The Washington herald., 1920-02-02

suspicion at the desk on that ac-
count. Con thought OF decoying
Chez Ming up into the vacant room,
and throttling him. TO regain the
parchment. But this idea passed
Immediately, for he had In q sense
given his word 70, the Chinese. arr
ranging for a fair Bargain. In
todd him the new fact
."sfe will return" said Chez Ming,
and that was all.
'T wish I believed it." said Con.
She did not return. but sent a
messenger. The note was for Lev
ington:
THE Road Of the willows. nrst
house beyond the second turn TO
the left. Have decided TO sell"
The yellow man watched silently
as the note was delivered and read.
Con came over TO him.
You stay here, for a change"
said the white man. II can trans
act more business without you"
There was no alteration in the
dullness of Chez Ming's eyes. He
did not 30 much as nod. or take hfs
seat again. but remained standing,
as Con hastened to find a convey
ance.
A sedan was brought to the curb,
Lexington bade his coolies run.
They consulted feverishly among
themselves before starting, as 20
the exact neighborhood of the ad-
dress given. Then they ran.
They turned away from the mu-
nicipally illuminated streets, into
the dimness Of a crooked lane. Here
the riding-chair seemed colder and
harder. The odors were not defi-
nitely Chinese. but were always suf-
ficient. The runners. slipping
through stony puddles. amounting
the steps that terraced the streets
crosswise. UP and down again, gave
their fare many dificult postures.
but did not spill him out as he an
ticipated.
The Road of the Willows was not
in a fashionable quarter. At inter-
sections a lamp-post would lean out
from the wall. a smudgy faring
wick emphasizing a dark universe.
faint upon the closed doors at each
side. and making ominous blind
eyes of every shut window. Rats
were feeding on the piled rubbish.
and scarcely desisted as the strang-
er was borne past Once a gaunt
puppy shambled into the path, and
the coolies trod him down; there
was a semi-human cry as he per-
ished on the stones. The walls of
houses that confined the lane were
like old fences in a dream that is
all blind alley. Con thought OF
Memphis, of the wooden barrier.
and poignantly wondered IL here
was the answer to his dreams in
Niger Row.
Few lights glimmered within
doors. There were no pedestrians.
Yet in all directions was a vast slow
seethe of life. Con could not pic
ture Norma in the midst of this.
He lost count of the right and left
turns, the half-turns and crooks,
could not be sure which was the
Road of the willows. There was
nothing like direction. Night fog
had rolled up thick around the
corner lamps. The plop-plop of his
coolies feet echoed family against
the shutters.
The journey ended. the sedan was
let down upon the stones. A voice
not quite so firm as usual, reached
Levington-Morns's, from within
the lattice:
Pay them and send them away
Are you alone?"
Yes"
She was within two yards Of the
CHAIR. although indoors and out OF
sight. Con dismissed his runners,
whose limbs were steaming.
This house was like the others
narrow, fitting. weather-wOrn. the
Intel sagging with age. the thresh-
old gone entirely. There was a trife
more light as the door drew inward.
Lexington stepped into a cramped
hall, where Norma stood to receive
him.
Wont you come into my par
lor?' said The spider" she began
whimsically.
Revised version. What is it,"
he asked.
Yes, you may have spoiled 1t by
failing to bring our wax friend
along"
Did you want Chez Ming?"
Certainly" she said. He's heavy
as bank. and hasn't spent a nickel
since VIC left Vancouver. OF course
/ want him. Isn't this a good place
to receive him."
when you ran away with his
stuff, did you plan to see him
again."
Il let him plan to see me. He had
my address. 1t didn't mean any
thing to him until he missed the
trunks. / figured he would hurry
to call on me when that fact got
home to him"
But he went to the Tourist
House with me"
You could have gone with him,
If you had waited"
Then, if your game Is all set
what do you want with me?'
oil
and Honest. l could have sent this
new address to him just as well.
But / thought you wanted to buy
the trunks"
You are getting in deep" said
Con.
I'm built for it," she replied.
The inner room of the establish
ment offered a fat. short candle that
sputtered in the dead air. The CELL
ing of the room was low and black.
the walls were riven with century
weariness. The window here had
been boarded across recently. A
high, divan. whose fiowery silken
curtains and canopy were darkened
with SCOT, occupied one end of the
chamber. a table of teak and pearl
stood tippily in the center, and up
beside the candle was an image in
painted clay, brought by some pious
or thieving hand from the City Of
Mud Idols. To this sanity image
Norma pointed:
only son of Chez Ming. The pic
ture of his dad"
Laughing. she gave Lexington a
stiff little chair, while she leaned
lightly upon the table and began to
write across q card. The very air
was active and malignant. Each
breath through the room seemed
Ali rrk