The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-01-06

tattoood the symbol upon little Mar
iAn's throat, his purpose being q
place her under the protection OF {
seal that would render her safe dur
ing the long Journey.
Then. with the acme Of cunning
tho ring IA its ivory reliqpary wal
kept constantly concealed upon tbs
innocent baby's person until the
little party was well within a zon'
OF safety.
When. with the diamonds disap
pearance. Lao believed my fathei
and Strang we're trying TO dcfraut
him NJ his share In the gem. he re-
solved TO rctaliAte by placing Major
Hector Sylyester's daughter beyond
the reach OF whomeyer might be In
terested In settling her fathers es
tais and finding his heir.
Steve WIllcis' flight with the
stolen diamond fell in admirably
with Laos plans and. incidentally
with Steve's. Steve was no, avcrss
20 getting possession OF what he
/ looked upon as another rich prize
especially when Lao vas willing 70
defray all expenses OF his and the
child's transportation 20 America
which included a nurse for little
Marian. who was now nearly three
years old.
Then shortly followed Laos own
/ political difficulties and his hurried
I flight to America.
Your father believed Lao knew
moro about the diamonds dlsap
pearance than anybody else. q
Strang added by way Of explana
ton. so he seized every scrap o
his personal belon ginEs he could lay
his two hands on. Among them
we're two o. the ivory boxes. one
containing the ring. which Peter ~
| kept. ! got the other. which was
empty. Tho diamond later was
mailed 10 YOU in H."
Several years elapsed before Lac
/ Wing Fu was able 10 begin a search
| for Marian. and In tho meantime
Steve'a crimes had landed him in
| prison for life. Lao was unable 70
! hAtNRfRs sAAAf - a'e w tsllN NJ AAAtAk
Stoves and Sans sister, who. OF
course. was now Mrs. James Fox
and no longer living in San Fran.
/ cisco,
And then. by and by. his influ.
enCe began TO grow and expand
even as It had in China. aud with
II came increasing opportunities "a
pursue his quest.
Tao-fuism had been spreading not
alone among tho Pacific Coast and
other Chinese colonies OF America.
but with changing conditions. II
was once more coming into its own
In China. Laos rank made Il i'm.
peratiye that he recover the sym.
Dol of his authority, which my
father had seized at the time OF the
others flight from China. and re.
move all others that were being
carelessly left TO the disposition OF
chance.
But Peter II. Ferris was dead.
| and what had become of the ring .
Occurred then Charley Yen's death.
and the trail was indicated to him,
tho for a time he hesitated to ap-
proach me, and did not do so until
obliged 10.
With true Oriental patience and
impassivity. Lao bded his time
The fact that the diamond never
appeared between the time of it's
loss and the meeting between Lao
and Strang at Johore Bahru in No.
vember. had prepared the minds of
each for openness TO conviction re-
garding the others innocence.
The two then directed their sus.
picions toward Steve Willets, a life
prisoner in San Quentin. and can
vassed the situation from this point
OF view. They traced Lois as his
daughter. and from the first be-
loved her TO be Marian.
When Strang wrote Hardwick
warning him TO DO cautious about
Lois and when this warning was
followed Immediately by another
from Lao to the effect that Lois
presence might he part of black.
mailing scheme that threatened all
sorts of dire calamities to Kenton.
| Hardwlck, Meyer Hardwick was
thrown into panic which was
openly manifested by his blunt dis.
missal OF tho innocent and unsus.
pecting girl.
Strang and Lao became reason.
ably certain that Steve had taken
the diamond to California along
| with littlA Marian M tfnmaJiato1,,
resolved upon starting the consplr.
acy which was soon to effect the
bandits escape; a degenerate and
irresponsible Steve Willets at lib.
erty to pursue his erratic Inclina.
lions, would in time expose what
a Steve Willets confined could so
easily keep concealed.
Strang was In possession OF facts
that Lao Wing Flu did not have. II