The Nevada County picayune., 1912-04-12
A Present from China.

..lv thing saw Somehow, its splash
 Syellow there under the shaded lamp
 .ssmed to catch my eye and hold 1t.
 | screwed my glass tight and ex-
 .nlned the thing with interest. Noth- lrr remarkable. just tiny, oblong ,srkage. bearing curious foreign narsings, it's wrapper plainly ad- tessed to me. but
 aTy love. From China!" l ejacu- hta
 SOmebody fin far-off China sending ne present, with duties and charges rspaid evidently.
 Anybody I know in China, Jen- rn?" asked And to help him out, Mded Fact Is, some chaps sent pa package, ycu know"
 Name on box, sir, perhaps" Said Itofhand. just like that-no trouble thinking, dash 1t all-neyer even Aked Just Instinct. by love!
 And there 1t was, nicely printed in e corner with a pen:
 Ibland Mastermann, Government
 House, Hong Kong. China.
 read 1t aloud-can't read anything, i Nl know. unless l read it aloud-and |kked at Jenkins inquiringly. But k came right up to the scratch; just Mmed to get it from somewhere |ght out Of the wall over my head: Beg pardon, sir; but think it's that london gentleman-entertained you b the Carlton when you were over De other side"
 hastermann! By love, so 1t was ] began 10 remember him now, be- cause l remembered his dinner, sev- tal oE them, In fact, during the three !sars l had lived over there. aequir hg the English accent-manner, you inOw"-and all that sort of thing! hastermann-oh, yes. l had him, lOwl Jolly rum old boy, but enter hining and clever-long hair, pink EaH on jaw! And. by love. l had 'omised him-promised him-what ae deuce was it 1 had promised him? st me see. he was something or 'ner In the foreign office; yes, l had tremendously interested in anmles and psychical investigation l u rum sort of things like that, and 'Ry Jove!" l calculated, as 1t came \ nd hA them to send him out to China" Beg pardon, sir" put in Jenkins, | II think you had letter with a Inese postmark last week" le looked around at my little writ desk and coughed slightly behind | hand
 Was just a-wondering, sir, If 1t ,ht not be among those you haven't ned-there are several piles. If yht look, sir"
 nodded. Fact is, allow Jenkins | ch privilege, owing to long service. len. you know-oh, dash 1t, he's so | kinal-so refreshing and that sort | Ithing-so surprising. Just as in | ! case, he thinks of so many devil 1 ty ingenious, out-of- the-way sort of | |kgs
 Ih was Jenkins idea that find out 1 ht was In the box by just opening \ dashed thing while he looked for 1 f letter aleyer that, eh? Well, rather So l unsheathed my little pocket | nicure knife, cut the strings and l hoved the wrapper. Inside was
 little, straw-covefed box With a escope cover and inside the box. apped in tissue. was n tight roll of sht red silk. hat was all-not another thing but | little silk roll. It was wad as | Ak as three fingers and perhaps l Zee as long, tied with a bit of com | a string, ending in loose bow
 plnched the roll gloomily. II it's a red silk muller, Jenkins. aNn me wearing 1t, that's all" Nd out indignantly. Rotten bad | sn' II you ask me, I'd look like an | land-out bounderI" inen had a horrible thought:
 or- or the Salvation Army. dash | nefe Jenkins thrust letter at me. [ uuaps this may explain 1t, sir" he | sgested. cure enough, 1t was from Hong
 as' and from that chap, Master
 au' Out there on special mission
 us government, he said. 1 don't |
 w what 1t was-never did know,
 act, for l skipped down to this
 .aeraph, which I read aloud:
 very pun of those rare cigars you
 'ae has but reminded me that my
 " you is still unpaid"
 'sad thus far; then I read it again.
 .c, could make nothing of 1t.
 safs-cigars7 I exclaimed, pug z Jenkins. '' ''' ''
 snanded.
 \. " had caught him with his hand D,.. ss mouth. obviously trying to
 Anckle. He schpfed in- |