Evening star., 1923-10-07
Did catnbef.well
Ever Know i
w hat Made
the Oriemt's Lure +?
N An upper apartment Of a eer-

evenings regular basineSs--in
very private apartment just
above the rear ertrance-the gentle
man from Macao arrived quite noise
lessIy, popping between the curtains
ana startling a wordless cry from the
the woman who sat waiting for MIN
there, alone.
"A rnackereir' was his ahHoahees
ment, given In the Portueuese-Ghi-
nsse dialect. sweet poppy OF mine.
have caught one BIZ fiackerel at last!
Fat as butter. He will be mere to-
night, ana tofn6rrow-we eat." ne
said, with q click OF teeth.
The woman quailed before the al
most insane flicker In his eass. the
tiger lock OF that polite. eatiike, brill
liantiy smiling little individual.
she VAS ys0ns enough TO have Seen
girl not 80 long ago, was still gifi-
ish and lovely under the ismpiiGht--
slight ana dark. with hair ana iashes
that would have made her envled
anywhere. with the fieh warmth Of
skin that shariies mere white.
Somebody for me?" she faitered.
r"soniebody for you!" ne iitimicked
with contained savasery. ''No--ho-
body for you. little fiowefiet. Hest
easy This time 1t rs another kind
of fool. But you Will Snare him
for me-
How. them"
He caught her wrist in his small
steely grip.
Listen! In little while comes this
idiot to play at Lii Ch~ah's tables
inside. You will get the seat next to
him, ana before he lose all his stake
see to 1t that you coax him in here for
IL moment. save your tears for that
Somehow. somehow. you bring him to
this roorn.''
"Isi Chwan will beat me"
I'll Chwar Lock that door be.
tween IL he follows; / need but the
tenth Part of an instant. Tonight is
our great good fortuhe-c5mprehehd
that This stranger has money
much, much rieney--to be so easily
come by. l saw it. In fat purse.
Therefore. attend me we'll.
You bring him here. You cajole
him with what tale yeu like. leu
lead him over by this window"
He swept aside the curtain that COW
cred an exit upon the balcony. you
push him against the hansings. IL
you can, to make them bulge a little
thus. All. ah! / will be ready
fear not-in hiding just behind. Then
YOU hold him only long enough to
give me true aim Understand"
She was staring duly past him
through the broken bars down, down,
at the water below. where its tide
Tapped the piiings and vacant ray
of light shone zigzag.
And you?" she asked, mechanically
But when she lifted her weary
glance she found him already finger
ing ten-inch Japanese knifeA-test-
ing the beautifully polished blade.
"Meu Deus." she, screamed. Not
that" ,,e -..'
He struck her across the mouth as
she fell to her knees BE silent,
thou, There shall be no evidence at
all. No one saw me with him. None
shall see me. He. a stranser-a
chance tourist, without friehds-he
comes to Ii Chwan's to gamble.
Next morning police find him in
the bay-Who is he? Who knows?
Who cares?"
II will know" she gasped If you
drag me into this last iifamy--'
Well?" The gentleman efrom
Macao took hold of her and began
interrogatively to probe the soft hol-
lows of her neck-the spot where a
dirk goes safe home. "Ah-ha? :?
wouldst betray fne-thihkest thou?
Couldst keep such treAehefy In thy
heart-thihkest thou?" .Pfessihs with
his Hnger tips smoothly and deftly by
some Internal Skill, of a sudden he
brought her grovelIng.
As She writhed at his feet in agony,
swiftly she made a snatch at his
armed fist-drew 1t to her In despair
ing effort TO bury the blade in her
bosom.
Quite expertly and playfuily he hit
her between the eyes.
sweet honey flower. Little mari-
gold blossom! / think not, l think
not!" he purrea.-and smiled more
brilliantly than ever. -.
81 II y y
60, altogether. 1t might truly be said
y that attractions and amusements
were thoroughly we'll provided
against the visit Of Cambefweii, that
eager young explorer, when Ne came
to the fan-tan den of Ii Chwan to
continue his inquiry for local color.
Purple and SAFFRON had been Cam
berWell's first notion Of it, lie saw 1t
SO the day he crossed the equator,
that line which always seems, some-
how. IL II it ought to ruin the other
way--iiideh less Of bouhdfy be-
tween north and south than 1t Ii be-
tween west ana east. TRey cried the
news in the smoking ROBIN, ana he ran
out on deck under stormy sky more
than half expecting to f1hd an actual
mark ruled straight over the sea, as
it had been in his school geography.
And, sure enough; under stormy
sky, the sun showed for a moment
through the cleuds and paved b
glorious threshold.
After that he eeuid hardly curb his
impatienee while the steamer wan
dcred among antip6asan PORTS
trahsplantsd bits OF white mans
country where people talked In MS
owl, tongue ana almost With his own
twang. But presently they headed
back on a long westerly slant and
one morning at dawn they made their
landfaii. Cambsfweil stood forward
in the bews. ana as the fhists parted
before him he seemed to be flying In
through successive opening gates
each nsre wohderful-the first. "jas.
nav tks aseond, sabphire. the third