The Washington times., 1935-04-18

4udhG LIS "OLh VI uU dNdA.
Little by little Stephen real
lied that no man in this town,
not even Yang, was interested
in any mechanical device the
Western world had to offer. 1t
1owas not the foreign lamps they
'a7wanted, but the oil sold in tins,
"a good medium of barter.
Dangerous Weapon
A.; The boredom of dwelling
naamong alien minds now threat
h-ened to engulf him. He had
= to fight back the temptation to
yrclose a bargain with Wen and
get away. recognizing his grow
ing WEAKNESS as a dangerous
: weapon in Yang's hands.
I'LL have a day to myself"
he said, land then settle down
again to waiting. I'll have Kin
get me a pony and I'll ride
north to the new land"
- The hours on the plain with
no eyes watching him, and the
pleasure he got from the sight
m; of the rough, strong grass
~, awaiting the pillow, broke the
ne. boredom and he settled again
w. to his task.
" That evening he strolled into
% the court beyond. A door stood
81 open and he saw faint light
OE within. Idly he drew near. At
% the other end of the k'ang
m. boy bent over a Chinese book
sand on the table at his side
rs stood a crude lamp! Through
IA tin stopper in the neck of
the bottle filled with bean oil
Mprotruded a wad of waste,
). lighted.
nc "I,. too, have been reading
and I saw your light" said
&c: Stephen, speaking softly, hop
al:ing not to brighten the boy.
o.. The child was frightened, new
u ertheless, as all the children
~ were of Stephens strange ap-
!. pearance, but the mask of his
NJ. Indifference was complete.
~. "Ai. Prior Born"
49, "Where did you get your
Adk1lp: OUCp11C11 dShSO.
e c,'s 1T is nothing" answered
" " the boy.
- Did you make it?"
10! mo, no, I bought it in the
g. great city of the coast when I
G{ came to this outer land"
q. But Stephen knew the boy had
"a made it for the glass bottle was
81 one of his own empty pickle
NJ Jars, the label still on it.
an With energetic tread Stephen
= walked back to his own quarters,
&c full again of the desire for &C.
e. =: ton. Well, he wouldn't bother
w. any more about Yang. He'd take
Gwen.
0as. That Yang had worn him
5sMown, he did not know. It was
gs::,0n some such impetuous move
aAithat the merchant had gambled
m to get the agency for Wen-a
y, member of his clan.
nc ;. In the shop of Wen the next
-. evening the apprentices of the
- establishment had found duties
M near the managers inner room;
es'Aon Stephens arrival they were
" leaning over the counters, each
q industriously clicking his abacus;
the coolies, their blue trousers
rolled to their groinS, stood in
wthe paSSageway buSily restack-
ing piles of piece goods. All had
heard of the profits, legitimate
'@and Legitimate, that could be
made from selling the Foreign
slight.
GraciouSly was Stephen ush-
cred in. There before him were
the square tables spread for a
feast. 1t was not until late in the
afternoon than an opportunity
was given Stephen to breach the
subject of his visit.
5s-s Test of Endurance
~ a. Stephen found relief in max.
ing clean-cut, busineSslike state
% .mentS, telling Wen exactly how
a.: much money must be deposited
o. as cash guarantee before he
a. would be given the precious oil,
Nj show much the Company would
A.. allow him as commission, and
DC: chow much for leakage.
aS.S Merchant Wen was secretly
pleased. Aloud he said, All, if
w. the Oil King cannot be more
G., liberal, it is impossible to do
~ business except at a loss"
y The bargaining began. 1t was
.c.Sfour days later that every item
eF:hwas settled. Only the agreement
os;Gremained to be signed. Once
4>Cmore he opened the discussion.
RAJ, The commission was too small;
A., the carriers would not. carry the
NJ. cumbersome tins for the small
si; amount allowed for freight; he
would lose heavily on the leak.