The Washington times., 1918-08-18

clearly. and the very trees seemed TO stop
their murmuring to listen.
And you'll remember-you'll remember
ne" died away. slowly and softly.
The boy kept on playing as his voice
breathed the last words. Then. as though
an echo had caught up the air, womans
voice floated upon the breeze, taking up
the second verse of the song in a clear.
sweet. bell-like soprano.
| stood transfixed until the voice faded
to silence, the You'll remember me" fall
ing. falling like the sound Of the sea. teas
ing the rocks along the shore, as you sail
away from them.
The boy kept right on playing until the
voice had ceased. Then | heard him
scream. and dashed back to the fire. He
was standing. looking wildly into the dark
ness, eyes staring wide, and an expression
on his face such as | want never to see
again on human being, alive or dead
Her voice! Her voice." he whispered
as | ran up, but never turning to look at
me.
He raced into the trees, and heard him
crashing Through the brush in the drec-
tion whence the voice had come.
In the meantime, | had collected my
thoughts. Undoubtedly woman had sung
that last verse-a woman who spoke Eng
lish-and who was probably English: the
fact that she knew the song convinced me
of that.
That she did not make her appearance
bOded no good to us. What an English
woman, or even an English-speaking wo-
man, was doing in that wild section of
northern China was nothing to me. That
she was there, and probably not alone, was
enough.
l quietly set about packing our traps.
My nerves were getting unstrung.
Pope returned, looking wilder than ever,
his face and hands bleeding from contact
with the bushes.
Did you hear it? Did you see herr" he
demanded fercely.
Hear what?" I asked calmly enough,
although | was pretty excited myself.
THE voicei the voicei" he shouted.
81 did not, and I'm not deaf" replied.
| had made up my mind not to let him
know that | had heard the singing until
we were safely out of the country. That's
where | made my mistake. 1t made him
believe he was hearing things that didn't
exist
MY God! Am I going mad?" he asked,
sinking in heap on the ground.
went on with the packing, and he lay
still for some time. Finally arousing him
answered his look by saying:
Were going back. This altitude is get
ting on your nerves."
Back? Mo-" he said quietly Were
going on. 1t was her voice and she was
calling me on l heard it just as | heard
it the last night on the river when she
took up the second verse and sang it just
as she sang it out there. 1t was her voice.
There is no other soprano in all the world
like it. She was calling me on to join her"
"She was calling you back l said, but
he only looked at me with a silly grin and,
a queer sort of leer that didn't notice at
the time, but which l have thought OF
many a time since. He sat hunched up by
the dying fire in listening attitude while
| went on with the packing.
| was determined to go back If had to
carry the boy every foot of the way.
had almost finished my task when a
strange rush came from behind me. It
sounded like the wind suddenly gathering
force and hurrying through the trees.
was thrown violently down. and was
trussed up as a pig is trussed for market.
Not a word was uttered. but | could tell
from the scuffling that Pope was being
treated in the same manner. Then | felt
myself being carried away. Apparently,
] was in litter. and my bearers were NOV
ing at brisk trot.
We must have gone several miles. all the
time up an incline, when the bearers
halted For the first time heard voices.
Finally the bandage was jerked from my
eyes. Around me stood a crowd of big,
burly Chinese of the northern type.
They were dressed in furs and carried
rifles of a modern magazine type. All
stared curiously but none of them spoke
to me. Then one of them shouted in
military tone, and the bunch BROUGHT their
guns to their shoulders and marched away.
| was in what seemed to be a big jail
II was a large room with stone walls,
rough-hewn, and a few small windows
fully twenty feet from the floor. A few
small benches were scattered about the
room, but nothing else in the way of fur
niture Pope was not with me-
| had hardly taken a good look at nv
surroundings when the door opened and a
woman entered.
A thick veil dropped over her face Her
figure was short and dumpy and fat She
moved slowly. as though with difficulty
Her feet. bare but encased in sandals were
so large that in HongKong I would have
declared her at once low caste.
She brought with her an atmosphere Of
authority, however. ] could see her eyas
cleaning through narrow slit in the veil
She stood looking al me some mnmants
and then said in perfect English AID in
a pure. sweet, bell-like voice that 7 recog-
nized instantly as the one which had sung
the song:
We'll. sir. what have Won 10 savo''
What are you going to do with me- 7
asked
81 have been thinking" she said auietIv
II have about decided to send Won hacl;
where You came from Under orIinarv