Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-05-23

: sympathies are all toward a faithf,
1 widow and her young son. I am doin
everything I can in order 20 help 70
= out Of your predicament. However.
= have learned that Shan-chi Is in Dos
. session OF his fathers will, which ar
E pears 70 support him In the matter. an
some difficulty may arise IN oVerrulin
us Provisions. You understand an Of
iicialS position when It comes to ad
) lusting family estates It Is not his sym
pathy, but the legal aspects, which mus
) guide him and finally be alluded"
We are satisfied to be IN the hand
OF 50 wise and virtuous an official.
Mel Shih bowed.
Now you win go to the house o
Shan-chi and await further develop
ments." he said. For Magistrate r'engi
campaign was carefully mapped out
something Of its success depended upor
\ secrecy and surprise.
So your story teller, with what ar.
tistry he possesses, viii 90 on to con.
clude his tale by saying that with the
J customary fanfare OF signs and ban
nerS. Magistrate Teng arrived under
a beautiful blue silk umbrella, the eff
feet Of an officials pomp concealine
the purpose in his mind. Mel Shih and
Shameful knelt TO receive the presence
and the throng OF assembled relatives
l 4tnOWEO tAACI EAatllb4t. 1IE OllALlal Wa
on the point OF entering Shan-chi'S
house when suddenly he stopped
turned, bowed low several times, a cur
ious expression spreading on his count
enance, then murmured something as
though In answer to a greeting.
To the establishment Of the whole
gathering they saw T'eng nod and ges-
ture politely. exactly as though he had
met and was eScorting an honored
l..Aa
placed a chair opposite the position
of honor, and continued to address this
absence with the conventional cour-
teSies-though 1t was perfectly obvious
that there was no one seated in the
chair. The people in the room stared
at this amazing exhibition with a med
ley OF mixed feelings, some thinking
that a ghost had somehow got past the
spirit wall" others that the magis-
trate had taken leave of his senses.
T'eng continued TO sit across from the
empty chair in an attitude Of concen-
trated attention, and finally, as though
the imaginary person had paused for
answer:
Your wife has come to me to sue
for Justice. How, then, shall proceed.
sir?"
Again he bent forward, as though to
listen. He nodded his head, wrinkled his
brow, and murmured few Il sees" be-
tween times. At last he spoke again. II
know. Quite true. Your elder son has
comported himself disgracefully He
stopped, and then went on: We'll. ex-
actly what disposition do you wish
made for your younger SOM Yes
see. The cottage by the left wall in
the garden. Yes And OF course
shall carry out your instructionsl am
honored to be Of service to you. sir."
There was a longer pause, and the |
Willy Magistrate T'eng made several vio-
lent proteStations of refusal. mo. In
Iced" he said. 1T would never do for
IN honorable official to take a gift for
MS services. No. do not press me. I |
simply would not think Of accepting
'hree hundred gold taels. L" T'eng, /
superb actor that he was, sighed. Y
Am embarrassed that you press me, sir,
or must surely be guilty Of gross dis
courtesy were TO protest further.
accede, though the whole company
&c rose, made three deep obeisanceS,
md when he recovered his face wore
Where has Mr.. nj gone??" he de-
handed.
But" Someone whose voice had
lot been lost completely, stammered.
but-there has been no we've seen
10 mar. M mere, SIP
WE'LL" exclaimed the magistrate,
I must say that this Is most mys-
eriouS affair."" He turned TO Shameful.
Only this moment I met your honor
bic father at the door and he took me
4 here, and we've been conversinQ for
he last half hour. Why, you must
ave heard him"
None Of us heard him." replied
han-chi, shaking.
Most extraordinary. Perhaps II I
escr1be his appearance you win be
onvinced." I'eng. OF course, had be-
0me acquainted with Mr.. MS features
trough his portrait, of which Sham
n knew nothing. "A tall man, fine
mite hair, small bright eyes. and
caring an official hat, black boots
d robe, and belt Of gold. Surely
lat was your father, nj Shou-lien?"
Everyone was struck speechless by
us accurate description Of the aged
eject. and now thoroughly convinced
lat If not in the flesh he must GER
lnly have returned in spirit.
II was constrained" said Teng. ''by
+. nj to make q division of his prop
". he particularly mentioned that
wished his younger son to have
e house and grounds by the left wall
the garden. You must have heard
words. Is there such parcel upon
e property
There is said shan-chi, completely
filed.
Let us go, by all means, and inspect
said Ten.
and when they were upon the
ounds the magistrate looked about
n, making sure that the property was
e one described in the second win of
Shou-lien. i now declare this sec
n Of the estate to be the property Of
4 Shih and Shan-chu in accordance
tn the expressed wishes OF the Pre-
Z nj. If Shan-chi agrees with nv
cision he win so state Ia writing the
lGtstrate said slowly, sin order to
nd further litigation or Disagree
mt between the parties affected"
II this pronouncement Shan-chi was
.rloyed. While the property was one
ich he would have liked to keep IN
possession, he felt that he was
ming out Of the affair quite cheap
Now he was only too pleased to take
sh and paper and sign his name to
bequest.
Another thing" T'eng added, hand
the paper to Mel Shin. There Is
telling how true his statement was.
a IL.