Newspaper Page Text
The Red
Leprechaun
The Three Wishes of Jimmy
o’£ea and liis Sister.
By S. RISDALE
Copyright by PercivaJ S. Itisdale.
"Ye mind the fairy sthory I w«s af
tlior telliu' ye this day week?" asked
Harney Mellale.
"It went in wan ear and out t’other."
said liis frienil Condy McMonegal se
renely.
“ Tis an empty head ye have, then,"
said Harney.
"No thanks to ye. Harney Me Hale,"
was the rejoinder.
"Sure the sthory was thrue.” ex
postulated Harney. "Didn't Darhy
O'Dea toll the same to me. and hasn't
Jimmy O'Dea. his son, proved it l»e
catchin' a red leprechaun?"
"A what?” asked Condy.
"A red leprechaun.”
Condy shook his head and .puffed
silent contempt into the air.
“Aw. the ignorance of the man."
sighed Harney.
“Well, I’m not objectin' to the
sthory.” said Condy coolly. “’Tis me
self lias two ears.”
“And him from Ballydnliin." sighed
Harney.
"Not me.” said Condy proudly.
" 'Twas in Kallymagooly I let me first
yell. There, now."
“Well. Darhy O'Dea was from T’.ally
dahin, and ’twas from there he brought
the fairies acrost the wather in his
cobbler’s ebest.’’
"tie says lie did.” said Condy pro
vokingly.
"'Tis well ye’r hey and the reach o'
me fit. Condy McMonegal." cried Har
ney "Sure he daccnt and listen."
"I'm listenin',” said Condy: "pass me
yer ’baccy.”
“Well." said Harney, settling him
self. "ye know Jimmy, Darby O'Dea's
sun. right well. Jimmy, ye know, is
the laziest man this side of the wather.
if I do say tr. And for why? Afther.
his father died he did nothin’ hut lay
around in the shade and slimoke his
pipe and move when the sun caught
up with him. And for why. I ask ye
again? Just this—the heart of him
was set on entailin' a red leprechaun.
'Tisn't for the lilies of Ignorant men
like ye to know what that is. so i ll
just tell ye. A rod leprechaun is a
fairy, and just the meanest, grossest,
stingiest fairy ye ever seen—like your
self. Condy McMonegal. ’’
Condy took a big pipeful of his
friend's tobacco and threw it in the
i mid.
“There." said he: “ 'tis easier than
answerin' of ye. Barney Mellale."
Harney sputtered, but swallowed his
words and puffed himself hack into
an even mind.
“Well." said lie, "a red leprechaun is
so mean that they set ’em to guard all
the fairy gold, knowin' they'd never
give it away unless they was forced
to. and Jimmy lie knew just how to
force them, and what did he do but
spend all his time lookin' for one. so
that by the turn of Itis linger he could
be a rich man.”
"Whew!" said Condy.
"And by and by what di/1 Jimmy do
but ditch one. Yes. he did. He had
searched in the low grass and the high
grass, on the hill and off the hi!!, by
water and away from it. on the road
side and in the forest, for years and
years. One day. just passin' along the
hedge by tile Widow McShane's gar
den. what does he see but a bit of fiery
red in a bush. In he springs, and.
tankin' a tpiick grasp, what lias he in
• his lingers but a red leprechaun.
" *Ah, ha.’ says he. ‘and I’ve got ye
at last!"
" ‘Well, 1 know it. Jimmy O’Dea.’
said the leprechaun, squirmin' and
kickin' and liltin' and ser.utchln’.
"•No. ye don't. 'Tis I know-how to
hold ye.' says Jimmy, and he takes
him be the middle between his thumb
and forefinger. 'I ain't studied about j
fairies for nothin'.’ says he.
“ 1 'Tis a wise man ye are,’ says the
leprc-h'uni. ‘and a handsome man. with
a bon’d figure.’ says lie.
“ ‘Yes. and a strong man.' says Jim
my. givin' him a squeeze to let him
know he wasn't to be won by any
blarney.
" ’And what are ye goin’ to do with
me now ye've g>t me?* says the lep- j
reehuttn. says lie.
" ‘That.' says Jimmv. cool as ye like.
Ms for ye to say. What'll ye give me
to let ye go?' says he
"Ms it a wish ye want?" asks the
leprechaun.
" ‘That's providin'.' says Jimmy.
“ ‘Well.’ says the leprechaun, ‘catch
me brother, then. lie's there in tlie
hush.’ and he points with his finger.
" ‘No. ye don't.' says Jimmy, for well
he knew that if ye take yer eyes off a
leprechaun for even the tiniest bit of a
second "Poof!" says tlie leprechaun,
and lie's no longer where ye are bold
in' him.
•••No. ye don't' says Jimmy; ‘'tis a
trick ! know mesel',* says he.
" ‘ ‘Tis fine eyes ye have. Jimmy
O'Dea.* says the leprechaun; ‘’tis trou
ble they make among the gir-rls/ says
lie
" 'That’s neither here nor there,’ says
Jin. my.
" ‘Where?* asks the leprechaun, look
in' around, innocent-like.
“ ‘Ye old fox.' says Jimmy, ‘HI
squeeze the lift* out of ye.' says be.
“ Do.' says the leprechaun; ‘'twould
just lie like the big lump o' nothin' ye
are and lose yer wish.' si.vs he.
" ‘Oh. it's a wish then yer alter givin'
me ' says Jimmy.
" ‘Hein' as I can't help it—yes.' says
the leprechaun.
" •What is it ye wish?' says he.
" "That's for me to decide.' says
Jimmy.
" •Ye've only a minute." says the lep
reehaan.
“ Tve as long as I hold ye. ye
weasel.' says Jimmy, not to he tooled
“At that the leprechaun, seein' that
Jimmy was a smart man and In
couldn't get the b< st of him. thought
and thought and thought.
J’is pin linin' ve are to get away.'
says Jimmy, makin' up his mind to get
the most In* could before lettin' him go.
“•'Tis not. my wise mail.' says the
leprechaun, 'but 'twas flunkin' of ye
I was. Yer a fine man. Jimmy O'Dea.
and I wish ye well. And it was think
in' I was that if ye took me home to
ver sister Mag she'd lie after helpin'
ye make the wish, bein' the wise girl
that she is.'
"•Thank ye kindly.' says Jimmy, off
his guard, ‘and she is that. Tis a good
idea.'
"•Hick up the bag of gooid I left ill
the bush and come on. then,' says the
leprechaun.
"Jimmy he looked down, and whisk.
Mr. Leprechaun was nearly away, but
Jimmy, who hud only got one eye and
a half on the hush, held him with the
half of his eye and he the foot
•‘•Ah. ha. ye rascal.' he cried. *ye
nearly fooled me that time, didn't ye?'
says Jimmy. .
••‘‘Tis no use. ! set*.' says tin* lep
rechaun: yer a smarter man than I took
ye for.' says he
"‘And Mag’s smarter than me.’ says
Jimmy, ‘so come along home with me
and we'll set* what she says.' says lie.
"So they went home, and when Mag
sees what Jimmy has slit* just goes
wild, for, like all women, she had a
thousand wishes on the end of her
tongue. Hut she had a wise head hack
of it.
“ ‘Lot's sit down and talk this over.
Jimmy.’ says slit*, ‘and I'll hold tin*
coattails of the lift D * man.'
"So down they sat. and they talked
and talked and talked, and at the end
WHEN MAO SAW WHAT JIMMY HAI) SHE
JUST WENT WILTS
of an hour they hadn't decided. The
nearest they could come to it was
Mag's suggestion:
“ ‘Let's make it a mountain of gooid.'
says she.
“Jimmy, bein' a careful man. thought
three thoughts.
“‘No,' says he. ‘'twould be too hard
work keepiu' the thieves away, and
we haven't room for it in the cottage.' ;
says he.
“ ‘Well.' says she, ‘a bushel of din- i
monds as big as yer head.'
“Jimmy thought again 'No.' says he:
‘they'd be so big nobody could wear
’em.’
"And so they talked and talked and
talked for another hour and were no
nearer the wish than when they start
ed. Be this time the little divil of a
leprechaun was gettin' unaisy. for he
had to be home soon or else ids wife
would find he had been passin' the
time o' day with a beautiful fairy in
the gooseberry bush, and if she found
that out he knew what would happen,
it not bein’ the first time, d'ye mind.
"So he ups and says, says he. 'Jimmy
O'Dea. ye are a powerful line* man. and
'tis the likes of ye as should be get
tin' somethin' big. so- provided ye let
me go at once—l'll not only give ye one
wish, but three —one for Mag and two
for yeself.’
“‘Done.’ cries Jimmy, who was as
quick to see a bargain as the next one.
“‘Done.' cries tire red leprechaun,
and off he goes.
"So there was Jimmy with his two
wishes and Mag with her one.
“Now. ye'd think it was easy for them
to decide, wouldn't ye? Well, it wasn't,
for be this and be that they wanted so
' much they didn’t think they could put
lit all in askin'. And so they sat and
pondhered and pnndhered And they
sat all Friday and Friday night and
Saturday and Saturday night, growiu'
pale wi' the thinkin' and pal»»r and
paler. But they was stubborn, so they
sat on and on. They forgot to feed
. the chickens aud milk the cows, and
| by and by they forgot to go to early
; mass. For 'twas Sunday mornin'. And
| at that they comes to themselves.
“Says Jimmy. ‘Let's sthart for the
| church and make our wishes before
, we get there.’ says he.
“ ‘Let's.’ says Mag. knowin' a wise
! plan when she saw one.
THE C(V 7VrTV roi'VTV RI Twim a<v r.i*"f>i?< \
“ 'Aud let's go i>t- Uillereut ways,
says Jimmy, ‘so we'll no he botheriu
the other with question*/ >ays he.
" 'To be sure, says Mag. and of!
they went.
" 'Twas a fine mornin'. the same, hut
Jimmy took no heed of that. No; tic
was thinkin' of what he'd do with all
his wealth, for havin' the wish In*
was sure of the money. He'd court the
prettiest lass in the parish. He'd bam
tin* finest clothes and new hrogaus and
a bat for winter and summer and a
new pipe and a cigar now and then,
on Sundays, perhaps. And s«> he weui
on. funiisbin' himself and the cottage j
till it was like a palace and never big
enough to hold the thing's fie put in it.
And so lie went on uphill and down, j
past this house .and that house, till
tie came t" tie* lane which led to tie* |
church, and bedad he hadn't made his
wishes then.
“All this time Mag was walkin' with
her back to Jimmy, who was goin' to
church the other way. and she was
btiyiti' new hats and shoes and ribbons
for herself and never thinkin' to wish
the wish. And so she went uphill and
downhill and past this house and that
house till slu* came to the lane which
led to the church, .and she had not
made her wish then.
"At the entrance to the lane there is
the cottage of the widdy Doiigher. ye
mind, and (he widdy was at the door
Mag. bein' a polite girl, passed the time
of mornin'.
“ * 'Tis tine.' says the widdy. ‘l'm
after walkin' about a bit with my new
muff. Did ye ever sec* anything like
it. Mag?"
“ Wo.' says Mag. admirin' it with her
woman's eyes. ‘lt's tine. 1 wish I had
one like it.’
“I’hist No sooner had tin* words
left her lips than in her hands was a
line muff, like the widdy’s.
"Then Mag. seein' that by a slip < f
I he* tongue slu* had lost her wish for
no more than a two dollar muff, set up
such a errin' and bawlin' as ye never
heard, and all the neighborhood was
alarmed. She kept on moanin' and
sobbin'. and I wouldn't tell why. being
ashamed.
“And in the midst of all this noise
up comes Jimmy, runnin' to see Die
sight. And there he saw his sister
Mag with a two dollar muff in her
hand, eryin' and bawlin' as yet never
heard.
“ ‘What's !:a;>n<‘jH»d. me dariint?’ ask
ed Jimmy in great v.orrument. for be
loved his sisther dearly.
“ ‘Ochoiit*.’ slu* cried, ’’tis all vour
fault. Jimmy O'Dea. Many's the time
I wanted ye to buy me a muff and ye
wouldn't.*
•••Well/ says he. not knowin' where
the wind was a Mowin'.
•••! forget the wish I had and wish
ed tin* wish on this,’ says she. moanin'
and sobhln’.
" ‘Ye loos'* tongued gal.' he cried, 'had
luck to yer wishes. 1 wish tile ouid
muff was down yer throat.’
“Fhisr. No sooner had the words |
left his lips than the muff was in her;
throat and slu* was chokin' to death.
•■Then Jimmy was for killin' every
body and cursin' his luck for havin’
wasted one of his wishes so foolishly, j
and he made up his mind he’d make
rhe most of the other.
“Ail this time Mag was gaspin' and j
splutterin' and chokin’.
"And tin* neighbors, seein' she was [
dyiu'. called out. 'Save yer sisther,!
Jimmy O’Dea.'
"'How?' says he.
“‘Wish the muff out of her throat.’
says they.
“ ‘Divil a hit.' lie cried, mad enough!
at losing one wish.
“All this time Mag was gaspin' and
splutterin' and chokin'.
“‘Save yer sisther.' cried the neigh- j
hors again
•“Divil a bit.' says Jimmy again.
“‘Then we'll hang ye for a murder
er.' says they, and they laid hands on
him.
•‘ ‘Stop.’ says Jimmy. ‘l’ll save tier
then.’ for he loved his sister very dear
ly. So. black and red in the face and
nearly chokin' himself with the words
stiekin’ in his throat, he wished the
muff was in the bottom of the river.
“I‘hist! No sooner had the words
left his lips than the muff was out of
Mag's throat and in the bottom of the
river ."
Condy McMonegal shook the ashes
out of his pipe and slowly refilled it.
"Did he ever catch another lepre
chaun?" tie asked.
"Ye poor ignorant man." said Barney
Mellale contemptuously, "the chance
comes but once in a man's lifetime,
d'ye mind."
"Aro.” said Condy.
Perry’s 3ig Guns.
Commodore Ferry had not yet elec
trified a grateful nation with his im
mortal message. “\Ye have met the en
emy. and they are ours." While tile
battle was in progress tile sound of
the guns was heard at Cleveland,
about sixty miles away in a direct line
over the water. The few settlers there
were expecting the battle and listened
with intense interest Finally the
sounds ceased They waited for a re
newal. None came: the lull was pain
ful Then they knew the battle was
over: but tin* result—ail. that was the
point. One old fellow, who had been
lying flat with his ear to the ground,
soou settled that |xiint. Springing up
he clapped his hands and shouted'
"Thank God! They are whipped!
They are whipjied!"
"Flow do you know?" tlie others In
quired.
“Heard the Mg guns last!"
Periw's guns were tiie Itwriest.
His Idea.
Memlier <>f Investigating Committee
For what purpose is a coroner's jury
called to sit on a case?
Applicant For Job - T'i ascertain
what reason, if any. tl> dece.-iaM had
for dying —Chicago Tribune.
The Flaming
Quest Tor a Hidden Ruby In
the Hills o i China
By JAMES A. RELLICK
The iitt!e woman in black had kept
to herself during the long voyage from
San Francisco to Shanghai, and now
with the China coast lying straight
ahead, a long. Hat line of yellow merg
ing into the muddy, yellow waters of
the broad month of the Yangtzekiang.
.she eyed her fellow passengers v» ith a
close scrutiny.
Archer Clarkson had noticed her
from the very beginning, perhaps be
cause of her evident though self im
posed loneliness, as well as the serene
beauty of her face. To her fellow pas
senger she was Mrs. Pearce, a widow.
TO Clarkson she was an object of in
terest.
Ho was surprised on this last day of
the voyage when she approached him
where lie stood near the ship's rail and
spoke.
"Mr. Clarkson." she said, rather tim
idly. while a faint color flushed her
■dear skin, "the captain tells me that
you are a resident of Shanghai and
may lie of assistance to me. 1 am a
perfect stranger here and—l need
help!”
"It will give me the greatest pleas
ure to bo of assistance, assured Clark
sou courteously. "Fray command me:
1 mu entirely a. your service."
"You are more than kind." she said,
with a little tremor in her voice. "1
need a friend, oh, so badly! 1 have
:i most delicate and dangerous mission
to perform, and 1 need the advice and
help of a friend. May 1 call you that.
Mr. (MarksonV"
"I shall l e honored. Mrs. Pearce.” he
said sincerely.
"Thank you. Now. let me say that,
although my mission is a dangerous
one. if it is successfully accomplished
it will make me a very rich woman—
and you a rich man. although, pardon
tnc. you may be rich ‘beyond the
dreams of avarice’ already!” She
smiled charmingly.
"1 am anything but rich.” laughed
Clarkson.
Mrs. Pearce put out an eager tittle
hand.
"Then you are just the man to life Ip
me out!" she cried entlm dastically.
Again Clarkson laughed.
"I begin to see that poverty lias its
advantages." he said, clasping her
hand in his for an instant.
"Thank you." she said simply. “I
felt that I could before I approached
you. Let me state the case briefly: 1
am the widow of Henry Pearce, who
commanded tin* big steamer Catalpa.
piping between Vancouver and the far
eastern purrs. My husband had lived
in China many pears and laid good
friends among the Chinese as well as
the toreigners.
"Four years ago Captain Pearce had
a vacation and when lie reached Shang
hai turned the Catalpa over to a com
-1 it * f§§
'igC JiM
I j p
v
<c C£ j
“tite flaming heart!” ejaculated
t'IiAIiKSON.
petent commander and took a long
desired trip up the Yangtze river. It
was up there th.tt lie fell upon the
trail of the Flaming Heart.” She
paused and drew a long breath.
“The Flaming Heart?” ejaculated
Clarkson, deeply interested.
Mrs. Pearce nodded, and tears fi!l«*d
her beautiful gray eyes.
“The Flaming Heart cost my hus
band his life. For three years after
ward he suffered from the effects of a
stab wound he received when lie dis
covered its hiding place, and on his
deathbed he told me the story and
made me promise that 1 would take
measures to interest some honorable
men in the enterprise to recover the
Heart that is his by rife lit of discovery.
I knew that the men 1 could interest
must be found here on the s|x>t. some
one who knows the Chinese.”
“It sounds good to me." said Archer
Clarkson -.rtierly. "Tell me tile rest
of it. please.”
-it seems that uu a previous voyage
to the exst my husband befriended a
munuari i who’ was returning home to
die. This Chinese, who was very
i-V'v to! i my husband of a certain
jewel, a very valuable ruby, called the
'naming Heart. This ruby was s
creted in one of the niches of a rock
temple along the upper gorges of the
Yangtze river, and there was a bitter
rivalry between Lin \\ all. our man
dariu. and Fub Kieuso. who ruled
another province, for the disco\er.\
mid possession of the jiwvel.
“Lin Wall had the advantage over
Ills enemy because lie alone possessed
the directions how to find the ruby, bm
it became necessary for Lin V\ali to
go to the United States, where he had
relatives, and during his absence he
left trusted men to guard the rock
temple until he coukl return ami com
plete his search for the Flaming Heart
••gut tlie mandarin was taken ill and
died before the Catalpa readied Sluing
liai. and he gave the precious paper to
inv husband and with Ins d.iing bieath
willed him the Flaming Heart. Thai
is why Captain Pearce took a vacation
the following year and went up the
Yangtze river.
“When he reached the rock temple
he discovered by careful inquiry that
Lin Wall's guards had been killed at
their posts ar.d that the rock tempo
and its vicinity were swarming with
the men of Full Kieuso. who were
making a frantic search for the gem
They evidently suspected my husband's
interest in the matter, and one day
they stabbed him. and after searching
ids clothing and finding nothing (foi
lie had taken the precaution to commit
the directions to memory) they left
him for dead and ran away, abandon
ing for the time the search for the
ruby.
“Captain Pearce was an invalid fot
four years, and before lie died he learn
ed that the mandarin. Full Kieuso. was
also dead and therefore the way to the
safe discovery of the Flaming Heart
must be open. If you will go with mi
and discover the gem half of it will lu
yours." finished Mrs. i earce.
"That part may be settled after
ward." said Clarkson gravely.
A week later Archer Clarkson and
Mrs. Pearce were sailing up the Yang
tze river in one of the steamers that
ply the great stream as far up as Han
kow. There they hired a boat and
boatmen, and. alwavs accompanied h
Clarkson’s trusted Chinese "boy.” Van
Ping, they proceeded up the river.
At last they reached a point where
they bade their “trackers" make can:
by tile boat, and Mrs Pearson and
Clarkson went on with Van Ping, who
had been born in that province and
knew the country well.
Another day’s journey by a devious
path that sometimes skirted the rivet
or again wound around through the
pine clad hills and at last they emerged
on the top of a mighty rock that frown
ed above the river. Standing at the
edge of the precipice. Archer Clarkson
looked down at the river, boiling down
through the rocky gorge below.
Mrs. Pearce uttered a little cry of
alarm, the first symptom of weakness
she had indulged since they began the
journey.
“What a dreadful place!" she shud
dered. “Captain Pearce said the open
ing to the rock temple was just below
the summit of the rock, but how can
one reach it?”
“We must rig a sling and lower our
selves down in front of the entrance
Either Van Ping or I must go first.”
“Let Van Ping go—there might be
danger!" she cried quickly, and tears
filled her eyes.
Clarkson felt a queer throbbing in
the region of his watch pocket. A
great tenderness for the plucky little
woman filled bis heart.
Van Ping, who had not fallen in
love with any one. had been studying
the situation from a practical view
point. Now he approached his master
and. apologizing profusely for the in
trusion. begged to offer advice.
“Fire ahead!” was Clarkson's sug
gestion.
V;t!i Ping declared that as a little lad
he haul played about this groat rock,
and he remembered that there was a
legend concerning a heart that was
buried in the rock. “But.” said Van
Pin" earnestly, "the way to the hiding
place is from the top of the rock and
not by the entrance that overhangs
the gorge.”
"The top of the rock?” Clarkson was
asking when from behind them there
came a shrill cry of triumph, and the.',
turned to see a dozen rascally looking
Chinese approaching them through the
pine woods.
in an instant Clarkson realized the
great danger that faced them. It
would be an easy matter for the ban
dits to rush them and crowd them
over the edge of the precipice into the
river, where ail traces of them would
be forever lost.
He caught Xita Pearce by the hand,
and. calling to Van Ping to follow.
Clarkson pulled out his revolver and
ran to meet the Chinese. This unex
pected move so startled the latter that
they paused in confusion, thus giving
the fugitives an opportunity to get
down from the rock and out of the
danger that threatened them.
Van Ping went forward to interview
the attacking party.
Presently he returned to Ms master.
"These scoundre’s velly wicked men
want Flaming Heart—say so king
ago—way back, their mandarin he
promise Flaming Heart if they help
hut no can find, and he die. Now
they search some more and find you.
They say you die.”
“Well.” mused Clarkson, “suppose
you tell them to go ahead and search
We won’t interfere with them if they
will let us alcne."
After half an hour of parleying Van
Ping returned to say that the Chinese
would search on their own account.
;v
only thiy stipulated that the Ameri
cans should not follow them to the
rook cave. To this Clarkson agreed
after talking to Van Ping.
And presently the ragged, filthy < rew
were crowded on the rock, chattering
vociferously while they arranged a
sling, and one by one were lowered
to the opening in the face of the rock
which gave entrance to the rock tem
ple.
When there remained only one man
on the rock, lie wini worked the swing
ing seat. Clarkson and Van Ping con
ferred together, and finally, leaving
Mrs. Pearce to watch the Chinaman
from a safe position with a revolver
held menacingly in her hand, they
made a careful search around the
base of the rock for the spot which
Van Ping said he had visited once
when a lad. It was here that he had
learned of the hidden Flaming Heart.
Many years had passed since then,
but as the other searchers had been
on a false trail it remained for Van
Ping to find at last the little mound
-
J l ' \ '■tr<««gw_uw£ =as _
rf? Ha - " ‘Q.t—e v . ,—-
THE GUARD SCREAMED SHRILLY.
of moss beneath the crooked pine.
Digging tl»e mound away revealed a
little fiat stone, and the removal of the
stone showed a round hole faced with
cement that apparently Ic-d down into
the rear of the rock temple. It looked
very dark down there, and Clarkson
thrust his long arm down and clutch
ed something hard and round like a
metal box. He brought it up and was
looking down into the cavity when
part of the wall near the bottom fell
away and a yellow hand was thrust
in from the rock temple in a futile
search for the treasure.
"We must get out of this,” said
Clarkson quickly, and he related the
incident to Van Ping. In a very short
time the searchers below would dis
cover that the treasure had been found
by the Americans and there would be
murder and bl > idshed at once.
Van Ping earned the undying grati
tude of his master that afternoon.
Tin* Chinese on guard was an opium
smoker, and his senses were dulled by
the drug. Now lie sat drowsily at the
edge of the precipice, the rope hang
ing loosely in his hand. The end of
‘lie rope had been twisted around the
sturdy limb of a tree, affording a pur
chase for the manipulation of the
sling.
Van Ping readied up and cut the
rope wound around the tree. It slip
ped hissingly through the weak grasp
of the guard, and before the man re
alized what had happened the rope had
dropped from his fingers and the sling
chair dangling below fell hurtling into
the river.
The guard screamed shrilly, but his
cries were instantly stilled by Van
Ping's big bine handkerchief tied about
his mouth.
Then, hand in band. Clarkson and
Nila Pearce went back along the way
they had come, and Van Ping led the
w;iy.
At last they came up to the camp of
the trackers, and Clarkson offered
them double pay to put off in the boat
at once
Nitn Pearce sat in tbe stern of the
boat, her hand in Archer Clarkson's.
There was an unspoken understanding
between these two. who had met so
casually and who had taken this haz
ardous journey after the Flaming
Heart.
They spoke of the Chinese bandits
imprisoned in the rock temple, and
they spoke of the moment when they
might safely open the little bronze
box that was hidden in Clarkson's
packet. They talked about rewarding
Van Ping. They did not talk of them
selves.
At last came the moment when, back
in Shanghai at Mrs. Pearce’s hotel,
they o[K*ned the bronze box and looked
upon the beautiful ruby which had
cost many lives and the possession of
which meant the beginning of a new
life for Clarkson.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” whispered Nita
Pearce as she looked down at the
glowing ruby.
“Beautiful.” agreed Clarkson, but he
was looking at Xita’s face.
“The loveliest thing I ever saw.”
murmured Nita. lifting tier gray eyes
to smile at him.
“1 have seen lovelier.” said Clark
son. looking deep Into her eyes.
Now she understood, and presently
when they stood, their faces close to
gether. looking down at the Flaming
Heart they saw reflected in its glow
ing heart a beautiful future back home
in the States.