Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-29
The Peacock
Screen
IN you may rest assured. Mr..
" Consul, that this depart
ment will do everything in
Il its power to unravel the

the thief. This 10 the third time that
the store has been broken into, for,
you see. they carry very attractive
line Of goods, but in the other cases
We traced the men and caught them
before they left the colony"
The foregoing remarks were ad-
dressed by Inspector Wallace of the
Hongkong police force to the Hon.
Mr.. Masuda. consul for Japan, as the
latter was about to leave the inspect
or'a private office. He had been to
Interview him on the subject of a
burglary, few nights before. in the
Establishment Of one Of his country
men. This was the we'll known firm
OF Takimoto G. Co.. dealers in curios
and Japanese works Of art, whose
show windows were almost opposite
the main entrance to the Hohgkong
Hotel. and whose store was a rem
devious for tourists and treasure
hunters of every kind.
Thank YOU" replied the official
from Toxic. II am sure you will. You
most respected residents in the colony
and he and his friends feel this loss
very keenly. What especially worries
him is that there was not only the
Inert OF very valuable work of art,
put 1t was accompanied with wanton
one was trying to do him personal
II there is anything of that kind in
~ we Will be sure to find 1t out, sir,
put am quite sure 1t could not have
.cufio dealers in Queens road, for they
are our finest Chinese citizens. 1t
would only be some cheap shopkeep-
or down on the water front that would
descend to that"
y These international jealousies are
pretty strong. sometimes. Mr.. In
Yes; know they are. but I am
sure the standing of your firm is too
nigh for that, sir. Messrs. Takimoto
e 60. are very popular with their
Ghinsls neighbors and subscribe
must be just a case Of simple villainy
1.-THE thief may have. injured himself
IN, the dark, or he may have been
frightened away or something else
may have occurred to anger him and
ne Just took his spite out on the first
them do It,"
,, Il hope !. t. is nothing more. Good
coed m'o9n,ng Mr. Consul, ; and tell
much Interested in this as he s is and
that have put my very best mon
to work on the case. We are sure
to hear something in a day or two"
. The Japanese visitor stepped into
he waiting 5in ,sa sss.o. and was
consulate.
'Brownlow." said the chief to his
assistant, as they resumed their seats
In the ONCE, "our friend from Toxic
case"
4 "Yes, sir; they feel very sensitive
about anything happening to one of
their countrymen; especially in a port
like this. But. as l said to Mr.. Taxi
moto's head clerk. there's nothing
out.and out robbery. that's all, and It
might have happened to any English
firm Just the same as to yours"
Have you put the native officers to
work on the pawnshops"
yes, sir, we're sS h hayiI g. q thorough
sThen have all the European hotels
warned to look out for curio dealers
and peddlers trying to sell to tourists.
and have an officer at the gangway
OF every steamer, to catch them II
they try to get on board ,sc It's a alnHn.
you know"
.As you say. sir" replied the fsith-
ful Brownlow..
Mrs. walter weatherstone, wife of
the head Of the Arm of Weatherstone
q Co, Australian merchants. was very
proud Of her drawing room and OF her
Wonderful collection of art and curios
which adorned 1t. She had been gath
erlng them here and there for num-
her Of years and now she felt quite
sure that there was really nothing
aner In the colony or even in Shang-
hal. Indeed, this was the tribute
which admiring friends and visitors
paid, who were her guests at teas and
receptions. at which she presided with
the grace of veritable Oriental
queen. Needless to say, she was one
Of Messrs. Takimoto & Co.'s best GUS
toners, and they had a standing order
to notify her when any new and very
attractive article was to be offered for
sale. Just at this time they had put
oh exhibition O superb piece of Jap
anese embroidery, and Mrs. Weather.
stone had already cast envious eyes
upon It as a centerpiece for the draw
ing room. 1t was q screen, set in a
richly carved frame of lacquer and
measuring some Ave feet in height
and four in width. The figure was
peacock with outspread tail, and the
hAndiwork was by Nishimura's finest
artists. Four men had worked con-
tinuously upon 1t for over three years,
and 80 delicate and SO perfect was the
needlework that the creature seemed
to stand right out from the screen
ana every Individual feather to be
ouivering with motion NOTHING nm