Evening star., 1921-03-06
BEWARE OF
THE NORTHWEST EYES,

.. =.
Now that may mean anything, or
everything-or nothing, but take it
for granted that it's a warning to the
living. sir. not only TO beware OF DO
F ing what the dead man. did, but also
. to ask no questions"
"Ah. l understand" said Sir Ruther-
ford thoughtfully. there is evidently
then some person or organization OF
this name that sways rod of terror
in our midst and this cruel deed is an
act of vengeance on their part?'
That's what it certainly looks like,
sir"
But what do you suppose was their
object in throwing the body into the
consulate yard? The coolie was GER
tainly not in our employ Every one
down to the gardeners has had look
at him and they are all quite positive
that they never saw his face before
We'll that may be true" smiled the
Inspector "and it may not. You know
how afraid they are Of saving or doins
anything that may get them into the
courts. 1t may be general warning
to Europeans. given to you as their
official representative. or II may pc
which is much more likelv-some mys-
terious thing right inside their own
native circle here which we don't
know anything about. AS my deputy
SAYS, They're as secretive as cats.
though my own private observation Is
that a cat hasn't anything on a Chloa-
man when ii comes to secrecy. why
/ remember a case in Hongkong OF q
secret order of this kind. where they
actually found the meetings were held
in the consul's own kitchen. sir right
under his very nose, and he never even
dreaming Of such thing"
'sWeIl. how did they discover it,?
"Oh. there's only one man who FER
rets out that sore Of game, when every
one else fails. and that's our friend.
Mr.. Wang Foo, sir"
"Quite so, quite so We may have 70
send fo- him yet. but in the meantime,
we will go quietly to work ourselves
to try and unravel it And ] think:
inspector. that I'll just step arounn
to the News office aod pass the word
to the editor that for the present
the papers"
'Right YOU are sir: we don't want
those fellows to be blocking our way
right at the outset"
"And az for the card. Ill just tuck
that carefully away in my private
safe" added Sir Rutherford. as he
drew from his pocket bunch OF keys
and started to open the little steel
door in his Office wall.
Better put the bamboo arrow away
along with IL. SIR. II you don't mind the
suggestion" said the officer as he rose
to depart "You never can tell how
useful these little objects may prove
later on
THE old Peninsular and Oriental
1 Companys steamship Malacca was
har o$
along by the Loo Shoe Islands. taking
IL "fair and easy" as the skipper says.
and planning to drop her anchor oil
the Shanghai bar about daylight in
the morning. The number OF through
passengers on her list was not very
heavy. for the tide of travel at that
season, as every one in the far east
knows, flows homeward toward Eng
land. and not outward toward China.
In a little group in the corner Of the
music room were two well-known
faces. and with them a third. who.
while evidently in the same business
with his older companions. was evil
IDENTIFY a griffin" Cor new hand'). as
young gentlemen Of his class are pop
ularly called. Messrs. Allston and Pc
terson were both OF them tea-tasters
ana beverly AlIStOn. Ine tHlru MEM
ber OF the party and the promising
son of the frst-named. was coming out
for the purpose of trying his hand at
this very important and lucrative oc-
cupation. after a thorough preliminary
training in the London Office.
The work OF "tea-taster" is by no
means the simple thing that the ordi-
nary and untutored public imagines 1t
to be. or exists in the minds OF the
hundreds Of old spinsterS at home.
.ho S;, he da1icinnc haV
afternoon of their lives. These men
are carefully chosen from among ex
perts in the business and receive some
of the very highest salaries paid in
the orient. To be sure. they work six
months out of the year and the rest
Of the time you may find them at their
clubs in Pail Mall. where they amuse
themselves and rest up for the next
seasons duties. They leave England
about the middle of Mach and reach
China in ample time for the opening
OF the tea season in the early part OF
May. For some sixty days they de-
vote themselves absolutely TO their
profession. and then. when the last
crop has come in. they make their
way leisureiy home again. generally
by the way of Japan and Vancouver
to avoid the summer heat in the In
dian ocean. All indulgences in the
supposed to be tahooed east OF
Suez"--even though kipling does sing
50 seductively of that region where
a man can have a thirst"-for moth
ing, even ordinary toilet water or per-
fumery, must interfere with the taste
and odor Of the delicate and fragrant
leaves.
The entire FIVE senses are used in
the selecting process. The tea is ex-
amined with magnifying glasses. il is
smelIed, tasted, carefully felt with the
fingers in the palm of the hands and
finally listened to with the ear as the
roasted leaves are cracked between
the thumb and finger. The room where
the tasting is done is scrupulously
neat the walls and ceiling are paint
ed a creamy white. and the light Is
thrown down on the tables by slant :
ing boards outside the windows, which
the ignorant and innocent tourist
takes to be awnings or windshields.
We'll. now ] understand for the frst
time why you gentlemen are So gall
liant to US ladies and why you are will
ing to forego the charms OF the smok-
ing room for our society" said Miss
Emily Kingman. after Mr.. Peterson
had delivered an interesting address
on the above subject TO his little
group Of fellow passengers. 1T isn't
that you really want to be with U.s.
so much as that you have to be away