Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-11
The Argus Daily Short Story
The Japanese Umbrella-By Clarissa Mackie
copyrighted. 1910 by Associated Literary Press

A whole year passed after Nelson's
return from Asia before he found him.
self again treading an oriental street
and rubbing elbows with slant eyed.
blue bloused Chinese His present po-
sition in the custom house made IL
necessary that be should visit a well
known silk importer, whose place Of
business lay in the heart Of San Fran
cisco's reconstructed Chinatown.
Jay Nelson had been glad enough TO
eliminate all memory of his last year
in China There had been one horri-
BILE incident from which he had fed,
but whose shadow had lurked In the
background of his daily life since his
return to America. In broad daylight
he had laughed at the fears that pur-
sued his first sleepless, fear haunted
nights After awhile the fear gave
place to a sense Of security fostered
by the practical workaday happenings
of his busy life.
Today, however, as he passed along
Dupont street and turned into a mar
rover thoroughfare there burst upon
him the significant fact that this part
of great city was but a fragment Of
the old eastern world after all.
He had to pause once or twice and
inquire his way, for the house of the
importer was set in the heart of the
web of streets and alleys. Then when
hts goal lay but few yards ahead
there sprang into sudden view, bob
bing along In the crowd before him, a
certain green and gold paper parasol.
the meaning Of which was all too
clear to Jay Nelson. He had a vague
realization that this emblem OF an old
horror might have been evolved from
his own morbid fancy.
He pressed forward, eager TO stretch
forth his hand and prove that the
Japanese umbrella was a thing OF air,
was an optical Illusion. But always 1t
danced before him like a will-o'-the-
wisp, now showing CLINT Of gold and
green and then melting into dozen
Elusive tints.
Where IT went there he too must
follow until he could prove by actual
contact with its surface that 1t was n
creation of his fancy and not the
dreaded emblem Of the White Brother
hood
1t drew him on down into the very
bowels Of the earth
The paper umbrella collapsed ana
was cast aside, while the bearer turn
ed to confront Nelson. Then the lat
ter awoke from his trance-like state
and stared first at the strange face
that confronted him, then about the
small dulgeon-like room, empty OF fur
niture and reeking with foul odors
and lighted by a single swinging oil
lamp. Nelson's gaze came back TO the
face Of the Chinese. and he shfvered
slightly, for the face was that OF q
member of the dreaded order-the sign
was written on the mans brow.
Instantly Nelson whipped of his
ceat, holding ii before him as shield
and backed to the stairway leading
upward.
Held moment" said the Chinese
in the Cantonese dialect; 81 am not
alone"
"'who elseY' demanded Nelson
sharply in the same tongue.
THE brotherheod-at each stair
head they await your coming IL you
contemplate fight" returned the Chi
Rese imperturbably.
what do you want with meT"
Command of the big brother that
you be brought before him for trial"
-He came on from Hongkong to
seek me?'
The Chinese cackled shrilly Then
he spat contemptuously- The broth
erhood is everywhere Captain Lesson
wherever there are offenders there
also viii be found a tribunal of the
brotherhood"
why do ron call me by Captain
Lessons Manner questioned Nelson
warily.
Because you are he"
SUPPOSE I am n0fT