Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-19

home when he arrived and told Charlie
the hall boy. to show him to her apart
ment.
Good morning, jim" she said, as he
entered, have You decided to come
down ON the price of that coat yet?"
To her utter surprise he replied
MY velly soly. misses, but my no can
sell you that coatee"
You can't sell it to newly. what
do you mean? Has some one else Of
fered you higher price for it? | sup
pose you want $500 for it now, eh?''
mo wantchee any more dollar. missee.
my f1iend talkee he wantchee that coatee
his side. My must pay he back"
His customer now grew indignant
and, seeing the possibility of her pre-
cious. treasure slipping away. decided to
stand upon what she considered hef
European rights.
mo, Jim, you can't have 1t back. L
don't care who your mysterious friend is
or how badly she-for it must be
have it. That coat is mine and | pro-
pose to keep it. Possession is nine
points of the law. You can have your
$500 as soon as my husband comes
ashore, hut you cannot have the coat,
The celestial argued and pleaded, but
to no avail.
"S'pose my no pay he back, missee,
my fiend wantchec killee me"
Nonsense that is just your old Chi
nese way of trying to frighten me.
Tell me who your friend is and We will
lave the police take care OF the killing
part of it. Here comes the captain
now''-as the naval officer entered the
room.
Tom" she said, what do YOU think?
Here is Jim saying l can't have my
mandarin coat. He actually refuses TO
sell 1t to me-
AT the hundred dollar figure?''
Yes, at the original price he put on
IL when you were here"
'1All rubbish! Some one else has
probably heard of it or seen it and
offered him an extra fifty that's all"
That's exactly what ! told him. but
it didn't do any good. He still wants
Wei. he can't have it A bargains
a bargain. I'll go right down to the
the money and he'll have to take it
whether he likes it or not
The captain suited the action to the
word and, placing the bills in the tailor's
hands, gently but firmly pushed him out
into the hall and locked tho door.
Louise came pretty near to losing
her opera cloak. didn't she. dear?'' he
said to his wife MS he lighted cigar
and sat down to enjoy the evening
paper with the account of the Hong
Kong races.
II never had such fright in my
life" replied Mrs. Wadlegh, bringing
out the coat from the glass case.
where she had hung 1T, and again pro-
ceeding to admire the exquisite work
manship.
Jim started back for the shop and
was just turning the corner of the
Honkew road when whom should he
run into but the identical Trotsky
Fortunately for both of them, he was
sober and in a fairly agreeable mood,
Jim decided to get out of It as quickly
and as pleasantly as possible, so, put
ting on his sweetest smile, he ad-
dressed the sailor:
Good morning, Masseter. suppose
you wantchee that money now, my
can pay"
cal He unbent at once and the two
proceeded back to the tailor shop and
into the inner room. There the two
hundred Mexicanus We're duly counted
out and. rolling the bills and slowing
them away in his pocket, the Russian
remarked: i've got more of the same
kind in the trunk, Jim. II you want
them, eh? What time shall come
back tonight"
"My no wantchee any more. You no
come back this side. S'pose you want
chez sell more lootee, more better you
go some odder shop. Too muchee rob
berry"
The astonished Trotsky pleaded. but
all In vain. Jim was obdurate and in
sisted that this be their last transac-
lion. There seemed to be no other way
out of it. SO the receiver of stolen
goods babe him adieu-remarking as
lie ulu 81. WoIlt soUu-oyc, kuCHp you
and / have made pretty good thing
out OF 1t, anyhow. I'll find some other
chap that knows a Chinese bargain
when he sees It,"
Mrs. Wadleigh." said the vice con-
sui as they were slipping afternoon
tea in the Japanese room, II wonder II
you wouldn't like to meet enc of the
most interesting men in China before
you leave ShanghaiY'
why. should be most delighted.
Pray tell me, who Is he? You know
one really doesn't have q chance to see
anything Of the real higher class here.
We seem to be confined to compradores
and shopkeepers and all that sort of
person--except an occasional official.
and they are SO dreadfully stiff and
formal" -
well" continued the consul. this
gentleman's name Is Wang Foo and he
: Ia one of the best known residents in
Honskong. He Is a cultured Con-
fucian scholar. Of private means. who
has made a special duty of all sorts
Of Chinese crimes and has been re-
markabiy successful in unraveiing
many mysterious cases in both the
settlements. He seems to- have a sort
Of natural instinct for seeing into the
ways Of his countrymen, which few. IL
any, Europeans ever possess 1t was
he who discovered the whereabouts OF
Lady Evington's jewels. in the famous
robbery case. you remember"
tsyVhv carfafn1v that's the very sauna