The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1912-06-21
A Present from China.

night as l swung into my chambers.
Fact is, for the moment, 1t was the
only thing I saw. Somehow, its splash
of yellow there under the shaded lamp
seemed to catch my y and hold 1t.
I screwed my glass tight and ex-
amined 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 Chinal" l ejacu-
lated.
Somebody in far-of China sending
me a present. with duties and charges
prepaid evidently.
Anybody I know in China, Jen-
kins?" I asked. And to help him out.
I added: Fact is. some chaps sent
me a package, o 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 Jovel
And there 1t was, nicely printed In
the corner with a pen:
Roland Mastermann, Government
House, Hong Kong, China.
read 1t aloud-can't read anything,
you know, unless l read it 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 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. you
at the Carlton when you were over
the other side"
Mastermann! By Jove, so 1t was
began to remember him now be-
cause l 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. l had him.
now! jolly rum old boy, but enter
taining and clever-long hair, pink
vart on jaw! And, by Jove, l had
promised him-promised him-what
the deuce was it I had promised him7
Let me see: he was something or
other in the foreign ofice; yes. l had
that-and tremendously interested in
mummies and psychical investigation
and rum sort Of things like that, and
by Jove!" l calculated, as 1t 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 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, II 1t
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 so many devil.
ishly ingenious, out-of-the-way sort OF
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 l unsheathed my little pocket
manicure knife, cut the strings and
removed the wrapper. Inside was
Just a little, straw-covered box with y
telescope cover and inside the Uox
wrapped in tissue. was a tight roll OF
bright red silk.
That uoo ol-nnf onnfEnr thing hui
this little silk roll. It was a wad as
thick as three fingers and perhaps
twice as long, tied with a bit Of com;
mon string, ending In a loose bok'
knot.
/ pinched the roll gloomily.
IF It's a red silk muffler, Jenkins
caych me wearing It. that's ALL"
burst out Indignantly. Rotten bad
form, II you ask me. I'd look like ar
o%ut-and-out bounder!"
Then had a horrible thought:
"Or--or the Salvation Army, dash
III"
Here jenkins thrust a letter 1t me
"Perhsps this may explain 1t, SIR" be
suggested.
Sure enough, 1t 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-ne$er did know,
In fact, for l skipped down to this
paragraph, which I read aloud:
Every pun Of those rare cigars you
sent me LAS but reminded me that my
debt to you Ia still unpaid"
I resd thus far; then ! read 1t again.
But I could make nothing Of It.
'Cigars-cigars?" l exclaimed. puz.
Sled.
Then l forgot the letter as l stared
at Jenkins.
"And what's the matter with your
I demanded.
For I bad caught him with his hand
over hiE mouth. obviously trying to
eaSpssa . ahuckle. He sobeSsd In