The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-03-22
CHAPTER /.
A Present from China.
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only thing 1 saw. Somehow, It's splash
of yellow there under the shaded lamp
seemed to catch my eye and hold it.
I screwed my glass tight and ex-
amined the thing with interest, Moth
ing remarkable; just tiny, oblong
package, bearing curious foreign
markings, its wrapper plainly az
dressed to me, but
"By Jove! From China!" I ejacu-
lated.
Somebody in far-off China sending
me a present, with duties and charges
prepaid evidently.
Anybody 1 know in China, Jen-
kins?" 1 asked. And to help him out,
I added: "Fact is, some chaps sent
me package, you know
Name on box, sir, perhaps" Said
it offhand, just like that-no trouble
of thinking, dash it all-never even
;blinked Just instinct, by Jove!
And there it was, nicely printed in
the corner with pen:
Roland Mastermann, Government
House, Hong Kong, Cn1na.
I 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 it from somewhere
right out of the wall over my head:
BEG pardon, sir; but think it's that
London gentleman-entertained 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 I remembered his dinner, sew
eral Of them, in fact, during the three
years I 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
I the deuce was it I 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,
-ssbut think you had letter with
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
.opened-there are several piles. If
might look, sir"
1 nodded. Fact is, I allow jenkins
much privilege, owing to long service.
Then, you know-oh, dash it, he's so
-original-so refreshing and that sort
sof thing-so surprising. Just as in
this case, he thinks Of so many devil
ishIy ingenious, out-of-the-way sort OF
things!
It 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, eh? Well, rather!
So I 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 a tight roll Of
bright red silk.
That was all-not another thing but
this little silk roll. 1t was a wad as
thick as three fingers and perhaps
twice as long, tied with bit Of COM
mon string, ending in a loose bow
knot.
I pinched the roll gloomily.
"If it's a red silk mufler, jenkins,
catch me wearing it, that's all!'' l
burst out Indignantly. Rotten bad
form, if you ask me. I'd look like an
,out-and-out bounder!"
Then had horrible thought:
"Or-or the Salvation Army, dash
.it!'
Here Jenkins thrust letter at me.
perhaps this may explain 1t, sir, ne
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 1 read aloud:
Every puff of those rare cigars you
sent me has but reminded me that my
xdebt to you is still unpaid.
read thus far; then 1 read it again.
But I could make nothing Of 1t.
''Cigars-cigars?" I exclaimed, puz-
'-zled
Then 1 forgot the letter as 1 stared
at jenkins.