The Washington herald., 1920-01-31
YeHow Men Sleep
By Jeremy Lane.
Copyright. 1910. by the Century Co


took IL from her. Her timeIess eyes
nave never wept. and they will
never wspt. and win never smile
fDynasties. empires. races Of men.
emerge from her. cast their tinsel
upon the dust. and vanish. COD
knows where. and Mother China
waits. and waits.
sleeping.
The harbor at Ton-hu was crowd
ed. Mongrel craft Of the world
were cluttered -ships
snat had left Live7ooi in the girl
mood Of Queen Victoria, and never
returnedf, gray japanese coasters:
netting tugs from the south: q low
heslected revenue chaser, built for
the King Of Portugal. at present
carrying artichokes and salt and
sisal, tramp like the rest Thread
ing these were the native river
ooats-three-decked and fat, their
rails mere perforated steam pipes
arranged against the day Of pirates,
when live steam would Hash from
them broadside and scaid the rob-
bers as they came aboard-yith
, ever a shifting backrround of
jun<s. like vermin swarmIng an old
coat. crooked. discolored floating
shapes that would have sunk in
water thinner than this Pei-ho mud.
Short cries sounded. and q dim rat
tie Of gongs.
I A sooty tug worried at the hav-
ser OF the bulky Queen There fol-
lowed the creaking Of strained tim
bers as she leaned against the dock,
1 female Gulliver amid the little
dirty ships OF Ton-hu. The tug
snorted at her, then ran up the
foggy river.
Coolies ran up the wet Eanrways.
Human whsrf-rats sat on the cargo
tnat was presently to be loaded
smoking In the foul, cold yellow afr
OF the harbor. The handful of pas
sengers disembarked. Among the
hrst was Norma VaIlale.~ Far from
being the last was Chez Ming, with
his carriers trotting before him,
Lexington was still asleep.
Cons room was in disorder. The
porter came on his rounds with
broom and dust-pan. and found the
sleeper. He roused Con and thought
him drunk. But the stupor was not
that OF alcohol.
Ievington's pulse was slow. One
side of his body felt dead. Every
thing was thick and puffy to his
touch. and q pain ran deep into his
head. The porter spilled out a glass
of brandy for him, keeping the bot
tie for himself. to finish up later.
| Lexington sat up shakily. The
movement brought . prickinE sen
sation In his shoulder. and he fum-
bled there. The tiny jabbing was
repeated under his clumsy fingers.
Something soft it was, too. q little
fWNNe -
tuft was the barb OF q dart
From far away, he recollected the
story OF Andrew March. and the dart
from desert riders. A mate to that
t<wift delicate weapon had been
lchnging a long while to his own
shoulder. None but Chez Ming could
have blown IL in through the win
dow. In sudden panic, Con rum
mayed across his breast and dis
covered that the bit OF parchment
was gone, the leather thong alone
remaining. Chee Ming had entered
the cabin and taken the map.
The black bag was overturned
| clothing upon the floor. The en-
velop containing instructions TO be
opened at Shsn-sung, had already
been torn open. 1t mattered very
little that its contents remained
safely enough Lexington was toe
confused to read now. There seem
4 ed no end to his failure-
The porter. unable 10 wait. had
drained the bottle and was begin,
ming to sweep the floor. He brush,
ed into the pan q square Of card
board. Cons uncertain sight Iii
upon It. He requested the porter
TO forbear. Stiffly he picked up the
card. The writing was Morna's, hel
message pointed:
"Peking-the Tourist House. But
you are hardly worth it"
FTo - ConfinuAdl