Evening star., 1921-04-03


superstitions of the natives. You
know it's all we'll enough to read
about them in the guidebooks, ETC.,
but they never seem half as real as
when we hear somebody describe
them, especially one who knows
them as well as you do"
Wang Foo, with his usual courtesy.
at once acceded to the young lady's
request and, joining the little circle
in the palm room. began with, Let
me see, where did / leave off the
other evening? Oh. yes. 1 remember
now, we were on the subject of dem
ons and 1 had just started to describe
the 'well-demon,' when we were all
summoned into the drawing room to
listen to the pianist from Moscow,
were we not?"
Yes, exactly so,' replied Miss
Alice, land 1 want to go right back
to that little demon until we get him
safely out of the WELL"
'.Ah!" smiled Wang Foo. "if you can
Eet him safely out of all the wells Of
China, where they think he resides.
you will be doing a magnificent work
for civilization. but l am afraid that
will take years and years OF slow and
patient scientific teaching"
Then he went on to describe the ma
plain that it was simply an accumula-
tion of carbonic acid gas that suno-
Gated those who went down into the
wells to clean them, and which was
Interpreted by the simple minded peo-
pie TO be the wrath of the demon. who.
resentinE their intruding into his
domain. seized them by the throat and
choked them 10 death.
But why don't the missionaries or
some one explain this to tha-n? in
nocertly asked one Of Miss Mcfony's
friends. that surely is a part OF the
enlistment OF China"
They do in every vav they can. ]
have a cony in my home now Of
most useful little tract entitled The
Truth About the welI-Demon' that
has been circulated by thousands all
over the country. And that reminds
me of an interesting and rather
amusing experience that one of our
Chinese students had who tried to
explain this matter to the old pa
triarch of his village. He concluded
by warning him never to attempt to
descend into a well-or allow any
until he had first lowered down a
lighted candle and seen whether 1t
burned freely or was extinguished by
the gas. Well. at the end OF Few
and when he asked him if he had
had any chance to test the presence
OF the well-demon. he replied. in
somewhat resentful tone. Yes. and
like most of your foreign theories 1t
won't apply to China
"'Did you lower down the lighted
candle. as advised you"
YES and the wel1-demon was 80
angry at this foreign interference
that he grabbed the candle and blew
1t out before II got to the bottom.
any demons Of this domestic kind?"
asked Miss Alice. ct so often wish
that / onfy understood enough OF
their language to ask them ABOUT
this and thousand other tnihss, h
choice collection of household demons
that we believe in just as Implicitly
as they do"
why. the very idea, Do tell US
Of one; Mr.. Wang: pie,seW,; .nst live. IN
vour nantries or kitchens. that goes
by the name of the 'milk.demon.
Have you ever heard of him.
WV that's what the Chinese
talk. about it every time they see
.Did You ever, That only shows
how little we dream OF what IS nelnX
said right around us al the smnn srS
and I've heard them describe IT IN
the teahouses and tel OF its having
1 large. round, head and a long: sill
-ver tail. And when the foreigner
suspects thatn his milk mas ,9..1a peen
demon into the pail and he jumps up
and down in the milk and then whis-
pers the whole secret to his master
sor mistress" a. :.
what . wonderful reveiAuon aI 20
to get a glimpse OF ourselves
- others,see us, buf--" the lady's re-
lmarx was cut suddenly short by the
entrance Of Sir Rutherford. who apoic-
xased for the interruption as ne saio.
s'Mr Wang. I hate to draw you away
from this charming circ'e OF S's hsuenets -
but I am going to ask the ladies 70
exc,,se YOU for a while. as a cablegram
- awaiting for you in the office
'hp y +
Now, Sir Rutherford Cockrill. his
iaa- Britannia majesty's consul general
1t Shanghai. was not a man to be easily
disturbed by any vague rumors OF uou-
biS among the native peoples. at the
same time, his long residence in India
and the Straits had trained him to be
<nntious and to anticipate any out
ihrsak by nipping II In the bud. 50 II
was quite natural that he should close
the door Of his private ofhce as soon
~ No ana wang fVo ~ seSIsI-an,
aJait the opening OF the caoiesram
vfth Just a little anxiety.
oF'T Woader IL your message Is tne
sanSe - minor. This In what I make
q out to be by the government secret
coda. he said. handing a square piece
Of yellow paper over to his guest
.1t will take me a few minutes TO
7decipher mine" was the reply. you
rec, sir, 1t Is q very different code from
the one used by yourself and the con-
kaiar oface-in fact. it is one that drew
dup myself for Inspector Higgins to use.
n, Z should at any time be needed when
away from HonEkong. He and l are
A comparison Of the two dispatches
showed that they were practically identi-
cal. The former was from the gov
eTr>~ OF Hongkong. Sir Evington
Beecham, asking the consul at Shanghai
70 make every effort to apprehend
sching Pow" (-Green Jeopardy who.
as assistant compradore Of tho Oriental
Rank. had robbed them of some $4,000
and was supposed to be in concealment
in Shanghai. His exceIIency also sue-
gested that as Wang Foo. whose ex-
ploits in Directing crime had been SO
helpful to the authorities. was now IN
Shanghai. il would be wise to ask his
s.si.tance in the case. The latter mes
eare was from Inspector Higgins to
wanR Foo direct. hoping that he would
he able to cooperate with the Engiisn
oolice and secure what aid he could
from the native authorities.
We'll" said the consul after ne hao
~..d the translation of the other code.
sI hope YOU are going to stay in the
settlement long enough for US all to
work together on this matter, Mr. wang
why. to tell you the truth. / was
just about leaving for a visit up n 1ne