The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-03-20
A LECTURE ON CHINA
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

ucF table.
More than likely the poor man has
been living ON rats and boiled rice and
birds nests for so many years he's lost
his sense of taste, but I'd like to have
things nice anyway"
Finally when the cream was
whipped, the salad arranged and the
butter pats made she decided to get an
other basket of wood for the hall fire.
TITS getting chilly, and after dinner
1t will be nice to sit out there and hear
all about China. If / didn't hate clubs
SO | could have gone today with moth
er and the girls to hear the lecture.
But I'll hear 1t all anyway" So down
cellar she went.
One by one she drew out pieces of
fragrant apple wood, an ultra tribute
to the expected guest, but suddenly the
pile loosened and the wood came tum-
bling down. Helen would have
screamed had not her surprise silenced
her, for she found herself looking d.
rectly into the Eyes of a Chinaman-
at least a man In a wonderfully en-
~broidered M%anchurian robe and with a
perfectly good cap and pigtail. But
even In her dismay Helen noticed that
the cap and pigtail were crooked and a
wisp of auburn hair was sticking from
underneath. Moreover, the eyebrows
painted to an oriental slant had run"
and were joining In sinister glee over
the bridge of his nose.
Dismay gave place to perplexity and
perplexity to mirth. Helen sat down
on an u~pturned basket and laughed. If
If you could only see yourself! You
-look-so-funny."
The Chinaman gave an audible sigh
of relief and then a smile overspread
his own features. He removed the cap
and pigtail and wiped off the eyebrows.
"TIl bet / do he agreed. But for
goodness sake tell me why you are
hiding in this cellar. Are the police
after your"
Worse than that. The entire Lit
erary club is after me-"
Mercy You must be the professor
we're expecting to dinner"
mo, I'm not the professor. That's
the trouble. I'm an impostor, and they
found me out"
you're too frank to be very much of
a counterfeit" said Helen. Won't you
come upstairs and tell me all about it?"
"You see." said the young mar when
they were seated on a divan before the
blazing applewood fire, professor Tai
isman, who has been In China for
twenty years, was to lecture about the
Manchus before the congress of clubs
to the tune of 500. Well, about a
month ago the poor fellow broke his
leg, and 1t seemed a shame to have to
cancel all his engagements. You see,
he's got three sons he's putting through
college and an invalid wife; so every
dollar counts. I'd heard his lecture
so many times / knew 1t off by heart,
so I've been filing his engagements for
him."
"Well? Isn't that all right?"
at seems not. l forgot the thing to-
day right in the middle"
Helen looked her sympathy.
"And l started to improvisei"
"Yes?"
(Which was fatal. l said something
about Takahira and Kuropatkin. Said
i knew them well in Peking."
"Well?"
picious, they were japanese instead of
Chinese" l think her name was Bel
lington."
"That was mother !"
Holy catsl She'll be home soon.
then; l must be going"
mo, you're going to stay right here.
I've got your dinner just about ready"
"Then you don't care If I'm not the
real thingT"
"No. One might have other things
to recommend him besides twenty
years in China"
"But l don't believe l have any spe-
cialty."
Perhaps it's human kindness. You
were doing something for a friend In
trouble"
ut seems to be your speciality, too.
But, say, really l must be going. Your
mother was furious. Oh, there really
was an awful row and l heard them
phoning for the police"
Another reason why you should stay
here" insisted Helen. "You might put
on some clothes of dads and they'll
never know the difference"
NV got my own clothes on under
this junk"
"Well, why didn't you say so? Hurry
up and Wen slip the buds under the
sofa. You're a detective after the Inn
poster. and when l invite you to dinner
you're to stay"
"Why can't ! be just myself? may
want TO come back some time," with a
look of admiration at the flushed, earn
est face and the eager light in the gray
eyes. Helen was very. very pretty.
"Well-who are your"
I'm Henry Stanhope."
Helen caught her breath and retreat
ed a step. her eyes widening with
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