Evening star., 1921-02-27
NV YELL. here we are at
He\N/ las,~ exclaimed Mrs.
~ w Fairbanks as she drew
chair


her wicker-work chair
. nearer to the edge of the hotel veran-
-,aa and felt the. stimulating breeze
allowing over the blue waters of the
oAarbor. "And so this is Hongkong.
the Beautiful Island of Fragrant
4 Waters what a lovely and peaceful
ospot to rest-up in after our long voy-
Gage"
'Yes, madam, it is certainly peace
;, full and restful, as you say, but 1 sup
fiowery name in the early days of
the sandalwood trees and all that,
and before the mercenary Englishman
built his bean-oil factory right on the
edge of the water. Just at this par
ticular moment, with the wind blow
ing this way. the fragrance rather
suggests a frying-pan in an Ameri-
can kitchen and not bouquet of
attar-of-roSeS."
"Why, Col. Champion, how very un-
romantic you are. / declare, I shall
have to hand you over to Miss Mosher
for a course in poetic imagination"
said the good lady to the prominent
member Of the party who had just
come up from dinner. and was trying
vainly to light his Manila cheroot.
was escorting Miss Mosher to a seat
beside them. she asked Now. don't
you think it's lovely. Mr.. Appleton?'
why, yes. surely" was the ready
reply. lit must be one of the most
beautiful spots in the world because.
as Miss Mosher has just pointed out
to me. our guidebook says so. don't
you see?"
"Oh, you men, you awful practical
men," smiled Mrs. Fairbanks: what
prosaic creatures you are! Can't you
have any thoughts or admirations of
your own without the guide debook?"
'Or without Smallkins. either"
chimed the three together; hes been
thinking our thoughts for us for
over a month now, and drumming
the beauty of this harbor into us
ever since We left San Francisco"
Yes" added the young lady of the
party. "and if We didn't sush over it
now he will fall dead of diSappoint-
ment.
NOW the Mr.. Smallkins who was
dCCuSeu VI tulihiHSs oluef pto-
pies thoughts for them was none
other than the famous courier and
guide of the Messrs. Merry Brothers
Touring Company of Boston, who
was personally conducting (as the
attractive advertisement announced)
their semi-annual party to the orient.
he had been in the business for
long number of years. and was con-
sldered-at least. by himself and. his
personal admirerS-to be an absolute
authority on China, Japan. India and
all the rest Of the world lying beyond
the 10Sth meridian. His wallet was
filled with fiattering testimonials
from every variety of travellers, and
the phrase 'Smallkins says so" was
considered the absolute and final
word on geography. history. climate.
roads. jinrikishas. donkeys. sedans-
in fact, anything and everything that
a tourist could possibly ask about.
The personnel of his party on this
special occasion was made up of
eight New Englanders, who had
booked at the Boston office, and who
were consigned to his care as far as
SueZ. Four of them had decided to
remain over for another month I'M
der the care Of his assistant in Japan,
and the other four were now COM
fortably settled in one OF the upper
stories Of the new and commodious
Victoria Hotel at Hongkong. and
might be catalogued as follows:
No. 1-Mra Cornelius Fairbanks Of
Worcester. widow of the late head Of
the Fairbanks Manufacturing Com
pany, charming and good-natured
soul. Gliding very gently down the de-
cltne OF years. somewhere between
the nftieth and the sixtieth mile
No. Miss Geraldine Mosher Of
Freetown, bright and attractive
graduate of Smith College and of the
school of journalism. whose age was
certainly less than half that Of her
companion and guardian.
No. 3ICol. Overton Champion of
Pittsfeld. a retired merchant. who had
left his dear wife at their sumptuous
home in the Berkshires. and who was
doing the "round-the- world" trip at
No. MIR. Frederick Appleton of
Springfield. who had just received his
diploma from Harvard after a six
year struggle with a four-year course.
and whose fond mamma thought it
would be grand thing for him to
travel. and had consigned him to the
Merry Brothers care for a year.
Il hope Smallkins isn't going to start
us on on any sightseeing business
Tor few days yet" remarked the
colonel. now that the cheroot was
burning briskly (even though it had
been lighted at the wrong end). II.
Tor one. feel like lol1ing around here
for week. What do the ladies say?"
"Oh. ! shall need almost all of that
to write up my articles on Hawaii
and Japan" spoke UP Miss Mosher.
who was quite proud of the fact that
she was making the trip as the official
representative Of the Freetown Daily
Press.
We'll. my dear" chimed in Mrs.
Fairbanks. "Smallkins says one can
spend very delightful ten days here.
There's the peak. and the happy val
ley. and the Chinese town. and any
number of interesting things. and pos
sibly chance for a garden party at
the governors mansion and"
Il move we cut out the social func-
tion stuff" INTERRUPTED Freddie Cor
"Appie." as his English fellow travel
ers had dubbed HIND. until I get INV
eeaiess of. as the sailors say. and can
walk around steady on solid land
after all that rolling and pitching in
the Formosa channel. And as for
Smallkins. my motion is that we give
him a weeks vacation on full pay.
and let him go of and have a good
time with his old cronies. He says
the port is full of them" The motion
was carried unanimously: the talka-
tive Smallkins accepting the situation
and leaving his charges to the tender
mercies Of the hotel proprietor and
the Chinese servants.
X X *
"A r No. 5-5-5 in the Red Cloud alley.
Wang Foo. the Man of Mystery"
fas he had come to be known among
the European residents for his mar
velous ways OF detecting crime). was
the evening rice, when suddenly there
came a loud and persistent pounding