Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-05-17


only thing saw. Somehow. its splash
Of yellow there under the shaded lamp
seemed to catch my eye and hold 1t.
screwed my glass tight and ex-
aminsd the thing with interest Moth
ing remarkable; Just tiny. oblong
package. bearing curious foreign
markings, its wrapper plainly ad-
dressed to me, but
by Jovsi From Chinai" I sjacu-
lated.
Somebody In far-ofr China sending
me present, with duties and charges
prepaid evidently.
Anybody l know in China, Jen-
hns?" 1 asked. And to help him out,
added: Fact is. some chaps sent
me a package, you know"
Name on box, sir. perhaps" Said
It ofhand. Just like that-no trouble
of thinking, dash 1t all-never even
blinksd. Just instinct, by JoveI
And there 1t 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 1t from somewhere
right out OF the wall over my head:
Beg pardon, sir; but think it's that
London gentleman-entertain you
at the Carlton when you were over
the other side"
Mastermann! BY Jove. SO 1t VAS
I began to remember him now. be-
cause l 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. I had him.
J now! jolly rum old boy, but enter
4 tanning and clever-long hair, pink
wart on jaw! And, by Jove. l had
promised him-promised him-what
the deuce was 1t 1 had promised himT
Lot 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 1t 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 it
might not be among those you haven't
might look, sir"
nodded. Fact is. l allow jenkins
much privilege. owing to long service.
Then, you know-oh, dash 1t, 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, outof-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, ratheri
So l unsheathed my little pocket
manicure knife. cut the strings and
removed the wrapper. Inside was
Just little. straw-covered box with a
telescope cover and inside the box.
wrapped in tissue. was tight roll OF
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 a bit of COM
mon string, ending in a loose bow
knot
/ pinched the roll gloomily.
IF it's red silk muffier, Jenkins,
catch me wearing 1t, that's ALI"
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'll"
Here jenkins thrust a letter at me.
perhaps this may explain 1t, 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 1t was-never did know,
in fact, for skipped down to this
paragraph, which l read aloud:
Every pun of those rare cigars you
sent me has but reminded me that my
debt to you is still unpaid"
read thus far; then read 1t again.
But / could make nothing Of 1t.
"Cigars-cigars?" I exclaimed, puz-
xled.
Then forgot the letter as I stared
at jenkins.
And what's the matter with your"
! demanded.
For I had caught him with his hand
over his mouth, obviously trying to
suppress chuckle. He sobered In