Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-07-31
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u BRONZE JAR 81
BY EDNUNp SHELL,
MAvSTRA1Ep ~
- xn. ~RMSAneaElELn

day after Pennington's departure
that the new boy-engaged in place
of the one who was under arrest
came in with the announcement that
a deputation was waiting in the gar
den.
The Commissioner and Mrs. Whey
were at dinner. Hewitt looked up.
who are they?"
The boy shook his head.
There are six of them, tuan, and
they have come a long distance
The Commissioner shrugged his
shoulders.
He passed a hand through his hair
and vanished through the open door
way. g,
The night was unusually dark n
a cool breeze met him as he reachsi
the open veranda. A broad rectangle
of light. coming from the house, fell
upon soft earth at the foot of the
steps and just beyond it, he saw
the forms of six men, their white
garments contrasting weirdly with
the intense blackness without A
short, uniformed figure. in a round
hat and bare feet came smartly TO
attention as he approached .
WELT what is it?" inquired
Hewitt.
Before the native non-Commis-
stoned officer could reply, a tall
Chinaman pushed to the top of the
steps and stood before h Commas
sioner.
Great tuan," he began speaking
rapidly in Malay, Il am Iln'
the agent of the great Chai-Hung-
who is dead"
Hewitt looked up sharply.
Go on" he commanded. present
ly I shall have somthing to say to
you, Lien-Yin."
"Chai-Hung is dead" pursued the
other, sunperturbed.
so I believe" put in the English
man coldly. He was gazing toward
a dimly outlined case suspended
from two poles the eXtremities OF
which rested on the shoulders of
four men. How exactly did Chai-
Hung die?"
He was poisoned, tuan. I cannot
tell you the manner OF his death, be-
cause l was not there. You will
understand hat l was the agent of
Chai-Hung, paid to do his bidding
1t is to further carry out his wishes
that l have come TO you tonight.
There is a boat leaving for Singa-
pore tomorrow, tuan, an it is de-
sired that the remains of my late
master should be conveyed in it to
the tomb of his ancestors
The Commissioner gasped.
The remains of Chai-Hung ?" he
echoed.
Yah tuan,"
where are they?"
There, tuan." He pointed a long
finger nail toward the garden, indi-
eating the case Hewitt had already
seen.
The Commissioner drummed on
the woodwork of the table with the
tips of his fingers. He found it diff
cult to reconcile the enormous figure
of the Chinese bandit when alive
with the ridiculous box that was sur
posed to contain all that was left
of him when dead!
How do you mean-there ?" he
demanded presently. What does
that case contain? ?"
1T contains a bronze jar" said
Lien-Yin calmly, land in the jar are
the ashes of Chai-Hung."
Hewitt sprang to his feet and be-
gan pacing the veranda.
What nonsense is this? - he
jerked out over his shoulder. "Since
when have you commenced burning
your dead?"
For the first time Lien-Yin smiled.
His evil peck marked face puckered
up into innumerable wrinkles and
he CROPPED in the depths of a volumi-
nous sleeve. He produced a yellow
document, wound on a rod of black
wood with tassels of red silk al
either end.
"These are the last wishes of the
great Chai-Hung." he said.
State them briefly, commanded
Hewitt.
That, because I have lived both
in the West and in the East and
have see customs that are bad and
some that are good, I would wish
my body 10 be disposed OF in a man.
ner that | believe to be good. That
in the event of my death in any
place outside China. my body shall
be burnt and the ashes placed in ar
urn made by my people and suitabl,
inscribed, and shall be transported
with as little delay as possible to the
home of my ancestors
II see broke in the Commits
sioner, taking the scroll from his
hand. You will come to me in the
morning, Lien-Yin, for my decision.