Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-19

the morning OF the tWenty-touftn Gay
not q sign of him had appeared.
He then decided to make use Of an
ancient superstition, which now. as
often, proved the key to the solution.
Placing his trusty revolver In the spe-
cially constructed pocket in his sleeve,
and tucking away a pair of hand
Guns In his girdle. he called a jln-
rikisha and at sunset hurried away
toward the arsenal garden. There he
found his friend, the soldier, and
whiled away a pleasant hour or two
in his cabin before beginning his
evening stroll and meditation in the
Dragons Paths.
Finding quiet and secluded spot
near bamboo fence behind the ruins
he sat down and. making himself COM
Portable. took out from his sleeve an
ancient roll and unrolling 1t, carefully
scanned II by the dim light of his
pocket lamp. At last he found the
place OF his search and read the words
over carefully and slowly to himself.
Yes! There was no installing it. Ten
days after the commission of the
crime, the conscience of the guilty
one Is smitten by the avenging gods
and he will return to the scene to
view 1t DER. II not apprehended then.
he may make good his escape for
ever" He rolled it up again and put
1t back. 1T Is one chance In a thou
sand" he said to himself, but I viii
take It," Listen! What were those
sounds that reached his ear? Foot>
steps! His heart beat rapidly as they
drew nearer. They were not coming
from the direction Of the arsenal,
but from little country path outside
the wall. He saw head and shoulders
appear above the bricks and in a mo-
ment or two more solitary figure
stood before the ruined powder house.
Raising both his hands to the sky he
moaned out the words, 'Shao lao lung
wang sheng ii! ("Alas! have burned
the sacred body of the dragon king")
In another instant he was in the iron
grip of Wang Foo, who seizing him
from behind, threw him like trained
wrestler to the s-aSN' and before he
could recover his senses or even utter
a scream, Old Wing lay there helpless
with the steel handouts on his wrists!
When he confessed it all before the
district magistrate, 1t came out that
he had brooded so long over sup
posed injury and insult to his family
on the part of his employer, the man
ager of the arsenal, that he had de-
cided to explode the magazine and
trust that the penalty would fall on
his enemy,s head for a neglect of
duty-but he utterly miscalculated.
for it fell instead on the innocent
head Of Lang Choo.
zone question more, before I re-
lease YOU" said the magistrate to the
o'clock on the evening of the ex-
plosion? 1 should like that answered
for my own satisfaction. Can You
prove an alibi?"
absolutely and to the Great Mans
complete satisfaction. Mr.. Wang Foo
knows perfectly and will have pleas
ure in telling you
where was the prisoner at that
hour?" inquired the magistrate turn
ing to the detective.
He was making a ceremonial call ,
upon two American ladies at the
hotel, your honor. and thanking them
for their attendance at his wedding.
Thus. as your honor sees. 1t was abb
solutely impossible for him to have
been anywhere in the vicinity Of the
arsenal"
"It is enough. the prisoner Is re-
leased and the court is cleared"
At the little foreign dinner party
which Mr.. Lang Choo gave at his
home to celebrate his return from
the yamen. there were just four
guests. DR. Powell. Wang Foo and
the two Misses Coplestone. Out of
Difference to their expressed wishes.
Mrs. Choo. the bride, waived the
strict laws Of native seclusion and
joined her guests at table.
What wonderful experience we
have had. How unfortune and for
tune in turn have woven our lives to-
gether In way that we never could
have foreseen! And how very much
We all owe to you. Mr.. Wang" said
the elder sister to the great detective.
whom rho feast was over