Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1918-09-20

very large shell-rimmed glasses. Ee
nodded us toward stairs, and we be-
gan to mount.
Above us l heard the climbing feet
of Dual and McKabe and Lucille, and
/ ran up after.
At the top we turned and mounted
yet another flight of stairs and
emerged into a passage before an
arched entrance into room set out
with Oriental trappings.
We went in and sat down at q
table.
/ gazed around. Beyond me were
the windows opening onto the balcony
of flowers. Around me were en-
broidered screens and screens Of
lacquer with birds and flowers of
ivory carving strewn across them.
Curtains of bamboo painted and gild-
ed swung from the ceilings.
lockwood tables and chairs,
quantity carved, were scattered all
over the room. At far table a party
of Chinese - men and women - were
dining.
WdltcI CdIhS ny dhu tooh ouA
order.
Chicken chop suey," said Lucille.
Il haven't had any for years-and I'm
hungry"
McKabe smiled.
"You talk like a native daughter,
Miss Foote," he remarked.
Lucille returned his smile and re-
piled quite frankly:
IL am"
The detective nodded.
"You look it," he told her, and turn
ed to the waiter. Double that for
mine, Charlie"
Dual and I and Sheldon ordered
tea, and Reich, after moment Of in
decision, ordered noodles.
The waiter smiled and shuffled
away.
McKabe nodded at his retreating
back.
They're an odd bunch" he observ-
ed. Nov you wouldn't think it, but
Charlie there is a graduate of the
University of California, and yet he's
a waiter in chow shop. He speaks
four languages, too-Chinese, Japa-
nese, English and Spanish. He's a
pretty nice chink."
/ glanced at Dual. How about
you, Semi?" l inquired.
mot yet" he returned slowly.
"Yet before this night is over l shall
show you something more appalling
than that"
You ought to show us something"
said Reich out of sulky silence. Il
can't stand this waiting game much
longer. You might have little pity
on a mans feelings. You haven't lost
anything, of course, and aren't liable
to, but try to imagine how a man in
my position must feel. Do you think
/ want to sit here eating and drinking
when l don't know what's going to
happen. Oh, for Gods sake, say what
you're going to do?"
He broke off to glance somewhat
wildly about the room.
1.-The waiting is almost over, Mr..
Reich" said Semi. "As for pity, per-
haps 1 pity you, in my own way, and
IOr reasons OIL my own.
"And there's another thing" COM
planned Homer. Every time you say
something the things got two mean
ings. Why don't you say what you
mean?"
Eat least" Dual responded, Il al
ways mean what l say, Mr.. Reich"
Charlie came back and served our
order and a quantity of sweetmeats
filling the triangular compartments Of
a circular tray.
Lucille drew her steaming bowl OF
chop-suey before her, picked up her
chop-sticks as one accustomed and
gave proof of the assertion that she
was hungry.
Sheldon eyed her performance up
on the mixture of chicken, ham, rice
sprouts, and mushrooms, with uncon-
cealed interest.
you act like you liked it," he
grinned.
Lucille nodded and smiled. Il do"
she admitted. Here, taste it. Open
your mouth"
She deftly fished up ball of shred
ded chicken and sprouts in her sticks,
and as Colonel Mac separated his
jaws, dropped it lightly on his tongue.
The colonel chewed in ruminative
fashion. "Sorter like chewin' on
bunch of string, amt it?" he OBJ
served dryly.
"You old fraud, believe you like
it." accused Miss Foote. IF you
think this stringy what about Mr..
Reich's order?"
Sheldon glanced at Homer, deity
consuming noodles, and chuckled.
Il reckon they charge for them
things by the yard, don't they?" he
suggested with eyes which twinkled.
The old feeling of non-understand-
ing crept upon me again as listened.
Here we sat eating and drinking and
chatting. To hear US one would have
thought us a party of tourists as we
seemed.
Yet under the surface Of the SEEM
ing we were bent on a quest as vital
as one of life and death. 1t was odd.
grotesque, outre, as bizarre as the set
ting in which it was staged.