The Ordway new era., 1913-03-14

mornings mail. Murphy is still at
Cos Cob. He didn't leave his bunga-
low all day yesterday. and he had
no callers"
I'm crazy to know what you learn
tonight from Yup Sing" she went on.
eagerly. "Oh. how do hope It will
give US some hint! 1t seems terrible
to think Of Uncle Robert in the hands
Of those unconscionable Cinnamon.
And. Philip. don't you think you had
better take some one with you? /
suppose Mr.. Yup IL to be trusted. but
at the same time. you must remember
you are going into the enemy's camp,
and you should be careful"
But laughed at the notion Of tax
ing body-guard.
"I'm to meet him at nine o'clock" I
told her. "in a public restaurant. Be-
sides. therell be a crowd Of those
Seeing New York people down there
about that time. and Chinatown will
be on its best behavior. SO never fear,
little girl. Do you want me to tele-
phone you when I get uptown? You
know I'm going to stop tonight at my
rooms in the Loyalton."
"Of course I want you to telephone
me-" she returned. emphatically. 1T
shouldn't take you very long to hear
what Mr.. Yup has to tell. should 1t!
I shall be expecting you to call me up
between ten and half-past. or by elev-
en- at the latest: SO don't dare to go
for supper first"
"As II could think Of supper" l
said, looking at her in q way had.
when might be hearing your
voice!"
Could I have foreseen what the
night was to bring forth certainly
should have discouraged her waiting
for my message. But the power Of pre-
vision is given to few OF us, and OF
those few am not one.
Assuredly I had no misgivings as.
after dining at the University club
that evening. stepped into an cleo
tric hanson and gave the driver the
address Of the Doyers street restau-
rant. Whatever 1t may have been in
the past. believed the Chinatown Of
the present to be. outwardly at least, a
| reasonably law-abiding section OF the
borough of Manhattan. And was not
that night the guest Of one Of its
most honored citizens? What, there
fore. had to fear!
On the contrary. as We turned from
the Bowery into that little semicircu-
lar thoroughfare which 10 perhaps the
most characteristic of Chinatown's
three principal streets. was pleas
antly interested. This was quite q
different place from that which l had
visited the afternoon before. Then. a
sort OF brooding quiet reigned over
what was SO ordinary as to be scarce
ly Distinctive: for that part Of Mott
street on which the Yup Sing estab-
lishment is located, I have since learn
ed, Is merely one Of the gates Of the
real Chinatown. Of which Doyers
street is the heart and center-and
which awakens only after nightfall.
Now the place was alive and alight
Narrow roadway and still narrower
sidewalks were thronged with a COM
bination of denizens and sightseers.
Shop fronts and upper windows glow
ed with varying degrees Of brightness.
From the Chinese theater on the left
came a bedlam Of inharmonious
sounds: the brazen crash Of cymbals.
the squeaking of raucous stringed in
struments, the resounding clangor Of a
gong. Voices highpitched and voices
CULTURAL, mingled with hoarse and
strident laughter, echoed from wall to
wall Of the streets encroaching
squalid buildings.
Before the least unpretentious OF all
these structures. my hanson stopped.
and as I stepped to the curb I got a
glimpse Of its banner and lantern
strung balcony, giving to the street
touch Of color that helped to lift It
into an atmosphere which. II not
Oriental, was at least vividly un-Amer-
lean.
Finding now that had anticipated
my appointment by something like ten
minutes l chose to watch further the
Kaleidoscope scene without, rather
than pass the time waiting at a table
within: and to this end took up posi-
ton OF vantage on the restaurants
low step.
Whether I am more or less keenly
observant than the average man do
not know. Probably any one as fas-
cinated by the general scene as was I.
would have noted as closely Its indi-
vidual elements. am not sure. But
the truth is that in n very few mo-
ments I had acquired a mental photo:
graph Of the opposite side Of the
street, in SO far as It came within my
direct vision. In other words every
detail OF the background OF the NOV.
ing picture before me was indelibly
printed upon my minds retina. There
was the playhouse. with its plain, rec
tangular doorway. unadorned. save by
quartette Of rude signs; two above.
slanting outward. and one on either
side, all announcing Chinese Thea
ter" and one giving the current at
traction in Chinese characters, with
the added notice, Seats reserved for