The Nevada County picayune., 1922-01-19
for a young man and Wade ambitious

ly understood it's execution.
 A year had nearly gone by Agnes had not heard from her lover for near lv three months. The will case came up in thirty days.
 She pictured him among great tenn ples, far extending mountain chalns' amid splendid pageants of rlchiy garbed mandarins-only the glare ana sitter of a vast empire filled her mlnd.
 At that very hour the man she loved was at the crisis of his life-a lone figure amid lonely, lonely scene. lie crouched behind the figure of an ldoi in a Chinese burial ground, pale. Thousands of miles from civilization, friendless hunted fugitive, he was lurking in this forlorn retreat, ciing- ing with a natural love of life 10 mere thread of hope.
 He drew further into the shadow or his refuge as he made out two forms approaching. Then at a glance ne made out friends, and spoke to them. Both the new corners were Mongoh- ans. One poorly dressed advanced kotowed humbly to Wade, and even kissed his feet-reverently, gratefully.
 "See," he said, arising and waving his companion forward as though ne were some supreme person-"it is the high one of our family-Kwang Lo."
 Wade welcomed the 1.-the, erect young man introduced. There was quiet dignity that attracted.
 'I am the sacrifice" he said simply.
 "The sacrifice? repeated Wade in wonderment.
 Tt is so," was the quiet reply Tt is you who month since found the mandarin at the home of my kins- man. He was about to be beheaded for an infringement of the law. It was that or the payment of 1,1Oo taels.
 Wade we'll remembered the circum- stances. Sheer pity for the unfortu- nate family had, indeed induced him to part with nearly all his surplus stock of money.
 "Sinee then," continued Kwang Lo, "the evil mandarins thinking you had money, have imprisoned you in the hopes of winning the bribe ransom you could not pay. Last night my kinsman here enabled you to escape from jail. They will seek you every where. They have sent for me, the high one of the family, to get you be- yond peril, and because for some great reason that is not our affair you must be in your native land speedily
 But have no means to pursue my journey from Beiro to Canton," sug- gested Wade.
 "They shall be provided" quietly as- sured Kwang Lo.
 True to his promise Kwang To re- appeared shortly with a two-wheeled pushcart holding a close wicker box top. Across this was a broad sheet of bamboo bearing some Chinese let ters in bright vermilion.
 Tn an instant Wade knew what this meant. The royal sign manual was always written with vermilion pen cil.
 Within that wicker covert Wade Latham was conveyed to Beiro. When | it was opened he found himself in the rear room of a Chinese pawnshop. l Kyang Lo had dsrobed to the waist. Encircling him was a band of gold, heavy and unbroken, bearing native characters. There was some talk be- tween him and the keeper of the shop. Then money passed, and Kwang Lo came forward and placed in. Wade's hand a sum equal to two hundred l American dollars.
 "I have agreed to remain here the slave of the shop keeper until 1 am redeemed" said Kwang To. "The 1 f.mily circlet, sacred for generations surely my family will not allow 1t to ] pass to others at my death! But that is naugpt to you. I am the sacrifice 1 I glory in thus doing for the man who saved my kinsman ]"
 That sublime sacrifice was first in the thoughts of Wade Latham when he landed on American soil. As quick. ly as he could reach his friends more than the amount necessary to redeem Kwang Lo and his family talisman was transmitted to Bero to make of him free man.
 In time to act as a witness in the great lawsuit and to see it won for General Norton, honored and famous through his contributions to science and literature, Wade Latham gained a still richer prize after all his perilous adventures-th hand of loyal, happy Agnes Norton.