Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-05-03
A Present from China.

night as | swung into my chamber
Fact is, for the moment, It was tn
only thing / saw Somehow. Its splas
Of yellow there under the shaded lam
seemed to catch my eye and hold It.
screwed my glass tight and ell
amined the thing with interest. Moth
Ing remarkable; just a tiny. oblonI
package, bearing curious foreigl
markings. It's wrapper plainly ad
dressed to me. but
by Jove! From China!" l ejacu
lated.
me a present. with duties and charges
prepaid evidently.
Anybody l know in China, Jen
kins!" | asked. And to help him out
added: Fact is. some chaps sent
me a package, you know"
Name on box, sir, perhaps" Said
II ofhand, just like that--no trouble
OF thinking. dash 1t all-never even
bllnked. Just instinct. by Jove!
And there It was, nicely printed In
the corner with a pen:
Roland Mastermann, Government
House, Hong Kong, China.
| read II aloud-cant read anything,
you know, unless | read It aloud-and
looked at Jenkins i%nquiringly. 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 chat
London Observation-Disclosures you
at the Carlton when you were over
the other side"
Mastermann! BY Jove, 80 II was
] began to remember him now, be-
cause | 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. l had him,
now! jolly rum old boy, but enter.
talning and clever--long hair. pink
wart on jaw! And. by Jove. l had
promised him--promised him-what
the deuce was 1t I had promised him?
Let me see: he was something or
other IN the foreign Office; yes, l had
that--and tremendously interested In
mummies and psychioal investigation
and rum sort Of things like that, and
by Joye!" 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 q
Chinese postmark last week"
He looked around at my little writ
ing'desk and ooughed slightly behind
his hand.
Was Just a-%wondering, sir, II It
might not be among those you haven't
opeued-there are several piles. II |
might look. sir
| nodded. Fact Is, | allow jenkins
much privilege, owing to long service.
Then, you know-oh. dash 1t, he's so
o%riginal-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, eh? Well, rather!
Co upchnothnd AZ lJttln p,,l,o+
manicure knife, cut the strings and
removed the wrapper, Inside was
Just "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 a bit OF com.
mon string. ending In a loose bow
knot.
! pinched the roll gloomily.
IF It's a red silk muller, Jenkins,
catch me wearing 1t. that's ALI" |
burst out Indignantly. Rotten bad
lOrW, II you ASK me. Ia look ike an
~out.and-out bounder!"
Then | had a horrible thought:
"Or-or the Salvation Army, dash
I'll"
Here Jenkins thrust a letter at ME.
perhaps this may explain It, 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 II was-neNer 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
I read thus far; then | read it again.
But | could make nothing of II.
"Cigars--cigars?" ! exclaimed. puz-
sled.
Then | forgot the letter as | stared
at jenkins.
And what's the matter with your"
I demanded.
For | had caught him with his hand
r~cr HE mouth. obviously trying to
apursss q ohuckle. He sobersd in