The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-04
By Sidney C. Partridge

Morehead, make a careful note of the
date and don't let anything interfere
with your being here all day. mind
that"
TN be right on deck Sir: you can
rely on me for that And In the mean
time. I suppose"-placing his fore
finger on his lips-"mum's the word,
Sir?"
NUNS the word" replied the Chief,
as he rang the ONCE bell for his jim
rik-sha.
In the quiet and retirement Of the
upper room in the basket-maker'e
mouse. the man Of mystery was at work
nightly upon the problem. A week had
already passed by since his interview
with the officers and slowly. one by
one. he was forging the links in the
chain Of evidence.
| Two things were already perfectly
clear: first 1t was IN inter- provincial
row and. second, it must have been in
some way associated with the provin-
| cfa1 honor. or they would not have
leagued themselves together to keep It
secret Fear Of some kind had sealed
their lips. Fear OF what? Evidently
OF the anger Of some local god. AZ
regards the former. every victim was
In the house-boy class and a careful
list of the homes where they were en-
ployed showed that. without exception,
they were Ming Pc men. This was
clinched by the fact that the office
staff and the horse-boys Were from
Canton and the coolies natives of
Shanghai and not one of them had
been touched. 1t was an attack upon
the Ming Pc clan alone. AS regards
the second point. something must have
occurred to cause a rival clan to make
the assault. but how, or when. or why?
| This was the puzzle. Wang Foo re-
called the words In the great classic:
The princely man stands by his kins-
men," and he knew that it must have
been a carefully planned and a con-
certed action. They were all in tt
and they were in it together.
But the star. the wounds in the
shape OF the star that Morehead had
described, the star with one point
longer than the others. what Of that?
He lighted his little cloissonne pipe
| and leaned back in his wicker chair,
repeating these words over to himself:
"a star with three points; a star with
three points; one point longer than the
others-longer than the Others" His
eyes rested upon the ceiling, where
hung the tablet with the household
motto:
THE Perfect Rest of The Bamboo
Heavens"
Why did he start up SO suddenly?
Why did he jump to his feet with
sudden inspiration? Why? Because.
right above him shone the golden out
line of the three-pointed star Of his
search. the ancient Chinese symbol for
bamboo. Yes! There It was. with one
point obliQue. one horizontal. and one
vertical, longer than the othersl The
mystery 50 far was solved: every one
Of these victims had been struck with
a weapon cut in the shape of the char
acter for bamboo! Truly had the Ven.
cradle Grand One blessed him on his
departure with, "A happy star guide
thee on thy way!" g.
The following afternoon a native
traveller. with beard and cue of grey.
hailed a wheel-barrow coolie plying
for hire on the Road Of the Bubbling
Wen and asked him:
'Knowest thou the way to the lam
pie of the Bamboo Idol?"
AYE, Father, I know It well. Take
tthy seat upon my barrow and for
thirty coins of brass I take thee safe
ly there"
Fellow, I give thee twenty"
"'Tis well. my daily rice-bowl Is not
yet filled: take thy seat upon the bar
row and besrudge me not the wine
money at the close"
The traveller descended at the gate
way OF the Temple and for few COP
pera induced the unsuspecting priest
to unlock the shrine. He bowed rever-
emily before the idol and, noticing the
missing fingers. asked how it came
about. The old priest hesitated. hut
finally. as a tribute to his age and sim
pie manner. told him the story Of the
riot and the curse Of the Queen Of
Ifades ana the Hairy Turtle pronounc-
ed upon the villain from Ming Pc.
They sat down together and drank
their tea and smoked the pipe of hos
pitality. The guest finally inquired. as
he rose to leave: And did they find
| the Ming Pc man ana wreak the curse
upon kim?"
"No, they never found the man. bu-
some of the guild OF Foo Chow men.
hear IN private. redeemed the honor Of
| the Bamboo Goddess, and gave the
Ming Pc guild the sign Of the sacred
tree. by beating them with the temple
STATS"
Inspector Gubbins looked at his
watch.
"Morehead." he said to the waiting
Assistant, its past ten now and Wang
Foo was due this morning" Scarcely
had he uttered the words when the
Office coolie brought in the card of the
expected visitor. He was most cor
daily greeted. welcomed to seat. and,
after the door was carefully locked,
| the interview began.
well. Mr.. Wang. we hope you have
brought us cheering news"
| II bring you news, Sir. most cer-
tainly, but whether 1t Is exactly cheer
Ling or not will remain for you to say