The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

576 them, a great double one, and Mar- jorie spent a pleasant afternoon with the two men runaing about the su- burbs of Shanghai, which are very beautiful after the English fashion, with their clean kept lawns and neat cottages set well back among the clumps of hardy northern bamboo and hard wood trees that need the cold air of northern China to bring them to full maturity. “ What next?” The rickshaw drew up before the entrance to the hotel. “Tea, of course, and after that we will ask if any word has come for us from ‘Dr. E mien.” So they sat at ease in the cozy little tea-room where all the world of Shanghai gathers for its tea and toast and marmalade, and after Oakes had smoked a cigarette he went to the office only to discover that no word had come for them. A little disap- pointed, Marjorie stepped out spon the broad veranda, almost colliding with a running coolie, straw-hatted, breech- clouted, who was hastening up the steps. A hasty glance at the running man showed her that it was the very boy, Wah :Lin, who that very afternoon had carried the packages from the office of the curator 1n the museum. His trim clothing had been dis- carded in favor of the G string and the straw hat so much affected by the rickshaw coolies and his face had lost the healthy brown color that had been so noticeable earlier in the afternoon. “Can see missee? missee “long two Melican man come Wonder house quai quai (quickly) must clome. Doctol him velly had. No can see Wah Lin—” and to Marjorie’s astonishment the boy burst mto tears. She called Oakes and listened in- tently as the boy—for he was no more than a boy—poured. out his story. , “ Doctol say: ‘ You Wah Lin tlake plackage mebbee bling him _plost. Mebbee so my fliends catch him. Him say me catch all plackages on top-side ‘table. Wantchee’ THE ARGOSY. All time doctol wantchee send plackage, Wah Lin cally him. This time doctol say Wah Lin catch all plackage—not leave one—Wah Lin see Melican man put plackage top-side table—doctol wave his hand—Wah Lin tlake all plackage—take post quai—quai— “Then Wah Lin think mebbee so not good take other piece blox—me go tell doctol mebbee, so Wah Lin not tlake light plackage—no can see doctol —him there but Wah Lin no can see. “Wah Lin think more better you come take look see’”’—and in his in- sistence he fairly pushed Marjorie and the two men into the waiting rick- shaws, and trotted along beside -them as the sweating coolies hastened along under his low-voiced imprecations, till finally they dropped the handles with a clang on the curb outside the doors of the museum, thereby nearly pre- Cipitating the inmates upon their respective noses. Oakes hastily seized Marjorie round the waist, saving her from a fall. “ Confound that fool of a coolie,” he growled. “ He might have injured you seriously.” The prospect of an injury to the pretty Marjorie was a not entirely un- important matter to the young en- gineer. ’ The great bronze door. was fast closed and there was no reply to his banging. When he realized that no one would answer his repeated knock- ing, he twisted the knob and, followed by Hemingway and Marjorie, entered the building, heading straight for the private office. He was surprised. to note that the attendants had all left the building, for there was no sound in all the long halls and the ticking of the great clock was the only sound that broke the still- ness of the hot afternoon, and when he coughed slightly it sounded. so loud that he fairly jumped. “H-m! Nobody at home,” he ex- claimed jocularly. ‘‘ Come on Miss— Marjorie—” COMicdoo S CO@