Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-07-17
A Present from China.


Fact is. for the moment, It was the
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-
amlned the thing with interest. Moth
Ing remarkable; just a tiny, oblong
package. bearing curious foreign
markings, its wrapper plainly ad-
dressed to me, but
by Jove! From Chlna!" l ejacu-
lated.
Somebody In far-off China sending
me a present with duties and charges
prepaid evidently.
Anybody l know in China, Jen-
kins?" l asked. And to help him out,
| added. Fact u.s. some chaps sent
me a package, you know"
Name on box, sir, perhaps" Said
1t ohhand, just like that-no trouble
OF thinking, dash It 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.
read 1t aloud-cant read anything,
you know, unless read 1t aloud-and
looked at Jenkins inquiringly But
he came right up to the scratch; Just
seemed to get 1t from somewhere
right out of the wall over my head:
Beg pardon, sir; but think it's that
London gentleman-entertaine you
at the Carlton when you were over
the other side"
Mastermann! BY Jove, so It was
began to remember him now, be-
cause | remembered his dinner, sew
eral of them, in fact, during the three
years l 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
tanning and cleVer-long hair, pink
wart on jaw! And, by Jove, had
promised him-promised him-what
the deuce was it l 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 it came
to me. And for that reason he want
ed them to send him out to China"
beg pardon, sir" put in jenkins,
but think you had a letter with a
Chinese postmark last week"
He looked around at my little writ.
ing-desk and coughed slightly behind
his hand.
WAS just a-wondering, sir, If II
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 Sc
original-so refreshing and that sort
of thing-so surprising. Just as IL
this case, he thinks of so many devil
ishly ingenious, out-of-the-way sort o
things!
It was jenkins idea that find on
what was in the box by just opening
the dashed thing while he looked 70
the letter.
Clever that, Ell? Well, rather!
So l unsheathed my little poke
manicure knife, cut the strings an
removed the wrapper Inside wa
lust a little, straw-covered box with
telescope cover and inside the box
wrappsd In tissue, was a 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 perhap
twice as long, tied with a bit of con
mon string, ending in a loose bow
knot
/ pinched the roll gloomily.
''If it's a red silk muffler, jenkins
catch me wearing it, that's ALL"
hurst out Indignantly. Rotten ba
form, If you ask me. I'd look like a
out.and-out bounder!"
Then | had a horrible thought:
"Or-or the Salvation Army, das
itI"
Here Jenkins thrust letter at MI
"psrhaps this may explain it, sir" b
suggested.
sure enough, 1t was from Hon
Kong. and from that chap, Maste
mann. Out there on special missile
for his government, he said. don
know what It was-never did kno'
h fact for | skipped down to tn
rorapraph which read aloud
% Rhnen cigars
sant me has but reminded me that n
debt to you is still unpaid"
read thus far; then read it agai
ant I could make nothing Of it.
"Cigars-cigars?" l exclaimed, pu
sled.
at Jenkins
| demanded
For had caught him with his hal
ovor his mouth, obviously trying
s,nnrass a chuckle He sobered
SANITY. but seemed embarrassed I
q reply. .,,,,,,-o, -,
He started to speak, then pulled
uls breath went out In sort OF SIS
And he Just stood there looking
me and looking kind Of scared.
Fact, Perfectly irreproachable SCI
zoe for ave years; and now here, ia
IL showing emotion and that sort
thing sust like-well, like people
1ovef DAD, l don't mind saying "
Ssvuish lut out! l screwed my gla
~S,hCy asVsrely and he made anotf