Marble Hill press., 1920-05-27

fHN every tHtWltN was NNNNsl tA
collision with Chrr Ming
The brown skin was clusr furI'#'
around The ySr, ~ Jade. Chrr Mn
Rrs> In,grnilli- IT, regarded m.
American with the usual blank siar,
bui hnn"rri him with very flW
Nnu. IT.. figured folds ~ his hluu't
Jacket we're lamp With the river 's
Lexington HHrrbWrl the frrvE
space between them. ami pccr,Si ir'
,', stony eyes
"Nmr little fea'hcr,siickcr put w.
e. sleep"
"Nuu hi,, nn business IN Asia" s1' F
lir other. steadily iu guri EusIls'
"Nnu dllH'i hesitate o. come g.
Amrrira. remarked ~. white
"Elf Nc should not quarrel now As
sunn ~ thr rn,rs arr thrown ahulr
rni vc sri oul into a. river,
...ug o. tell yun something 60"
Ming
4 have 30 icsIrr." said tie chine.
CONSCIOUS that This white ady-f, trF
had row nu map AMI wns there q"
helpless
ives. sou have puu'' 90 yet, NHg
nearly lIl'ri M. last nlght"
= would not kilI ans one. unlrs. p"
makes on. trouble. said thc ori.r'H.
n rl"as.i con 'n hay" him tail u
was Interesting 90 watch the ~
brown lfps holt s'iily tie furwl 1
Il n. EHs'ish NDNis Every syi.l'
uas Sru.s'. fif Ch-c Mlus &C.
/ ia',-I Lexington which i q rv'.r'
emotion In ihr Eas, he had uu' 'N
ans means forgotten the slckru.as
twist delivered 20 his nWu spine Wien
be- had met this young mountain .."n
.n The Wrl-rr pantry.
n. boat began 60 grind inter- 3.
The low vet wharf drew hackwarl \
space ~ muddy water Wiicnc,i TIE
ras.ag, 90 rcklns was begun. There
would be- brief stop az the Tier '.n
front. then nn ~ the Tartar city
Darkness completely claimed 90"
river before the boat jolt'-i 10 n s'al'
De-, end - her voyage up.s'r'a".
street lights were hasy around 'a"
ggly C"n.''-, were 'In.i up IN or'.r
OH uas different from the port town.
II was on" - the hnal fUgs for r..
King and winter vas ready 60 har..a
down. T..e.v Mould be vsAs ot ~.
Ter weather III, Nas par o' ne
I plan. for Lexington 90 Universe thr
/ known lands % the cold season 'o %"
! N readiness az The edge of the ir.er'
fnr his real frn,ol.iasG al the hrs'
,isn ~ spring
Herr the streets were lighted som"
~ the Iuurvays almost western IN az.
r-arunce save for N" in hgurc'
that moved ln and oui - them Roof
were peaked. angular. swp"pin. down
10 v'd, caves The Feklns tonemer's
verr squeezed ~ 90 top of thr whole
sale house, and native gpdoVns. ani
u looked a., II only the cnhhlestones
kept The weight ~ these From press.
ing N. side, ~ u street together.
when II would De- lost The laieu'
alleys seemed 10 hay" nearly grown
shut. Down one Con had a glimP>"
uf.a tirr. rel liar. IN the lark. sparks
standing an instant over riliahle house
tops. The motor bus hurried on
amongst the dartiuE rick>haws, but
CON could not forget the IRE - rudiy
wickedness turned loose upon close
, knit city of wood ana human frutlty.
II was daylight when Lexington slept
Il was SIN daylight when he awaken.
cd somehow. the matter " the plain
cnyelup came to hts mInd-those In
structions which would bind him II he
read. II was aS II the thought Of this
/ bad wakcucd him.
The Chinese had torn the covering,
| but the contents had not been what
he Vanted. why. then dad March
made So much of the matter? Con
wanted to reopen the euvelop here and
now. He could not say Why thoughts
~ the letter possessed him, and he
felt rather ashamed OF himself In
general way.
The closed document haunted him.
He thought of burning IT, unread and
then turning himself loose, Ia drift
An old boybood depression was weigh
Ing him down. reaching him now
through mere physical weakness and
sense Of failure. He felt in low
moment that March should have told
him everything frankly at the start
Con wanted to get away. someWherc--
free. forgotten. lost. lie saw himself
sinking into far dim harbors, an out
cast. He was not aware how elaborate
and unreal his loneliness was.
The hum Of the Chinese CITY entered
at the window. like secret invitation.
The lands 10 the south called him. as
always. and the murky seas.
Con was all tangle, pain, confusion.
The inner thing that was himself re.
fused to let this fog close over him.
He arose. rang for brandy, and when
II came was liberal to himself. He
would not think, dared not. He dress
ed. Downstairs. In the BARRIERS chair
he permitted himself to be shaved and
annointed. In the mirror he glanced
n,ca ~ hIs oun fapa-fha pyps ton