to each side of his
head. "You miss these appendages.
my friend. | have been cropped. you
See" His voice was low and vibrant
with some suppressed emotion.
Ryder gasped. "Your ears-my God!'
He felt within his blouse for the COM
Portable reinsurance OF his revolver,
and his fingers curled about the butt
lovingly.
"Your ears next. my friend, and the
ears OF all who pass through the sew
enth gate inward said the stranger.
with assumed lightncss. He turned
and pointed TO the wall behind him.
and Ryder gasped again to see line
of dark figures stretched along the
floor.
"Earless freaks" said the tall stran.
ger, with sudden dreariness In his
knocking tone. "Sii down on the door.
man. and tell your story-nay. let me
preface II for you and for me and the
rest OF us-whiie mem
Go ahead" said Ryder.
"You are an artist of some sort. You
have learned that these people have
recovered their lost art Of producing
Kiastin porcelain. that rare painting
OF invisible flowers. fishes or other
symbols on the outside of porcelain
vessels. paintings that are only reveal
ed when the vessel Is filled with liquor
OF some sort. The discovcrcr OF this
lost and precious art is confined TO his
workshop In the palace here. The re-
tenflon of the secret means the addi-
ton ot large sums OF money 10 this
country: hence they guard II carefully.
You were put on 10 the secret, you
have come 10 spy II out. you have
reached as far as
II had model began Ryder eager.
~. when the other mans low laugh
cut him short.
"What l. your namc!'
II am Edward Stone. an Engllshman.
had model too. and 50 did each
of these five other poor earlcss devils.
II WAS the same model. One by one
she sent lis here as she sent you. II
could have been no one else but Lena
Shultz"
1T was Lena Shultz." returned Ry-
der duly.
II knew II. The man who discov-
cred the lost art Is not native. To
what country he belongs do not
know. | do know that he made the
discovery and was capturgd with his
belongings aud is confined within three
feet of where we now are. All day he
works In The underground cell perfect
ing his discovery. for In spite OF the
most violent threats he will not Inn
part the secret 10 another soul or work
in another mans presence"
"But why did that woman send us
here-on wild goose chaser NUT
tered Ryder after silence
"Yonder poor devil is her husband.
She hopes with the aid OF other white
men TO help him escape from here.
was the FIRST TO come. ! arrived at
IN the evening Now IL Is my duty to
open the gate NJ . every evening In
the hope OF catching other would be
thieves Set thief 10 catch thief
you know He uttered hard little
laugh.
Il suppose that's what we are"
..,road Rvdnr