Evening star., 1924-06-24


around the Others was a narrow,
11ckety stair, which wound far away
into the thick gloom at the extreme
top. Why any stair should be there
at all l could not make out; there
were no doorWays in the three or
TOUR landings and no signs that there
had once been floorings between the
pavement on which 1 stood and the
hnceiInged roof so high above me.
But when, after some time. my
sight had grown accustomed to the
gloom, l made out that right away
at the head of the stair, just beneath
the head of the rough wall and the
beginning OF the tiles, there was a
door, or, at any rate, an opening
Il black, cavernous- looking place.
And | was wondering what lay
behind it, and whence it might lead,
when heard somebody come into the
Shop and, after beating on the floor,
Saa4i loudly for it's proprietor.
CHAPTER IL.
The Chinaman.
. Ih1s was the first customer l had
seen-a man who wanted some old
iron, and had a small cart outside
Whereon to carry it away. He helped
himself to what he wanted when 1
mad explained matters to him, and re-
nrark1ng that his name was Toller,
and That Mr.. Holliment knew him
Wen enough, carried out his stuff,
and went away with it. This broke
the ice-other folk began to drop in.
They all seemed to know their way
about and were all ready to mention
their names; what puzzled me about
them was whatever they meant to do
With the things they picked out and
took away.
Nobody seemed at all surprised to
find Holliment out; nobody paid any
particular attention to me as his
repre- sentative. I came to the con-
clusion that this was queer sort of
business But during the afternoon
l did some trade in coal; one man
came in and ordered truckload; an
other wanted four tons; before the
dusk came on | had written down
memoranda concerning coal delivery
which represented considerable
amount Of money. SO the time passed.
and at 4:3O in walked the friendly
potman, armed with yet another tray.
capaCiouS pot of tea this time.
piping hot, f1anked by another tin
dish, wherein was a mountain of but
tered toast Once more | was con-
WINGED that Holliment knew how to
make himself comfortable.
The potman carried away the dinner
things; he informed me, while he put
the mtogether, that he came from the
them together. that he came from the
and asked if | was going to be where
Il was when tomorrow came, because,
If 50, there was going to be roast
beef on tab, and he would see that
had a good helping. | told him that.
as far as l was aware. Mr.. Holliment
would shortly be back and my tenn
porary engagement over, but | added.
If was still in Portsmouth at noon
next day ] would take care to visit
the Admiral Hawke and dine there, if
that was possible. He answered that
It was quite possible: there was
half-CrUwn ordinary there at i
O'Clock, whereat they did people. far
better than at any of the hotels where
the nobS went.
He went off then with his jingling
tray and tins, and drank tea and ate
hot buttered toast in great content
ment. And just after that it began
TO grow first dusk and then dark. and
through the open double-door of the
shop l saw lights begin to shine out
across the street, and through vista
between the opposite houses, where
there was a glimpse of the harbor
and of the Gosport shore in the dis
lance, / caught the CLEAN of other
lights. red and green and yellow,
that came out on the spars of passing
ships. Why, | do not exactly know,
but the sight of those lights somehow
made me begin to wish that Holli-
ment would return. give me the re-
ward of my vigil, and let me go about
my business.
desk in the bit of an office, and as
soon as l had finished the tea and
toast / lighted 1.-THE darkness was
getting a bit too marked The
draught from the door on the street
caused the lamp to smoke. ! went
over to shut it. Just then lad came
along shouting the o'clock edition
of the newspaper; / bought copy
and went back to the office, and as
had no tobacco of my own | helped
myself to another of Holliment's
cigars and sat down in a rickety ell
bow chair to read and smoke.
Perhaps ten or fifteen minutes went
by in this fashion-and then, chanc-
ing to look over the top of the news
paper, and in the direction of the
dirty window-panes which gave on
the street I saw, close-pressed against
the glass, the fat nose and slant eyes
of a yellow-checked Chinaman.
This unholy and discomforting
as it had come into it-so suddenly,
, indeed, that for the instant 1 Won
dered if the whole thing was not hal
INCLINATION. But on the next was
out of that Office and at the door OF
the shop. staring at the place where
the Chinaman ought to have been. He
was not there; there was no one there
the street at that point was empty.
T d;d not see even the whisk of a gar
ment disappearing round the corner
of the narrow alley into which Holli-
rneT,t had skunk a few hours before
All I saw was the lights, feeble and
obscure. along the sQualid street, and
the passing of other lights, green and
red, across a bit of dark water.
! went back to the office and the
<rjer.dliness of its lamp, conscious
that my heart was beating at faster
rate Than it should have done. was
frightened 1t would have been odd
if I had not been frightened-star
tied, at any rate. What was tnat
parctmen faced Chink after? Why
did he peep in there. through a cor
ner of the window. instead of enter.
ine the shop? The mere sensation of
heing overlooked was unpleasant
enough. but there had been that in
the dark, slanting eyes which made
mo certain that their owner was
spyfng. why? Whom did he want!
HolIiment. of course. / wished heart
iIv that Hol1iment would come. To
no left there, in that gloomy hole o.
a Mace. with evil-faced Easterns
looking in upon me, was what mao
not haTpained for. And. careless about
nos.,ibIe customers, / presently went
hack to the street door and. after ex-
amining it's fastenings, drew big
holt into place. Holliment eoufd
knock when he came; until then,
was determined that no foot snould
cross the dirty threshold.
There was a blind above the win
dow through which the Chinaman had
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