The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-12-31

for it's occupancy. There l made my
headquarters, surrounded by thievin~
servants and aware that If / was eve
caught off my guard l was done TO-.
They were a crowd that would hav
knitted me for twenty cash.
~ knew that a remote Chinese hsi
ing village IS a queer place In WHO
to look for Kaollng ~percelains; buA
mark you. Ralph, that little villafC
was all that remained of a once gry =,
and prosperous city whose ruins 8
gled back from the sea and co. d
many leagues of fat country, brok II
by jutting stones of half burned tenn
pies. t.
1T was here those treasures were -
the earthquake which had destroyed
the city had spared the porcelains. SCI
l made my strongest efforts to bear OF
the temple ruins, and In the end / meq
a measure of success. ! was sorrA
that l had not persuaded you to acS
company me On that quest; but. nd
perhaps 1t was best that you did not
Beale stared into the fire witt
strangely Lit eyes, and there was somz
thing in the rigidity of his atttuH
that brought Ralph HilIman to a ST
ting posture where he could watch hD
friend closely.
go On, Francis ? he urged. Il Wis.,
l had been with you, danger or no.
You know I'm not afraid of that"
81 know" said the other. with a long
confident look at Ralph. I'VE have
slept by campfres together, and you
saved my life once. That was why |
wanted to see you once more"
"Once more!' repeated Ralph uneas-
lily. what do you mean, Francis2 You
are not going away again.
"Never mind that now; you will I'M
4erstand after you have heard my
story. AS / said, l found the entrance
to an especially promising temple and
I planned to spond an entire day there,
hoping to reach the inner shrine. where
there might be a porcelain god. and !
was almost sure to discover some altar
vessels Of the coveted ware. OF course
| had had help in my work, a gang Of
coolies had ~excavated for me day by
day, but now that a free passage had
been discovered l preferred to be alone,
as / knew they would resent the re-
moval of one article from the place.
and | was after all | could get.
Before ! started out that morning |
had received word that Barment and
his party would join me on the 9Th.
that very day was the 7th of Septem-
Der. l was elated to think | was going
to have white companions at last. lei
interested in the same pursuit that l
was. | sent the boatman. who had
brought the message. away rejoicing
with a handful of money and so fur
Their excited the cupidity Of my native
servants.
81 ordered my house set in order for
a dozen guests. and so / went on to
the buried city. l made my way down
into the stone passage of the temple,
found my way unchecked save by oc-
casional blocks Of stone, which l pried
away, and at last / was within the
inner shrine, where my Widest hopes
were realized.
Such a collection of Kaoling ware
you saw, but Barment will res
cue it. and you may see it in the mu-
scum. 1t was while l was bending
above the porcelain that the blow
came-stab wounds one after another
in my back and sides from a dozen
~treacherous knives. Then | was dung
into a dark corner to die, while the
murderers fed to loot my house.
II fingered until the evening of the
9TH, and just as Barment and his party
feached me. before | could tell them
who the guilty ones were, | diedg'
"You whaty screamed Ralph, spring
ing to his feet.
Il died." said the other quietly, but
| came to say goodby." All at once
Ralph was alone in the whispering for
est, while Nip lifted his head In one
long drawn howl.
A week later Ralph Hillman struck
civilization again. His Hrst search Of
telegraphic news left him limp and
white. The letters stared blackly at
him:
1T has been learned that DR.. Fran
els Beale, who had been travelling in
China, was murdered by natives ON
the coast and supposed to have died
IN the 9th inst"