The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-01-21
LITTLE TOMTIT

F,ut ho v.na uu'lo p"uI All hn hat
loIl wpa bis faulty r"lIo''l"n -
at aud uurr orory iw" y"nrT -
gu hr ibid a pi"r" ~ this u wa
&" pulling tooth.
WINK had once bean Il diplomat
m London. and was mn educated
Gentleman. with cultured appr"cl
alton Of Occidental things. COut.
hined with passionate love for tho
artistry IL his own people. Every
agent and dealer In China was on
the qui viye to get something from
Wings treasures.
You must understand that there
are various classes OF dealers.
Some ship imitation junk to IN
terror decorators. who value only
color; others supply wholesale
bazaar dealers: the arisocrals ~
tho profession seek really artistic
things, museum pieces. under
this last head fell Crayton. WI"
was u business man. and Toptlt.
who WIS a poet.
Toptit naturally suggested Tom
III. and Little Tomtit" had bean
fastened on the poet from the
FIRST, Calmly ObliNious. no went
HIS way and created chaos among
his competitors. He had his own
methods OF doing bnslnons. ana
they were apt to DO surprising al
tIu,u Ho camo To Fuklon with
l,tiors OF Introduction To wink
from m obscure TlsntSln poet
paintsr, and tho mandarin VOL
coined him with grave courtoay
Thore was no mention OF business
though each man knew thh' '"'
other man understood perfectly
Immediately he came Int" tho
house. ToptIt perceived that some
,hlng was terribly amlss. The ser
wants were frightened. wing
hlmselt. a stately man with "lspy
beard and mustaChes. wore an al
Of preoccupation. The tea was IN
ferior in quality. Host and guest
however, ignored all this and eh-
changed many compliments.
AT dinner, Toptit saw the screen
for which he had come. IL was
the only object in the ROOM 4
screen OF three panels. The center
panel held painting on brown
silk. showing a groom or syce win
his horse beneath a gnarled tree
The two side panels were OF blank
brown silk, bearing only the YER
million seals OF mandarins who ha1
owned the screen. TOptit eN-
pressed his admiration. and the
mandarin discussed tho screen
with loving tenderness.
You will observe that there are
six ideugraphs." said Wins com
placcntly. The frst four read
'Ku Mo Fan Mow'-Old Syco and
Travelling Iiorse. The others give
tho name Of the artist. Chang Now
or Jung Moh--a Manchu name. |
think. Tho artist 10 not romem-
hsred. Tho entire value OF the
picture. Mr. Toptit. lies In
IN tho rcd robe OF tho old
syca." said Toptit. Tho mandarin
bcamcd approval.
"GOOd. good! Yes. that rod
robe Is painted with Somo prcclpi-
tate or gold. and the secret OF this
dusky. goldrcd paint has been lost
Tor two centuries"
ITS the most beautiful red
ever saw In my life" said Toptit
sincerely. THAT dusky gold run
ming through II iS magnificent
suppose II Id worry vnluablc2"
"A Japanese millionaire has Of
IUrcd ule ton thouHund yen for It,"
said Wing.
"Ahl II is worth double that.
Unfortunately. don't suppose any
ordinary dealer could ofrer more
than thousand dollars"
Wing understood thin bid per,
rsCtly. and Hmilcd hiH bland smile
Il would not sell that screen IL
any Nippon man for million
ven" no said. For II bricf instant
his lips Clcnchcd into a thin, orue
smile. One gathered that he die
not like the Japanese. Il have
been Informed that this screen
was going TO Japan In spite
OF me"
! This sounded like Crayton. who
acted for a number Of millionaire
clients in Japan. where almost any
price will be paid for Chinese
| works OF art that are rare ant
authentic.
The NagasakI Herald refused
TO publish some Of my verses,
said Toptit re1ectiyely. "EveI
since have been prejudicec
against Japan. Well, this screen
is wonderful! l can imagine olc
Chang Now sitting on a bridge
and sketching this scene-the ole
syce. propping one foot on
! gnarled root and delivering hi
Samuel Weller philosophy, ant
the horse doing nearby"
Tho mandarin smiled. and pres
entity the subject was changed t
the Bolshevlsm running rife in tn
northern provinces. Art was no
again mentioned that evening.
Upon the following morning
Toptit went into the city. He ha,
attended one OF the great Amer
lean univerHitiea to which hat
como also certain alert younI
Chinese under the Boxer lndem
nifty provision. and one or thes
yellow mon lived in FuChow. IL
was q fraternity brother OF Toptit
You will observe that T0ptit exer
cised some sagnCity In bushes
affairs.
Directing his 'rikIsha 10 tn
South Cato Road, In tho natlV
| nIAu Tnnilt nllnhiRl md RnLorOI