The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-07-05
A Present from China.

night as I swung into my chambers.
Fact 10. for the moment. 1t was the
only thing | saw. Somehow. its splash
Of yellow there under the shaded lamp
seemed to catch my eye and hold 1t.
l screwed my glass tight and ex'
amined the thing with interest. Moth
ing remarkable: just tiny. oblong
package. bearing curious foreign
markings. It's wrapper plainly ad-
dressed TO me. but
by Jove From China!" ejacu-
lated.
Somebody In far-off China sending
me q present. with duties and charges
prepaid evidently.
Anybody know in China. Jen-
kins!" l asked. And to help him out.
I added: Fact Is. some chaps sent
me package. you know"
Name on box. sir. perhaps Said
II offhand. Just like that-no trouble
Of thinking. dash II all-never even
blinked. Just instinct. by Jove!
And there II was. nicely printed In
the corner with pen:
Roland Mastermann. Government
House. Hong Kong. China.
I read II aloud-can't read anything.
you know. unless l read II aloud-and
looked At jenkins inouiringly. But
he came right UP TO the scratch: just
seemed TO get II from somewhere
right out OF the wall over my head:
Beg pardon. sir: but think it's that
London gentleman-entertain you
at the Carlton when you were over
the other side"
Mastermann! By love, so Il was
began TO remember him now, be-
cause I remembered his dinner, sew
eral Of them. In fact, during the three
years I had lived over there, acQuir-
Ing the English accent-manner. you
know-and all that sort Of thing!
Mastermann-oh. yes. had him.
now. Jolly rum old boy. but enter
taining and clever-long hair. pink
wart on jaw! And, by Jove. had
promised him-promised him-what
the deuce was II had promised him?
Let me see: he was something or
other IN the foreign Office: yes. had
that-and tremendously interested in
mummies and psychical investigation
and rum sort Of things like that. and
BY Jove!" ! calculated. as II came
to me. And for that reason he want
cd them TO send him out to China"
Beg pardon. SIR" put in jenkins.
but think you had letter with
Chinese postmark last week"
He looked around at my little writ
ing-desk and coughed slightly behind
his hand.
Was Just a-wondering, sir. II It
might not be among those you haven't
opened-there are several piles. II /
might look, sir"
nodded. Fact Is, allow Jenkins
much privilege. owing to long service.
Then. you know-oh. dash It. he's so
original-so refreshing and that sort
Of thing-so surprising. Just as in
this case. he thinks OF 80 many devil
ishly ingenious. out-of-the-way sort OF
things!
II was jenkins idea that find out
what was in the box by just opening
the dashed thing while he looked for
the letter.
Clever that, Ell! Well, rather!
So I unsheathed my little pocket
manicure knife, cut the strings and
removed the wrapper. Inside was
Just little, straw-covered box with a
telescope cover and inside the box.
wrapped In tissue, was q tight roll OF
bright red silk.
That was all-not another thing but
this little silk roll. II was q wad as
thick as three fingers and perhaps
twice as long. tied with a bit OF COM
mon string. ending In loose bow.
knot
pinched the roll gloomily.
IF it's a red silk mufiier. Jenkins.
catch me wearing II. that's ALI"
burst out Indignantly. Rotten bad
form, II you ask ma I'd look like an
out-and-out boundsr!"
Then I had a horrible thought:
"Or-or the Salvation Army, dash
IT,"
Here jenkins thrust letter at me.
Perhaps this may explain It. SIR" he
suggested.
Sure enough. II was from Hong
Kong, and from that chap. Master
mann. Out there on special mission
for his government. he said. I don't
know what II was-never did know,
in fact, for I skipped down to this
paragraph, which read aloud:
Every pun Of those rare cigars you
sent me has but reminded me that my
debt to you Ia still unpaid"
read thus far; then read It again.
But | could make nothing OF II.
"Cigars-cigars?" ! exclaimed. puz-
zled.
Then forgot the letter as stared
at jenkins.
And what's the matter with you"
I demanded.
For had caught him with his hand
over his mouth. obviously trying TO
~ppress a chuckle. He sobered In