The herald., 1913-08-28
A Chinese
Umbrella
Bv REGINALD D. HAVEN

whose field was in China, and she had
speut most of her girlhood there. Her
husband had been 10 China on busi-
ness. met her there and brought her
home with him as his wife.
Mrs BOnbright. a girl at this time |
was with her father at his mis- /
sionary station in the province OF
Shantung After dinner was taken
to a room where a collection OF souve-
Mrs of the F'lOwery Kingdom was |
kept. Among them was an umbrella |
made of bamboo wood and paper. Gov
cred with the customary pictures OF |
men and women. birds and flowers. |
Across il when expanded We're Chinese |
characters which. OF course, could |
not read BOnbright directed my at |
tentiOn to the umbrella. and Mrs. Bon !
bright said. IF you're going to tell
that story I'll go elsewhere" She went
out with a look indicating that | was
about to hear something unpleasant
"You know" said Bonbright, that
China is full Of persons who live by
highway robbery They cut off their
heads whenever they capture them.
but this doesn't seem to deter others.
for life is cheap there and only the bet
ter classes care much about their own
or Others terrestrial existence. Well.
one day was travelling on horseback
through the province of Shantung.
had no mind to be set upon by the
hiChwaymen and had armed myself.
There is not much fight in even the
robbers In China unless they have ev-
cry advantage. and | didn't feel in
much danger so long as l could defend
myself.
81 was not alta cked myself; but. hear
ing a shouting ahead Of me, | pressed
forward and found a Chinaman In
the dress OF a mandarin being set upon
by a gang Of robbers. l fired shots at
them, and they left their prey In a
sorry plight and took to their heels.
| picked him up and set him to rights.
I had come up just in time to save
bis pocketbook, and he offered me a
portion of its contents as a reward.
This, Of course, | declined. whereupon
he talked his thanks-so | supposed.
for | did not understand a word he
said. Just before l left him he took
a writing stick and wrote those char
acters you see there on the umbrella
| and gave it to me. There was nothing
| to do but accept it, and as the day was
hot / used It.
Every Chinaman l met looked at
| the umbrella, then at me, and their
indifference was at once turned to
reverence Some of them stopped and
| salaamed as l passed. l wondered II
they miStook me for the governor of
a province or an eyecutioner. Singular
| " enough. | didn't catch on to the fact
! that it was the umbrella that was
drawing forth such respect.
II stopped that night at the mis-
sionary station presided over by my
wife's father and found them in great
trouble They had got wind through
some Of the Christian natives, servants
and others attached to the mission of
the Boxer movement that was about
to break forth. My wife was then a
girl Of nineteen and the oldest Of a
family Of seven. The converts were In
a terrible state Of fear, which natural
ly communicated itself to the white
family.
browning persons will cling to a
straw, and this family chung to me.
True. was only one man. but l was
well armed, and even one man might
be of some protection. l suppose
hnr rnnnfnaH hnf
could not leave the girl who struck my
!. fancy When she looked appealingly
at me with those blue eyes Of hers
could not resist and said l would re-
main with them till the trouble was
over.
Remembering how easily l had put
!, to flight the robbers, | really thought
that with my two revolvers and some
fifty cartridges | would be a protec
, ton, but when | heard the shrieks Of
the Christian converts as the crowd ap
preached the mission house ! didn't
like the prospect. The yells of the
brutes who were numbering them were
equally appalling. What could | d.
against an Infatuated mob?
However. | stationed myself at al
upper window. laying my ammunition
; and extra pistols beside me. | called
upon Ethel to stay beside me and loal
them for me as fast as fred. and sh,
nerved herself to do so. put my hea(
out and. seeing the mob coming reek
ing with blood. my heart sank. Wish
ing something to conceal me from
! them, took up the umbrella the man
: DARN had given me. opened it, fixed
before me at The window and poke,
: holes through 1t so that I could Sc
where to fire.
g THE mob had broken into the mex
house and killed every one there, the
was ready to storm the mission. A.
ready an ak had fallen on the door be
low me when | saw a man look at m
D umbrella and become much excited
e He ran forward. then back with tn
j man who welded the ak. A knot o
] rioters gathered, all looking at the um
l. brella. Not another blow was STRUCK
| did not need to fire single sho
5 The mob seemed disappointed. but pas:
e ed on.
AS soon as it had gone | Withdrew
e the umbrella. Ethel. who could rea