Evening star., 1941-12-14

back to his own country, and married
a wealthy woman - no more wealthy
than Flora. but a woman of his own
race After a time, when he would not
answer her letters, Flora followed him.
She met him, tried to talk to him
alone, but he wouldn't listen.
$50, in desperation, Flora sent him
something she knew he would under
stand, something she thought would
touch him. But it didn't work out
as she had planned.
THE man was enraged. He phoned
her; told her he must see her. alone.
He brought back the token she had
sent him, and dashed it to pieces
before her eyes.
'It was too much. She threatened
him; threatened to tell his wife, to
break up his home. The man tried to
quiet her, but she wouldn't be quiet
ed. Not easily. Perhaps he didn't in
tend to kill her; just quiet her - is
that correct, DR.. Erfer9"
DR.. Exter just stared, and shook
his head
1T isn't necessary to talk, DR..
Exter," Niels said quietly. "The facts
speak for themselves. The message
was for a doctor, and doctor only.
A doctor who knew the Orient, and
old ivory. Can you think of anyone
else who meets those requirements,
DR.. Exter?"
It's a queer thing about the hard,
poker-faced people; Nlels has often
commented on it. They don't soften
up. They crack up suddenly. like -
like bit of old ivory.
That's the way it was with DIR.
Exter. They questioned him at head
quarters for nine solid hours. Ten
seconds before he broke. he was as
flinty, as poker faced as he had ever
been. And then, Niels told me, he
was Just like shattered blob of jelly.
Pitiful =. disgusting -.
80 YOU'RE hero again." said,
as soon as | could corner him. II still
don't see how, or why"
WELL" said Niels grinning. ut
seems that the ancient Chinese ladies
were much more modest than young
women of your day and age and Coun-
try. Women of good families couldn't
even reveal their persons to doctor.
So, according to my good friend Lee
Sing, these honorable ladies were pro-
vided with fgurine of carved ivory
which, incidentally. was handed down
from mother to daughter, generation
after generation. Medicine dolls, or
doctor dolls. they are called.
The lady. when i'll. told her fa-
ther, husband, or brother, about her
trouble. The man of the house went
to the doctor with the fgurine. and
pointed out on it the seat of the lady's
trouble. Very delicate, eh?"
well, I'll be - jiggered," l said.
"Of course" Niels went on. 1--WE
put the cart before the horse. | was
sure the figurine had something to
do with the murder. You'll remember
that there was mark "a fresh
mark, in pencil - over the heart of
the ivory figure. ! wondered about
that.
'She and Dr. Exter had been to-
gether for years in China. Flora was
beautiful. The doctor looked to me
like man who would hardly over
look pretty face. And the doctor
collected ivory, and had lived in
China long enough to be familiar
with its customs. ancient and modern.
when Lee Sing told me what the
fgurine was, the picture was pretty
clear. She had marked the piece of
ivory, which represented herself. and
sent it to him. 1t said. to anyone who
understood. Doctor, this is where l
am ill .. and the mark was over her
| heart.
| "He understood, all too we'll, and
he was afraid. What if the thing
| should have fallen into his wife's