Charlevoix county herald., 1918-12-13

inclined my head again.
And I am Miss Foote. l was de-
MED access 10 you" ! explained Il
was about to give up the endeavor to
see you when your little son came
down and saw me and seemed to re-
member having seen me last night"
Kim Lee smiled slightly.
Il know" he replied. "Wah Lee
has told me mat last night little Kim
ran to you on the sidewalk and that
he repeated 1t today. He forms sudden
likes and dislikes."
He turned his face and smiled up
at his son.
But the message-what Is it?"
Il must speak to you of it alone"
] said. t'
"Indeed?" His heavy eyebrows
were lifted just little. Then"
He paused for moment, stepped
back, and bowed. IF you will pre-
cede me up the stairs"
Success! My heart leaped in my
bosom. i had won my point. and
had seen the glance he threw to his
child.
1t was a glance which said more
than any words could have done of
love for the little Kim Lee.
AS he requested, turned and
mounted the stairs, and he followed
close behind me. old Wah Lee going
ahead with little Kim looking back
over his shoulder.
So We reached the third floor at
last, and the old servant opened
door and led me into a small reception
closet.
caught my breath at that room.
Walls and ceiling-lt Was all done
in blue and gold lacquer, paneled and
inlaid, and the floor was a blue and
golden rug, across which writhed tan
gled dragons.
The furniture was of teak, inlaid
with mother of pearl. 1t was gorgeous,
magnificent. in keeping With the quar-
ters of the man at my back, with his
air of the man Of the world and his
well modelled Manchu face.
Kim Lee passed me.
ioui paiuou, he HuTIuuTeu,
opened door on the far side of the
room and stood back for me to pro-
coed.
l entered wonderful room. Unlike
the abodes of the lower-caste Orient
ais. this place was lofty, airy. full of
light.
Its floors were of polished woods in
arabesQue of inlay. Its walls support
ed wonderful works of tapestry art.
Its windows flooded it with the gold
of the outside day.
Swinging lanterns of metal worked
in every conceivable design of fancy
surrounded the globes of the electrics
which gave it light. The rugs on its
floor were of the finest Persian and
Turkestan. Cushions stiff with golden
thread were piled about it.
Tabourets held jardinieres of cut
and growing flowers and plants and
dwarfed varieties of vegetation
brought from the distant East. Its fur
niture was of teak, for the most part
massive and heavily carved, some of
it plain, some Of it trimmed with inlay
of what seemed ivory to me.
Kim Lee led me to an immense
chair of carved-out teak and waited
until was seated. He took a place at
a wonderful table of the same wood
and raised his inquiring eyes to mine.
And now the message. Miss Foote,
if you please" he said.
l rushed into the story.
l told it all from the very beginning
up to my coming to him. gave him
every detail of the action even to my
meeting with little Kim the previous
night, and my speaking to old Wah
Lee. And at the end l asked his aid in
saving Danny McKabe.
He heard me through without so
much as a culver of an eyelid-just
sat at the great desklike table and
toyed with a gilded paper knife with
a jade handle, and held his deep eyes
on my face, as though to verify the
truth of what / was saying by my ex-
preston.
Even after had finished he did not
speak for moment, but sat still, tap
pink the paper knife on the top of the
table.
And little Kim ran to you on the
street, and today he came down as
you were leaving and recognized you
again." he remarked at length.
Yes" l reaffirmed. IF he hadn't
CHANGED to come just then fear your
man would have kept me from reach
ing to you"
'Kismet!" said Kim Lee. 1T was
more than chance. Miss Foote. 1t was
fate which led you to me. l think it
was fitting for fate to use the child
which Mr.. McKabe once saved"
Ny heart leaped. "Then you" l
began. A queer, little whistling squeak
filled the room.
Your pardon a moment" said Kim
as he reached down and lifted a
bronze mouthpiece from beneath the
table and set II to his lips before lift
ing 1t to his ear. saw ii was a sort
of artistic speaking tube.
In moment, still holding the tube
in his hand, he swung back to me and
fastened his eyes on my face.
Miss Foote," he inquired, do you