The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-01

tlucA SlON NnC itdol Sl6iA OA Ateitr She walked resolutely on, edging grad ually away from the precipice, and moving at rapid pace.
 The Chinaman kept step with her. } This is awful I must let him pass,r said Shirley to herself, wonder ing desperately whether his motive was robbery or murder. There was something so extraordinarily furtive about him.
 She stopped and swung round so as to face him. though-to all outward intents and purposes-her gaze was wandering back to distant Brighton.
 The Chnaman stepped up to her. lowing low twice with an air of exag- gerated humility.
 Honorable miss I-Chang Bing- Ho, your humble slave-craves hon. orable permission to speak a word with youp
 Shirley edged away from him.
 "1f honorable miss would condescend to let her humble servant know the honorable residence of her revered be- trothed ." Again the obsequious lowing and scraping.
 'Wh-what do you mean?" faltered the young girl.
 ''The revered betrothed-does he not stay in magnificent mansion by the sea?" The orientars eyes grew even narrower but his lips were expanded in an unpleasant grin
 You mean Mir. Dalton?" Shirley was quite bewildered. He bowed again.
 That is the honorable gentleman that I seek"
 Shirley trembling, gave the name of Jim's hotel.
 .But he has gone up to London she added, watching the inscrutable yellow countenance that was smirking so un- { attractively before her. What on earth could this Chinaman want with Jim her Jim?
 Your humble slave thanks honor able miss--and would she grant the in- estimable boon to name the London res idence of her revered betrothed2" 1 Shirley shook her head. She wasn't going to send this Chinaman to Jims studio-and she really didn't know his present whereabouts.
 The oriental grinned until every vel low fang in his head was thoroughly exposed.
 "As honorable miss prefers. sHer l humble slave has ways and means 7 He took step toward her, and his manner-despite his servility and ob- sequiousness-wa wasn't reassuring. But suddenly he seemed to change his mind. He bowed again, swung round, and began to walk back rapidly toward Brighton, leaving poor Shirley with an impression of something sinis- ter about to happen.
 "Oh, l hope he means no harm to Jim." she told herself repeatedly THE CHINAMAN SEES RED ! But Chang Bing Ho indubitably in- 1 tended harm Since the untimely raid 1 on his profitable Chinese opium den things had gone wrong with him. ] And for these reverses he gave full blame to one linn Dalton, at one time his most paying customer, but ever and ! always confirmed opium fiend, sneak I thief and down and d-outer! The down and-outer had escaped, too, ! from the strong arm of the law But
 retribution, in the shape of Chang Bing Ho, was following him. 1 It was-all his fault that the famous
 opium den had ever been officially l 'spinched" The magistrate had told lNthe Chinaman that one of his most reg ular clients had given the game away had turned kings evidence" With l out doubt the informant had been Daltonl
 l And Chang Bing Ho had had to pay [ a heavy fine--nay, more, to endure a whole months imprisonment! S 1 His business, too, was gone. Meantime, the derelict Jim Dalton
 had escaped. Yes. after badly injuring a London constable! And Chang Bing Ho had had to pay this policeman heavy
 damages for the harm the derelict had | wrought
 i Moreover, this same man had robbed ] the Chinaman of a considerable sum of money.
 He had flirted. too, with Chang Bing <. Hos young Chinese wife-the unfor. l givable crime.
 And Chang Bing Ho-newly released l from prison.-had murder in his heart. 1 A "pal' had told him that the down. ! and-out" Jim Dalton was posing as a I we'll to- do young man ina big hotel l in Brighton. The Chinaman knew
 nothing of the down-and- -outer's "dou.
 ble He only knew that such pose
 was quite in keeping with the charac- 1 ter of the opium -fiend-and that it had | ''worked' successfully before. I He therefore proceeded toward the 1 south coast watering place. | The previous afternoon he had had ] glimpse of Jim. motoring with Shirley Marsh That fleeting glimpse of Jim had shown strong resemblance to the ! down-and-oute at his best,