The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-01-29


, Away from his lotteries, fddles and
joss,
You can give his queue to the barber.
boss;
But you can't get down to the roots that
start
From the yellow base of his yellow
heart.
And it's very true. There are those
here who pretend to adore me, who
would think nothing of treating me
as they treated poor Ling Fo, IL they
suspected l knew anything and gave
/ information"
Il don't want you to think I'm
coward, Miss Grayson," she went on,
turning to Evelyn. II think I've proved
/ to you that I want to help you and
mean to, but I'm rather upset tonight,
. and I'm so afraid we shall have to let
matters rest little longer. There is
/ one thing. though, that you can do
for me. il you will"
The last sentence was addressed to
me, and I made haste to assure her
that she had only to command me.
AS she had spoken she had been
folding and refolding the paper in her
hand, until it was now a tiny, one
inch square.
Take this" she said, handing It
to me, her voice low murmur, land
after you have read 1t, destroy 1t.
shouldn't want it found in my pos
session."
Il understand, Miss Clement" re-
turned and the folded square went
into my waistcoat pocket.
1T may mean more to you" she
added, in whisper, than anything
I could say"
When once more in the brougbam.
speeding northward, Evelyn, who had
been unusually taciturn throughout
the interview, asked me a question.
Did you mean what you said,
Philip"
What did I say?" I queried.
THAT you understood"
i understood that it might not he
well for her to have this letter of
Ling Fo's about"
But the rest? Her refusal to talk?
Her uneasiness? Her fear of possible
traitors?" she persisted.
Once more she had gone straight to
the heart Of the situation. had been
as puzzled as she by the missionary's
attitude OF constraint, which l could
not attribute wholly to the tragedy she
had told us Of; and I admitted as
much to Evelyn.
IF she suspected eavesdroppers.
the girl argued, "she said too much.
II she didn't fear being overheard, why
couldn't she tell us all she knew"
For want of better answer I said:
Perhaps the letter will solve the
enigma" and plucking it from my
pocket with thumb and forefnger l
began carefully to unfold it.
The interior Of the vehicle was bril-.
liantly alight, and though we were
already far beyond the Chinatown
zone and the chance observation Of
any lurking spies, nevertheless chose
discreetly to draw the shades prior
10 outspreading the written page.
Before the sheet with it's network of
creases was quite fattened, Evelyn.
who was bending attentively near, ex-
claimed IN surprise, 1T is her own
handwriting! See, it is written by
Miss Clement herself!"
Already absorbed, / made no re.
sponse. Avidly my eyes were racing
over the lines; greedily, my brain was
digesting them.
Ildings Of the cruel murder of
Ling Fo have just reached me. When
you come, as | know you will, shall
not dare to speak what / have written.
and which is all that the poor boy
ever told me. Already there are spies
about me, and your visit Is a risk to
us both. l would have prevented it, if
| could
Three weeks ago, according to Ling
Fo, white man was abducted by or
der OF the Six Companies, and shipped
10 China for punishment, aboard a
tramp steamer. Ling Fo would not
give me the white mans name or any
or the particulars, save that sixteen
years ago he had committed q crime
known to every Chinaman in America
as The Crime Of the Sable Lorcha.'
or black funeral ship by which near.
ly one hundred Chinese coolies lost
their lives.
1T seems now that this man, who
they thought was on the ocean, sud-
denly reappeared in New York, a few
nights ago. He was recognized and
set upon by two Cinnamon, but he
escaped, and the Six Companies and
all the tongs are in a ferment over the
mystery"
Evelyn's hand was on my arm S I
read, her face close to mine, reading
with me. Having finished, 1 held the
sheet for moment, waiting for her
to signify that she, too, had reached
the end. And in that moment the
prougham came to a sudden halt.
Before either of us could voice