Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-03-29
CHAPTER |.
A praeant from China.

only thing | saw. Somehow, its splash
of yellow there under the shaded lamp
seemed to catch my eye and hold It.
| screwed my glass tight and ex-
a,nined the thing with interest. Moth
ing remarkable; just tiny, ooloHg
package, bearing curious foreign
markings, its wrapper plainly al
dressed to me, but
BY Jove! From China!" l ejacu-
lated
Somebody in far-off China sending
me a present, with duties and charges
prepaid evidently.
Anybody | know in China, Jen-
kins?' l asked And to help him out,
| added: Fact is, some chaps sent
me a package, you know
Name on box, sir, perhaps Said
it offhand, Just like th2t-no trouble
of thinking. dash it ail-never even
blinked. Just instinct, by Jove!
And there it was, nicely printed III
the corner with a pen:
Roland Mastermann, Government
House, Hong Kong, China.
read it aloud-cant read anFInlng,
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 Observation-Disclosures you
at the Carlton when you were over
the other side"
Mastermann! By Jove, so it was
I began to remember him now, be-
cause | remembered his dinner, sew
eral of them, in fact, during the three
years had lived over there, acquir-
ing the English accent-manner, you
know-and all that sort Of thing!
Mastermann-oh, yes, l had him,
now! Jolly rum old boy, but enter
tanning and clever-long hair, pink
wart on jaw! And, by Jove, l had
promised hin-pcomised him-what,
the deuce was it l had promised him?
Let me sce: he was something or
other in the foreign Office; yes, had
that-and tremendously interested II
mummies and psychical investigation
and rum sort of things hike that, and
by Jove," l calculated, as it came
to me. And for that reason he want
ed them to send him out to China
Beg pardon, sir" put in Jenkins.
"hut think you had letter with a
Chinese postmark last week.
lie locked around at my little writ
ia~-desk and coughed slightly behind
his hand.
WAS just a-wondering, sir, if it
might not be among those you haven't
opened-there are several piles. If |
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 so many devil
isaly ingenious, out-of-the-way sort CT
things!
1t 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 | unsheathed my little pocket
manicure knife, cut the strings and
removed the wrapper. Inside was
lust a little, straw-covered box with
telescope cover and inside the box,
wrapped in tissue, was tight roll O.
bright red silk.
That was all-not another thing but
this little silk roll. 1t was wad as
thick as three fingers and perhaps
twice as long, tied with bit OF COM
mon string, ending in loose bow
knot.
/ pinched the roll gloomily.
IF it's red silk muller, Jenkins,
catch me wearing it, that's ALL"
burst out Indignantly. Rotten bad
form, if you ask me. I'd look like an
out-and-out bounder!"
Then | 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, it was from Hong
Kong, and from that chap, Master
mann. Out there on special mission
for his government, he said. | don't
know what it was-never did know,
in fact, for I 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
I read thus far; then l read it again.
But could make nothing of it.
"Cigars-cigars? / exclaimed, puz-
zled.
Then l forgot the letter as l stared
at jenkins.
And what's the matter with your"
l demanded.
For had caught him with his hand
over his mouth, obviously trying to
suppress chuckle. He sobered in
stantly, but seemed embarrassed for
reply.
oh, say, you know" urged him.
He started to speak, then pulled up.
His breath went out in sort of sigh.
And he just stood there looking at
me, and looking kind of scared.
Fact! Perfectly irreproachable serV-
ice for five years; and now here, dash
it. showing emotion and that sort OF
thing, just like-well, like people, by
JoVe! Cad, don't mind saying l was