The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-04-22

OtIltG dIil licltif
taking you for pleasure trip
THANK you, but cannot go today"
decided Marston hastily.
Feng Pu sighed. You Americans are
so abrupt" he murmured regretfully.
MarStonI laughed heartily. Not as
abrupt as you Chinese he said. Eff
teen minutes ago | had never heard
of you. and now you are taking me
on pleasure trip to-where:'
"A place of good luck" said the other.
looking at him under pickering lids.
Heaven knows | need it-whole
chunks of good luck" groaned Mars
ton. with sudden bleak realization
Of his position.
Then the prophecy will come true"
murmured the Asiatic.
Marston stared. What prophecyT'
1.-THE prophecy of the geomancer
who fOretold that on a certain day |
should be travelling through the Street
Of Thousand Ways and should lose
my luck-and should find it again"
"Well?"
Il lost my luck-my lucky stone to-
day-and my servant Ping saw you
pick it up said the mandarin quietly.
Marston pulled the amber dragon
from his pocket. This is yours" he
asked.
Feng Pus eyes gliStened. Yes" he
Kissed 1T has all been foretold long.
long ago while l was still a young
man. A geomancer i'll the bazaar pre-
dicted that | should lose my luck and
find friend and find my luck all in
the same day
THANK you,' smiled MarSton anna
bly,. Am your friend or your luck =
"My friend. | hope" said the other
quietly. This is no jest-this stone.
He fastened the amber trinket to a
long jade chain which swung from his
neck This stone is the luck Of my
family. but there is greater luck in
store for the one who solves the secret.
See" He twisted the tail of the am
Der dragon and revealed tiny cavity.
from which he drew bit of oiled silk
1T was given to my grandfather by
an American sea captain who was
taken prisoner by some river pirates
He had found some treasure and hid
den it, and lie would not give it up to
the pirates. We never saw him again
and my father could not understand
the directions, and so we have waited
hoping that some ffst.ei
foreigner we could trust" He stop
! ped abruptly. His greed for the leg
endary treasure had for the moment
overcome his native caution, but re-
covering himself he watched the young
American carefully while he unrolled
the tiny scroll of oiled silk on which
appeared neat black letters.
Marston frowned at the scroll. stared
/ and went off into gale of laughter.
Feng Pu scowled angrily. Who was
this American dog that he should make
a jest of mandarin's lucky stone:
I But he must know the secret. Then
the American could be dropped over
into the river for all Feng Pu cared
He shrugged his fat shoulders.
| John MarSton stared at the nursery
jingle that was neatly lettered on the
/ little scroll
Ding, dong bell.
PusSy's in the well.
Who put her in?
Little Thomas Green.
WAS the captains name Green
Thomas Green?' he asked Feng Pu.
$50 says the SCROLL" nodded the man
DARN stiff1y.
"And do you know the nature Of the
treasurer
precious stones"
and have you any idea where Cap,
tain Green might have hidden them"
+ "He was captured in the courtyard
/ of the temple of thousand eyes. We
are approaching it now" said Feng Pu
quietly.
"And if find your good luck:' ask
ed Marston.
"Half is yours" asserted the other
blandly.
"A written agreement to that eff
fect?' asked the American.
The mandarin shrugged his shout
ders. Il will send for my secretary
He clapped his hands, and Ping came
running.
The agreement was duly written
signed and witnessed ere they reached
the jutting point of land where a
winding path led up to a half ruined
temple among the mulberry trees.
AS they entered sampan and went
ashore John MarstOn was puzzling
over the absurd jingle he had discov
cred on the little scroll which the man
DARN treasured so highly. What did
Captain Thomas Green mean by in
trusting his secret TO a Chinese. yet
yelling it under simple nursery rhine:
Perhaps astute Thomas Green had
hoped that sooner or later his secret
writing might come to the hand OF 8
fellow American. who might solve II
and be benefited by the knowledge.
The mandarin's retinue filed up the
path to the ruins of the temple of q
thousand eyes. Over one shoulder
MarSton carried coil of rope. He be
Heved he had solved the hiding place