Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-02-09
A LECTURE ON CHINA
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

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 maze she decided to get an
other basket of wood for the hall fire.
It's getting chilly and after dinner
it will be nice to sit ont 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 it 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 hat not her surprise silenced
her, for she found herself looking tii
rectly into the eyes of Chinaman-
at least a man in a wonderfully en-
aroidcred Manchurian robe and with a
perfectly good cap and pigtail. But
even III itl ulSilfuN A1GiCI tiNtiNtd AlisAN
the cap and pigtail We're crooked and a
wisp of auburn hair was sticking from
VI 1erneath. 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 upturned 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. lie removed the cap
and pigtail and wiped off the eyebrows.
I'm bet do" he agreed. But for
goodness sake tell ne why you are
hiding in this cellar. Are the police
after you?"
"Worse than that. The entire Lit
erary club is after me"
Mercy You must he the professor
we're expecting TO dinner"
"No, 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 man 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 it 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 it off by heart,
so I've been filling 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 improvise"
"Yes?"
(Which was fatal. | said something
about Takahira and Kuropatkin. Said
! knew them well in Peking."
"WenY
"And then some woman got sus-
picious. they were Japanese instead of
Chinese" / think her name was Bel
lirgton."
THAT was mother"
"Holy cats She'll be home soon.
then; must be going"
mo, you're going to stay right here.
I've got your dinner just about ready"
'aThen you don't care if I'm mot the
real thing?"
mo. One might have other things
to recommend him besides twenty
years Ia China"
But | don't believe have any spe-
cialty."
Perhaps it's human Kindness. You
were doing something for friend in
trouble"
1T seems to be your Speciality, too
But. say, really l must be going Your
mother was furious. Oh, there really
WIS an awful EOW anu L nedfO them
phonlng 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"
'Tv 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 q detective after the i'm
postor, and when invite you to dinner
you're to stay"
why can't be just myself? l may
want to come back some time" with
look of admiration at the flushed, earn
est face and the eager light in the gray
eyes. Helen was very. very pretty.
"WeIl-whO are your"
I'm Henry StanhOpe."
Helen caught her breath and retreat
ed a step, her eyes widening with