Evening star., 1921-03-13
ND you are quite positive


ing the United States consul in that
beautiful island Of the Pacific. EVEN
Mrs. Hopkinson has clear UNDER
standing on that question. When we
were first married I said to her: now
Mrs H., I've stood up there before the
parson and endowed you with all my
worldly goods. OF course. that's all
right and as it should be. but there
just one small thing that the book
omits to mention. and that is the ht-
tie bunch that jinsles on the end ;o1
this chain (suiting the action to the
word by swinging it around In the
air), and so you will please always
remember that. as Pat said to Bridget
What's mine is yours-but my office
keys are my own"
And, may / ask, sir, what do you
do with them at night? Is it not pos
sible that your bedroom could be en-
tered and they taken away without
your knowing it?"
'No, stree! No thief takes those
keys unless he takes Oliver along
with them. chain them up to my
left arm the last thing before go to
sleep and there they stay until the
morning"
the seal taken away. ut must have
been by the use Of a duplicate key or
:. by the picking Of the io1k,at X. at. any any
rate, it was certainly not by the use
of your keys?"
Most certainly not" was the con-
surs emphatic reply.
And the outer door of your safe
s>nr hi iYpa
tion locks. has it not. that opens by
!: setting the numbers?
fire-and- d-burglar-proo latest patterns.
There isn't q better one in all this
, coiony;" ,s -
open the inner doors. then?"
Exactly so. And that's the place
where I always keep the ONCE seal.
"And how about the tifhn hour? Do
{ NO. sir, when go out the seal
goes in: ~: never there alone. a sim
gle minute"
"po you close the outer door when
30 60 to tiffin;" ,
"Then the thief-or whoever the
person might be-would not have to
know the combination or to bother
with those numbers at all. but would
just have to open the inner steel
.Yes, IL he came in while I was at
tifnn. that's about al he would have
to do" ss,
And do you and your assistant. Mr..
Fielding both 60 to tifiin at the same
well. suppose we oughtn't to.
but. a. . matter Of act. that's exactly
what we've been doing ever since I
t. t. ~hop
Of the once while both you gentlemen
Hiraido the Goose Gar east for
'PoPtuEuese') and Old Wing. the boy.
both sit 1T the tabls in the hall and
r. r.. Iss sea s.ss yea &C..
YES" interrupted the inspector,
sunless the. intrudee came In through
the window, which, begin to think
It's most likely he did. and that's the
So you won't mind. sir. if Deputy
Brownlow. with one or two native de-
teetives. comes around here this
afternoon and makes q careful sur
vey Of the outside Of the consulate,
with all the steps and verandasT
send them around at half-past
four. chief, that's the time we shut
MP business for the day, and then all
the coast will be clear and there won't
Be- . lot Of curiosity seeker hanging
ereund and asking all sorts OF ques-
:Risht you are, sir 0ood morning."
Good morning. and good luck to you!"
replied the consul. as he passed out
Of the door Of headauarters and ask
q the police sentry to call his jim
THE above conversation had refer
ence to one Of the most sensational
and at the same time mysterious oc-
currences that had taken place in the
island colony Of Hongkong for many
. day. A notorioue Chinese criminal.
known to the authorities as "Old
Vegetables" (which name had been
given to him on account Of four
sword cuts on his forehead which re-
sembled the character for that ar
ticie in the picture language Of the
empiYe), had been recently captured
by the colony police and was on his
way to be handed back to the native
ohicers from the viceroy at Canton.
when he suddenly made q dash for
liberty and was gone almost before
they knew it And the astonishing
and irritating thing about 1t all was
chat he escaped in the police depart
ment'o own steam launch and appar-
entity At their request: For the swift
boat was called, was lying at the end
Of the customs pier (with steam all
up a. usual, ready to rush in any di-
rection at q moments notice). when a
native. waving a piece of white pa
per in his hand. came running down
the pier at full speed and. jumping on
board, rushed up to the captain and.
pushing the paper into his hand. cried:
"chop chop! , NY chin chin n,,, you. velly
SvA, c>rv cePv 0nick")
Cast of. Full speed ahead" said
the skipper to the man at the wheel,
as he held the paper up to the Ian
tern and read as follows:
Rush this messenger out to the
Pacific Mail at once. he carries inn
portant papers for the United States
consul at Nagasaki and he must get
them before she sails. =
'By courtesy of the inspector Of
"(SiEned) oliver Hopkinson.
Consul Of the United States"
.1t must be all right" he said to
himself. for I see it bears the con-
surs ofiicial seal" So the Sentinel.
all unsuspecting. dashed out toward
the Pacific Mail buoy and in less than
fifteen minutes had deposited "Old
veEetabIes" on the gangway of the
steamer. Just blowing her whistle for
departure. He hurried inside. passed
along to the forward companionway.
climbed up the steerage deck and.
hailing a waiting sampan. went over
and shouting, "Kow Loorf Pien, Kow
Loon Pien" ('To the nine dragon
side. To the nine dragon side" lie.
to the opposite shore). disappeared in
the darkness. The police launch wait
ed as long as il dared. and then.
the moving mail boat. finally turned
back with the remark Of the skipper: