The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-12-16

Ming was not armed. His robes were
much the worse for wear. There was
something greatly altered about him.
He descended ahead of Lexington, who
was by no means calm.
go In there"
The vtzir obeyed, and Con shut him
self into the library with the old ORR
entail He turned on the light.
"Sit down and let's have your
word"
Chez Ming sank into a great padded
chair and seemed lost In it, his body
as frail as a child's. For a moment
longer he did not speak, but seemed
to be assembling his energies for the
task. Lexington stood near, staring
at his strange visitor.
In a moment they will find Flu
Abs body. Then wiat?"
Chez Ming raised his hand ''You
do not understand he said with eff
fort, the familiar twisting Of his lips
again a fascination to the white man.
did you come alone?'
The yellow man nodded. Prevari-
cation was not one of Chez Mfng's
shortcomings.
81 suppose you stabbed Fanxa, too
and who else?" The vizir shook his
head slowly, and a light was coming
into his stony eyes. "And you were
looking for your princess
yes I would have speech with her
also. I do not come with a sword. L
come without pride. Flu All foolishiy
would not let me pass, or it would not
have been necessary to release him"
The voice, too, had undergone
change.
''How did you get away from Tau
Kuan?''
'That is of no importance" said
the Chinese. 'It is no longer the
Realm Of Yellow Gods. It has be-
come q warren Of madness, a sly,
by-wOrd along the roads of heaven.
1t is gone, and the hope of the world
is destroyed. My work is ended, yet
it is never complete. There is none
to- continue. My riders have formed
a new camp in the South, and there
will be wars. I shall never return to
Asia, our mother. 1 have not far to
SO MY NOlO IL Dul TIE WISH VI dn
enemy whose power you have
humbled."
what is it?''
do not betray the tradition OF beau |
ty and holiness into which you forced |
your way!"
"Betray?"
'Do not make public your knowl- |
edge. 1t is a sacred realm you have |
entered. Was it not enough for you |
to destroy it, to carry away its fu- |
ture, and wreck the present, without |
throwing into shame the great past |
of the empire?"
81 see what you mean" said Con, |
thinking of the report he had turned |
in thirty minutes since.
"And can you not be of large heart -
Lexington was silent He thought /
of the fanaticism, the drugs, the sur
prising cruelty of that fallen empire,
and the justice of his own mission, |
and was not sorry. Yet Chez Ming
had come to the end, and there is a
courtesy due the humbled foe. Al
most inaudibly the old voice went on
You come of a race of merchants,
a race of hirelings, having no tradition,
desiring none. You lifted your mind
higher than their commerce. You dared
strange things, and brought them to
pass. You have defeated me, as none
of them could imagine Do not tell
them It is the soul of my fathers, of
my kings, you would betray. Do not,
1 beg"
The ancient lined face was gray, the
neck very thin, the shoulders pressing
sharply through the faded robe. Save
for the expanse of brow, and the deep
torture in his eyes, Chez Ming might
have been a beggar from the gates of
Peking There was a feverish tension
about his mouth. He seemed impa-
tient to drink Cons answer, yet half
knowing it would be bitter.
Speak" he whispered.
Con heard steps in the hall beyond,
and realized that this interview was
at an end. CHANGING back to Chez
Ming's face, he was startled to find
a look OF intense supplication. the
aged throat caught into silence. The
eyes were piteous. Ignoring the facts,
Lexington nodded. slowly. at once
the Chinese closed his eyes, wrinkled
his face more tightly, then slipped for
ward in the chair. A line of blood
dripped from one corner OF his mouth.
Chez Ming had lived only to receive
the promise Of his conqueror.