Page 126 - Adventure Magazine, 1921, July 18th

Sorcery and Everhard 121

made her furious. She jumped off the divan "Me nobly 'em," he said.
as if she were about to claw me. "It isn't for sale. Look."
"I don't want her money. I don't want I put out the other hand. In it were
yours. You're an idiot-an idiot-a -- three little deep-red rubies.
idiot!" He shook his head. He did not under-
And in spite of her very evident efforts to stand what was up, but with ready caution
keep them back tears ran out of her eyes, he was denying all complicity.
and she threw herself face down among "Sin Chang wants to see me. Take the
the pillows. diamond. Tell him of the rubies. They
I did not know what to say or what to do, too are his. I come unexpected, but on
so I said nothing and sat still, and medi- business that can not wait. See, these also
tated on the character feminine. In a few are his-a gift."
seconds I had further material for reflection. I had brought my hand from a pocket and
She sprang up, her eyes tearless and bright, fairly dazzled the little, watchful, pig-like
but her cheeks were stained. She was eyes.
angry. She said she hated me, and that she He "no savee-ed" and squealed, and jab-
was going to make me hate her, loathe her. bered, and mixed up so much Chinese that I
"I'm a hag!" she screamed. "I'm a ter- knew very well he, by squealing, had called
rible old hag! I'll show you!" some listener, and by babbling Chinese was
She jerked at her large earrings and flung instructing him; though I saw nothing and
them madly against the wall. Then she pretended to notice nothing. He denied
tore off the high, black collar about her neck, knowing anything about Sin Chang. De-
and her clawing hands went to her great clared he had never heard the name.
mass of yellow hair. Just as a little minor bluff I remarked that
But I turned my face. I got up. I went it was very well; that when I reached Sin
out of the door and shut it. I did not want Chang I would say that Sam Wong did not
to see how unattractive she could make her- know of him, and left me out in a muddy,
self, though for some perverse reasons that wet street with gifts from the Golden
was what she was bent on disclosing. Dragon for Sin Chang-and I started out.
I don't understand women. She had Sam Wong would not let me go. He asked
spent a thousand and more dollars on that questions, and a sudden understanding
yellow wig to make her startlingly beautiful seemed to come over him. Oh, yes, he
and was tearing it off to show-to show would find out.
what? I don't know. She screamed at me What the "Golden Dragon" was, or
until the door closed; then, listening, I could might be, I did not know. One hifalutin
hear her sobbing. name is about as good as another. Sam
Very quietly I went down the hall and Wong could not be expected to know the
left the place. orders, friendships and such of the great
Sin Chang.
I WENT into the tea-shop of Sam He asked for the diamond, saying that I
Wong. A little, dried Chinaman should wait. And he went out.
in blue blouse and black trousers , I waited a long time. So long in fact
with large glasses and a snake-like queue- that I began to wonder whether or not I
young China had not yet begun clipping would see my diamond or Sam Wong again.
pigtails-sat) behind a counter and eyed But I fancy the delay was because I had that
me with the scrutinizing humbleness of a nest of Chinamen puzzled, and that more
tradesman . than one slipped stealthily along the pas-
"D linkee tea?" sagewayto takea look through some hidden
He motfoned invitingly toward the back peep-hole at me. I was thinking of what
room, from which a low voice or two came one of my cynical crook friends once said-
buzzing. "There are times when you can fool th
"No. Look here. See this?" devil-but not if his Chinese assistant is sit-
I thrust out my fist and opened it, palm ting alongside of him."
up. An unset diamond lay in it, a brilliant I wondered if I would succeed in fooling
and beautiful stone. even the assistant himself. Madame Gui-
He staredat it, then at me, then again at gane had given me the idea when she
tlfe diamond; and shook his head: of gifts and flattery.