Mexico Missouri message., 1913-02-06

TO grant Therefore I boarded a Broad
way car and was drawn haltingly
northward, until. on reaching Canal
street, l allghted in sheer desperation
and turned eastward.
Here letter carrier, OF whom in
quired, sped me straight TO my goal
couple OF blocks as | was going, q
turn to the right, a few blocks more,
and the bulk windows OF the Yup Sing
Company would come into view.
/ found tho establishment easily
enough But had II not been for the
name printed in big Roman lettering,
l should never have imagined It
Chinese business house. There was
no display Of goods in the big win
dovS, which were screened hall way
UP By light blue shades, giving the
front an appearance similar to that
OF the average American Wholesale
house.
Having passed inside, however,
there was no such illusion. All about
me were the Characteristic products
of the Orient, from brilliant silken'
embroideries, and exquisite gold and
silver and bronze work, to cheap cot
ton and linen fabrics, lacquer furni-
ture, and straw slippers. And the at
mosphere was further enhanced by
the half-doEen or more Cinnamon who
were Longing in the middle and far
distance, each with shaven crown and
coiled queue and each in the more or
less brilliantly colored native dress.
One Of these. a comparatively dark
lyatired young man with full, round
visage, came forward as l entered.
us Mr.. Yup in?" / asked.
He was inclined, l saw, to hesita,
ton and so produced Mow's card.
"Oh. yes" he said, after studying It
for a moment. ooh, yes. Mista' Yup!
He In" With which he left me, and
taking the card with him disappeared
behind some draperies at the back Of
the big crowded store.
Between the others, who regarded
me for moment only with idle inter
est, there was, while | stood there, a
rapid exchange of observations In
their native tongue, mingled with
sort of high-pitched csckling which !
assumed to be laughter.
l had turned my back towards
them, but presently q shutting Of feet
along the floor informed me of the
approach Of what l imagined was my
returning emissary. On whirllng about,
however, It was to face an elderly man
in purple silk garments and a black
skull cap-a man of thin, almost ca
daverous yellow visage, whose upper
lip and chin were adorned with a
sparse growth OF silky blue-black hair,
and upon the bridge of whose nose
rested a pair Of gold-rimmed spec
tacles.
you would see me. sir?" he asked.
and | noted that there was scarcely
the slightest Indication of the foreign
er in either pronunciation or accent.
IF you are Mr.. Yup," l smiled,
you can, fancy, from what Mr.. Now
tells me, give me the information l
am in search Of"
He did not smile in return, but his
thin face assumed an expression of be-
nightly that WIS as much of an invita-
ton to lay my problem before him as
We're his words.
Anyway l can serve a friend Of
Mr.. Now" he said, will be a pleas
ure"
But, as he spoke, the benign express
sion passed. Once again that thin SAT-
fron-hued face, with its hollow cheeks,
and small deepset eyes, had become
unfathomable.
At least two Of his partners or
statesmen were within ear-shot. and I
turned a significant glance towards
them. as | said;
THE subject is a confidential one,
Mr.. Yup. If l could speak to you"
I'm private?' he finished Certain
ly, sir. VIII you kindly step this
way?"
He led me TO the rear of his store.
holding aside a curtain of heavy en-
broidery, through which passed into
smaller room, furnished in carved
teak wood and ornamented with mag
nificent specimens OF Chinese porce-
lain and pottery. A little Chinese girl,
not over eight years old, and wearing
a blouse and wide breeches of a pale
cerulean silk, stood beside a table.
Before her were several small sheets
OF rice paper on which she was max.
ing designs In water colors.
Ignoring the child, he indicated a
chair near tho only window, screened,
like the windows in front, with blue
shade. And when had sat down, he
drew up a chair for himself opposite
me.
His manner, in spite of the benign
ity OF a moment before, was not en-,
couraging. and for little | was EN-
barrassed as to Just where to begin.
At length, however, said:
81 fear, Mr.. Yup, that some Of your
countrymen have recently made a ter
rible mistake"
"a mistaken" he echoed. gravely.
"A mistake that | trust Il is not too