Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1914-06-05
The Street
of TombS
One Of Its Mysteries
Revealed
By cLARIssA MAcK1B

+%%&+%F%%%%+f
Tom Newell pointed down the dark,
lortuous street Of the old Chinese city.
"That7 Ny dear boy, you don't want
to stroll through the Street Of Tombs,
do your"
"Why notP" demanded Rex Forbes.
1T looks promising as Chinese streets
60"
"Promisingl Ye godsr" groaned
Newell. with disgust
Fascinating, then" laughed the
other. HAS all the earmarks Of orr
entail mystery; smells to heaven; is
hlthy, dark; has a name that bespeaks
murder lurking around every corner.
and all that, you know"
While Newell hesitated Rex laughed
again and clapped a hand on his
friends shoulder.
f., "Not afraid Of It, are your he gibed-
after living In China for I'VE years"-
IL have a decent respect for a few Of
her unexplained mysteries" finished
Newell quickly, "and, believe me, Rex,
this is one Of them"
Tell me about It"
"Tll tell you after dinner. Then II
you still want to walk through the
Street Of Tombs IN swallow my obJec-
tons and 90 with you" replied Newell
"Done," agreed Forbes. And, re
turning to the city cato, they entered
rickshas that had been waiting there
and were DON bowling along the bund
toward the modern city OF Shanghai
II was after dinner at the club that
Forbes claimed the promised story.
Tom Newell lighted a cigar and pun
ed thoughtfully before he spoke:
1.-TWO years ago l had a friend, En-
derby. You may remember that l
frequently mentioned his name in my
letters to you. He was the agent for
a well known American invention, and
he was well liked by the American
colony here. Only one thing was
against him. He was fond Of prowL
ing around the native city yonder, and
you know that 1t Is not considered
good form here in the model settle
ment."
what happenedr' asked Forbes
curiously.
Nobody knows-at least none Of
his friends in Shanghai nor anywhere
else. One day he asked me to go into
the old city with him to see some por
celalns that were said 10 date from
the Ming dynasty. He was going to
invest in them If they were the real
thing.
81 went with him, for / liked En-
derby, in spite Of his crudities. BE
typihed my own fast growing. ambi-
tious young country. 1 inspected the
porcelains in a dim shop that looked
like a thieves den, and I discovered
that they were all clumsy counter
feits. 1 broke the news to Bnderby,
and he laughed and said. Better luck
next time
ION our way back TO the city gate
the very gate through which we
emerged today. Rex-Enderby paused
on that corner Of the Street Of Tombs
and asked me to wait for him, as he
had a little errand to do down there.
Il asked him II he knew how the
street had gained its name-that It was
said that hundreds Of men had entered
1t never to emerge at the other end or
to return. They vanished completely,
and because Of their vanishing and
the mystery surrounding their disap-
pearance the street was known as the
Street Of Tombs, for it must contain
many unknown, never TO be discovered
graves"
Newell lighted a fresh cigar, and his
eyes stared thoughtfuIIy at the glow
ing end.
Rex Forbes waited tmpatiently; then
be spoke:
well. are you going to tell me that
Enderby wal murdered2"
Il can't tell you that, for / DO not
know. l do know that from the in
slant he vanished around the first
turn in the Street Of Tombs he
dropped out OF my life. / never saw
him again" Tom NeweLrs voice was
a little unsteady.
"And yOa could ina no trace Of
himP'
"Not a trace. -Four private detectives
were sent into the old city,
"And what h~appenedY' interrupted
the impatient Forbes.
They came back. either" end
ed Newell.
There fell a long silence between
the two men. Newell. an old resident
OF Shanghai, was thinking OF the loss
Of his friend Bnderby. Rex Forbes,
fresh from the United States, was
eagerly hoping for an opportunity to
clear up this mystery Of the Street Of
TOmbs.
At last Newell spoke
"Stll want to stroll through the
Street Of TombsF' be asked And he
was NOT surprised at the nswer he re.
eeiVed
yes" said Forbes doggedly. I'm
going into the Street OF TOmbs, and
Pm going TO uncOVer the mystery Of
the disappearance OF Bnderby."
VERY WELL" agreed Newell II am
afraid II you are successful you will
diacoVar Il IA a cas0 OF sondid murder