The Chinese Parrot (Charlie Chan Detective Series) — page 162: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Je clothes, with his pale face glistening from his unaccustomed exertion, he looked not unlike some prominent mortician. "Hello," said Eden. "Who are you burying this fine morning?” Thorn stopped. Beads of perspiration gleamed on his high white forehead. "Somebody has to do it,” he complained. "That new boy's too lazy. And if you let this refuse accumulate the place begins to look like a deserted picnic grounds." He nodded toward the basket, filled with old tin cans. "Wanted, private secretary to bury rubbish back of barn," smiled Eden. "A new sidelight on your profession, Thorn. Good idea to get them out of the way, at that," he added, leaning over and taking up a can. "Especially this one, which I perceive lately held arsenic." "Arsenic?" repeated Thorn. He passed a dark coat sleeve across his brow. "Oh yes—we use a lot of that. Rats, you know." "Rats," remarked Eden, with an odd inflection, restoring the can to its place. Thorn emptied the contents of the basket into the hole, and began to fill it in. Eden, playing well his role of innocent bystander, watched him idly. 162 comiicboeoe S CO