Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1921-04-01

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somewhat He wanted to ask Helen
If she had enjoyed her dinner.
At the March house. the han door
| was open, so he did not ring. He en-
tered and snapped on the light. which
should have been burning. He STUN
bled across the body of old Flu All.
The Chinese was dead. the body stiI
warm. Lexington leapt up the stairs,
madly fearing. In the upper hall,
about to enter at Helen's door. was a
familiar figure, like IA faded ghost of
the empire Of the Yellow Sun. Chez
Ming
Con was upon him. but he made no
resistance.
"What do you want7"
a word"
"Why did you kill Flu Ah?"
"He himself obliged me to do so,"
said Chez Ming.
Come downstairs" said Lexington,
letting go.
Silently they drew apart. Chez
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 vizir obeyed, and Con shut him
self into the library with the old Ori-
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 child's. For 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 what?"
Chez Ming raised his hand. You
do not understand" he said with ef-
fort. the familiar twisting of his lips
again Il fascination to the white man.
Did you come alone?"
The yellow man nodded. Prevari-
cation was not one of Chee Ming's
shortcomings
II suppose you stabbed Fansa, too
and who else7' 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. do not come with sword.
come without pride. Flu All foolishly
would not let me pass, or 1t would not
have been necessary to release him"
The voice, too, had undergone
change.
How did you get away from Tau
Kuanr'
THAT is of no Importance" said
the Chinese. at is no longer the
Realm of Yellow Gods. 1t has be-
come warren of madness. n sty, n
by-word along the roads of heaven.
1t is gone, and the hope of the world
is destroyed. My work is ended, yet
1t is never complete. There is none
to continue. My riders have formed
new camp in the South, and there
will be wars. I shall never return to
Asia. our mother. 1 have not far to
20. My word is but the wish of an
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 sacred realm you have
entered. Was it not enough for you
to destroy 1t, to carry away its fu-
ture. and wreck the present, without
throwing into shame the great past
of the empire?"
Il see what you mean" said Con,
thinking of the report he had turned
in thirty minutes since.
And can you not be of large hearth"
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 n
courtesy due the humbled, foe. Al
most inaudibly the old voice went on
You come of a race of merchants.
a race of hirellngs. 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. 1t is the soul of my fathers, of
my kings, you would betray. Do not,
l 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 feverish tension
about his mouth. He seemed impa-
tient to drink Cons answer. yet half
knowing it would be bitter.
speak" he whispered.
| Cnn haard Staps In tho ba haynna