Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1912-12-06
A Present from China.
CHAPTER I.

It was the first thing l saw that
hight as I swung into my chambers.
Fact is. for the moment, 1t was the
only thing 1 saw. Somehow, its splash
of yellow there under the shaded lamp
seemed to catch my eye and hold 1t.
screwed my glass tight and cx-
amined the thing with interest Moth
ing remarkable; just tiny. oblong
package, bearing curious foreign
markings, its wrapper plainly ad-
dressed to me. but
"By Jove! From China!" l ejacu-
lated.
Somebody in far-off China sending
me present, with duties and charges
prepaid evidently.
Anybody l know in China. Jen-
hns!" asked. And to help him out,
added: Fact is, some chaps sent
me package. you know"
Name on box, sir, perhaps" Said
It offhand, Just like that-no trouble
Of thinking, dash 1t all-never even
blinked. Just instinct, by Jove!
And there It was, nicely printed In
the corner with a pen:
Roland Mastermann, Government
House. Hong Kong, China.
read it aloud-can't read anything,
you know, unless read it aloud-and
looked at Jenkins inquiringly. But
he came right up to the scratch; just
seemed to get it from somewhere
right out of the wall over my head:
Beg pardon, sir; but think it's that
London gentleman entertained you
at the Carlton when you were over
the other side"
Mastermann! By love, so it was
I began to remember him now, be-
cause l 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
lknow-and all that sort of thing!
Mastermann-oh, yes, had him
now! jolly rum old boy. but enter
tanning and clever-long hair, pinl
'wart on Jaw! And, by Jove. hat
promised him-promised him-wha
Rhe deuce was 1t had promised him
Let me see: he was something o.
other in the foreign office; yes, hat
ithat-and tremendously interested ii
'mummies and psychical investigation
and rum sort of things like that. and
by Jove!" calculated, as 1t cam'
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
iing-desk and coughed slightly benin
his hand.
Was just a-wondering, sir. IL
might not be among those you haven
.opened-there are several piles. If
might look, sir"
nodded. Fact is, allow Jenkin
much privilege, owing to long service
Then, you know-oh, dash 1t, he's S
loriginal-so refreshing and that Sol
iof thing-so surprising. Just as i
this case, he thinks OF SO many dew
ishly ingenious. out-of-the-way sort Q
things!
It was jenkins idea that find GU
what was In the box by just openin
the dashed thing while he looked TO
i. the letter.
Clever that, Ell? Well, rather!
So l unsheathed my little poke
manicure knife, cut. the strings AM
removed the wrapper. Inside wa
just little, straw-covered box with I
telescope cover and inside the box
wrapped in tissue. was tight roll o
bright red silk.
That WAS all-not another thing bu
this little silk roll. 1t was wad a.
thick as three fingers and perhaps
twice as long, tied with bit OF com
mon string, ending in a loose bow
knot.
pinched the roll gloomily.
III it's red silk muf1ler, jenkins
catch me wearing it, that's ALL"
burst out Indignantly Rotten bat
form. If you ask me. I'd look like al
,out-and-out bounder!"
Then I had horrible thought:
"Or-or the Salvation Army, dasi
It!"
mere J0uhlAS LII u6L d lcItSt d. luG
''Perhaps this may explain 1t. SIR" ht
! suggested.
Sure enough, 1t was from Hons
Kong, and from that chap, Master
mann. Out there on special mission
for his government, he said. l dom
know what 1t was-never did know
In fact, for l skipped down to this
paragraph, which l read aloud:
Every puff Of those rare cigars you
sent me has but reminded me that my
debt to you is still unpaid
read thus far; then l read 1t again
But could make nothing of 1t.
"Cigars-cigars?" l exclaimed. puz.
Eled.
Then l forgot the letter as stared
1T Jenkins.
And what's the matter with your
] demanded.
For I had caught him with his hand
ever his mouth, obviously trying to
suppress a chuckle. He sobered in