The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-01

|! or the Sacred White Stag; there was
the old vase Of cloisonne perched high
upon ms horns, and, sure enough, there
was the overlooking water dropping
INTO the bronze basin below! He wait
ed patiently until the long line of de-
voices moved on and he was able TO
get close to the wonder. He reached
the surrounding railing about four feet
away from the image ITSELF and here
his further progress was barred by
the ever watehful priests who guarded
their source OF wealth most zealously.
ne bought circular describing all
the various virtues of the sacred LIQUID
and paid handsome price for a med
lum-slzed bottle, guaranteed to extin-
guish with Its magic properties any
conhagration. however serious
The closer he looked. the more mar
Vicious 1t all became to him and tt9,R
deeper was his desire to fathom the
mystery. All that he had seen hith-
| erto in other places seemed coarse and
commonplace compared with this.
| Whatever it was. It was certainly very
well and skillfully done
The vase was poised on the very tips
of the creatures horns. with no an
parent connection with anything
around It. and yet the stream of water
| vas evidently flowing steadily through
1t. All thought of returning to Hong
Kong was banished from his mind and
he resolved to stay in Shanghai until
he had unearthed the secret.
\ few days after the above visit.
Inspector Gubbins received a very cor
Gial invitation from Mr.. Wang to join
him on trip to the Temple of the
| Stag, and, he added: IF you have
any European friends who are inter-
ested in Eastern miracles. please bring
them along" The party was duly
formed anG included in its number
Lieutenant GLEASON (who, now he had
discovered the original source of the
magic waters. was more set than ever
on purchasing the vase). the British
Vice Congul and a half dozen others.
They stool in a group in the inner
court and snxiously awaited develop
ments.
The critical moment finally cames~-
Old Nine Spot had just harangued TIE
crowd with vivid description of the
miracle an . q rehearsal of the virtues
OF the waters. when Wang Foo arose,
and motionine., the assembly to silence,
cried out: Il have a special message
from the source of the heaveneIy wa
tiers. The Spirit os the White Stag bids
them cease. 1t is now"-holding up
his watch-."fve minutes to nine by
|
tolls at nine. the waters will flow no
morel"
CONSERVATION fell on all the assem-
bly,. The priests were white with rage.
Heed not the reoffer." they cried.
who Is the child Of earth that dares
to cross the will of heaven? Ten thou
sand curses rest upon fimi'
Wait and see, Wait and seei" cried
the crowd.
The moments licked away and the
great hands on the CT stoms c ock drew
nearer and nearer to tire fata. hour Of
nine--suddeniy the first stroke of the
heavy bell rang out. all Ns turr ed to
the sacred vase. the sire - of crystal
liquid grew less, and les aid when
the bell had ceased it's tolli1g. he wa
tiers of heaven had ceased - ow. Z
! 1t took but an instant to ira 'sforSl
the temple crowd from a gat ri e OF
superstitious worshippers to a Fer. ect
4 mob of Infatuated dupes. They bro .e
through tn, rails, knocked the 90. -
onne vase from its perch-just in
for Wang Foo to seize 1t and hid
under his robe-dashed the rows !.
glass bottles to the ground. and picl
ing up the first thing that they coul
find, beat the priests numerically and
compelled them to fee for their lives
from the temple precincts. The miracle
was over and another was added to the
long list of frauds with which the sim
ple-hearted people had been deceived.
But what led you to suspect the
connection with the city water-works? ?"
asked Lieutenant Gleason. as he listen
ed to Mr.. Wang's most interesting
story.
"Oh. that was very simple" was the
modest reply. Il had bottle of the
mira cle- water analysed by the city
chemist. and I knew from his>report
pipes. / naturally turned to the near
est point from shich they could tap
the supply and I found it in the first
house IN the Settlement. which hap
pened to be that of the Eurasian. The
old servant responded to my bribe and
told me of the midnight meeting and
the bargain with the Magistrate lt
was an interesting line of evidence to
I follow up from there the various steps
by which Johnson made the connec-
ton with the city water and buried
the long and slender pipes Of lead un-
der the roadway and the temple courts.
digging the trench with his own
hands The Sacred White Stag was
already followed out for some prev
ious occasion, so that did not have to
be repeated, but, of course. the boring
of the horns and OF the vas and the
fitting of them together took a num-
Der Of days and some very careful
work The old servant. whom 1 paid
handsomely to turn off the water at
exactly nine. played his part so ef.
fectively that the multitude were prop
rly impressed and the exposure was
| fttingly dramatic"
so 1 suppose this will forever end
the miracle business at the Temple OF
| the Sacred White Stag?"
| "Oh. no. not at all; business will
simply be suspended along those lines
| for year or two and then the people
will forget 1t and a new miracle of a