Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-01-15

demanded Dick bitterly. Il have lost
my camera and it is worth many hun
dreds of dollars. | am turned out into
a strange and hostile country without
food. How am to get back TO Shang-
hai?"
They had reached the gate at the end
of the avenue now and the secretary
paused and a smile chased across his
inscrutable face and vanished as he
turned away.
Il would have my lord consult the
ivory APPLE" he said dryly. within
is the answer to all the perplexities as
well as the reason why he should con-
slider this his lucky day!'
The secretary padded softly back to
the palace.
Dick felt the apple in his coat pocket
and trudged on in the direction OF the
river. AS he passed the place where
he had been challenged by the man
darin's men he heard a rustling among
the bamboos that fringed the road and
then Wung stood before him, disheyeled
and ashamed to meet his masters eye.
But he held forth something In his
hand that softened Dicks animosity
and almost brought tears to that half
starved young nan
1t was a blue bowl of steaming rice.
II begged 1t from a farmer" said
Wung humbly. Now that you have
the ivory apple perhaps my lord will
forgive me and hasten away from this
spot 1t would be like the great Hep
Foo to repent and send some of his
men forth MS bandits and to capture
the ivory apple. If my lord will con-
descend to look within 1t he will I'M
derstand how lucky he is today. L
have long heard of the ivory apple. but
no one ever chose it before!"
Dick laughed. my hunger is great
er than my curiosity, Wung. After l
have eaten we will look within the
apple. Tell me. have you had anything
to eat %yourself?"
Wung nodded and smiled. Another
bowl of rice" he said.
In FIVE minutes Dick had emptied the
bowl and returned it to Wungf who
vanished among the bamboos. When
the interpreter had returned Dick arose
and made ready to go on toward the
river.
1.-The apple. my lord" urged Wung
anxiously. Look within it now and
remove the luck. her If yon are cap
tured they will take the apple. and
you may keep what Is within"
Good advice" agreed Dick. And,
stepping into the shadow of the trees,
he held the ivory apple between his
hands and twisted the fruit sharply. 1t
fell in two halves. In one half was the
perfect reproduction of an apples core.
even to the ebony seeds. In the other
half was a deep hollow. and in the hol-
low reposed the largest emerald Dick
Hastings had ever seen.
ut is a great fortune breathed
Wung excitedly. Some call it the
little green apple 1t belonged to Hep
Foo's father. 1t Is Hep Foo's favorite
game to make an enemy choose among
the fruit, and more often they pick out
the melon. with the deadly asp in its
heart, or the poisoned orange. But the
apple has always been untouched until
today. Let us go on. my lord. Hep
Foo may follow"
A month later Dick Hastings arrived
in Shanghai ragged, unkempt and quite
disreputable looking. but next to his
heart there was hidden the emerald
that meant happiness for him and the
| girl he loved, and the little home in
California would be more perfect than
they had dared to dream. And Wing.
suitably rewarded by Dick Hastings.
does not dare leave Shanghai or its en-
vironments for fear Of the vengeance
of Her Foo.