Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-19
TheMandarin
Coat
~ y ES, my dear, 1t is perfectly
" genuine. The captain took
1t to the consulate yester-

day and had the vice con-
sui examine 1t thoroughly--you know
he is a great authority on all this
sort Of thing-and he looked the mat
ter all up In his books with his Chi
nese secretary and he says there
Is no doubt whatever that it Is the
genuine Official robe OF the prime
minister and must have been worn at
the imperial audiences. How they
ever came to get hold Of 1t is a mys-
terry to me. i suppose it must have
been overlooked in the hurried de-
parture from Picking, and. of course,
the very first soldiers that came along
Just helped themselves TO IT with all
tho other loot. They had no idea of
the value of 1T and naturally sold 1t
TO the first Chinaman that made them
an offer"
what superb opera cloak 1t will
make, won't it?'
tYes. that's really what / wanted 1t
for The last thing Louise said TO me
when we started on the cruise was:
Now, mother, remember! me one
thing above all that ! want you to
firing me Is real mandarin coat. !
don't want any cheap embroidered
thing that can be bought in the Lon
don shops; l want something espe.
cially nice, with the richest old gold
embroidery and all that, and--she
was most emphatic about thls--some-
thing with a history, you know, the
robe of the prime minister or some
oriental grandee with a magnificent
title that will dazzle the other boxes
at the opera when walk In with
And what did you say to that?'
II said: MY child, II money can buy
It! But, to tell you the truth, never
dreamed Of such good luck. Why.
we've only been in Shanghai three
weeks and here this prize falls right
into my hands with hardly an effort"
you certainly are a fortunate wom-
an, and /, know that when Louise
appears in it--and she will wear II
more gracefully than any other girl
in the world-she will be the very
center OF attraction. and, even the
glasses in the royal box will be leveled
at her"
The foregoing conversation took
place in one of the rooms of the Aston
House and the parties concerned were
Wadleigh Of II. M 8. Albatress. of
the China station, and her friend. Mrs.
Cornelia Seymour. wealthy widow
from Adelaide. The garment which
was the subject of their admiration
was a long and exceedingly handsome
sigma of the highest rank and evil
IDENTIFY intended to be worn at the
court ceremonials. Others of SINH
lar pattern and style were, on view
and sale at the handsome Cantonese
stores in the Marking road, but even
a cursory examination would show
that they were of far inferior quality.
1t certainly was a treasure, and the
good lady was Justly proud Of 1t.
She obtained it in rather curious
way--almost accidentally. we might
say. 1t happened that one day Jim,
the tailor proprietor of one of the
best known Quitting establishments
in the Hongkew road), was measur-
ing the captain for smoking jacket,
and Mrs. Wadleigh asked him II he
mandarin coat.
coatee~ he inquired. "s'pose You
wantchee, my can thy catchee one
piece But"--he added, with curious
expression of mingled doubt and sus-
dear just now. Two thlee bundled
taelee must pay. Bye IN bye 1 come
look see."
."weli, whenever you get really
and we will talk about the price But,
mind! No trash of the kind they sell
70 tourists in the shops"
."All light, can do was the celes-
Malls laconic reply. as he finished his
measuring and his cue disappeared
Through the doorway.
!. Scarcely three days after this
gentle knock at Mrs. Wadleigh's door
announced the presence Of Jim, who
entered and bowed al he deposited a
bundle. and mysterious little pig
Skin trunk upon the floor. The bun
die contained the smoking Jacket for
her husband, and the pigskin trunk,
after it's brass locks had been care
FULLY opened. revealed another bundle
Within. wrapped in long folds Of faded
yellow silk. Jim, the tailors, eyes
fairly danced in their sockets as he
proceeded to lift the contents out
on the table and to unroll the num-
my-like bandages. .
See! Missee," he exclaimed. "this
b'longee number one mandarin coatee.
Ny have seen plenty piece fore
tim--this b'longe more beauty, more
beauty. No have got Shanghai side"
He unfolded the garment and held
UP FOR her admiring gaze the very
thing that her daughter longed for,
and that she had almost given up
hone OF finding in the settlement.
And you guarantee this to be a
genuine coat of q noble of rank?" she
inquired, as she adjusted her glasses
and began to examine the embroidery
and ornamenta+ion more critically.
yves, missec me can secure this
b'longee velly high mandalin Foreign
man talkee, 'plime minister He wear
hin, CHINA bn,co Afy CnoaHno