The Last Ditch

when he had felt himself to be a far more reckonable person even than on the day of the field-meet at Palo Alto which brought him a trophy or two. It was on a night about mid-way in the Mo

had hated herself in it. Had he pressed that advantage, it would merely have meant to unseal a crater for hell to break forth not only for himself but for her. Before knowing her, he might have considered the savage splendour of that passion as ha

cated somehow. A turn of a card and he might have become a saint instead of a drunkard. Mother China had intoxicated him first; then the woman. It was all a matter of temperament. Having lost the levitation of cleanness and strength, he had permitted the mother-force of gravitation to take her certain course. From Longstruth's at Hankow he had swirled into the great drift of the water-fronts-deserters, remittance-men, hangovers from every form of human failure. He had spent everything he had within reach-a large amount of money. He had learned the value of money when his pockets flattened t

certain whipping magic about it. It

n memory, but there was a queer u

ill yourself for. If that next daybreak had found me in your arms-you would have hated me, and I would have had for myself something infinitely worse than hatred. You

ng for him below. Romney had found a fineness of comprehension in the Chinese that he had not revelled in from any man for months. It was almost like a woman's. It liberated the better parts of him, but he was ill and fagged to the core. He looked forward to a long, clean night. Firs

. There are books; there are servants who understand English. Forgive me, I always forget that you speak our language; in short, a

here," Ro

. He wished that Ti Kung had spared him this hospitality.... It was very complete, even to importations from America, even to certain brands that he had not seen for years. There was crystal, si

. Ti Kung in the examination cell

pon this most perfect cabinet. Romney, here's a ripe chance to use your head. Y

his last dime, drank it with discretion and without water. Then he stared awhile at t

nd wide-eyed in the dark. Presently the moon came in and gleamed upon the open door and upon the glasses and bottles on the table, bringing out inner fires from the multi-colored glass.

day had deluged, for he heard women's voices and the voices of children. One does not hear these in the day-time. He relit the lamp at last, smoked and read, and when the activities of the nigh

weet. There was a touch of rose in the light, and the scent of rose came to him in the morning dusk, and rushed his thoughts far up the Yellow River.... Old days in the open

came in as he bathed, and with the scent came back to him the sense of equilibrium that he had not known for many days, a suggestion of self-sanction, perfec

erly passage of words. Suddenly a cry arose, and the three servants were seen to leap upon a man in European dress who seemed intent upon entering. Rom

e smoked and picked his way among the stones, sniffing the blooms while the day rose. The voices of his own countrymen outside the wall hardly broke his reverie at first. Presently a peculiar sound held his attention. It was a scraping, as if some wooden object were being raised against the masonry. He halted as a hand came over the top of the glass. A

orgot the incident, and was leaning back against the wall a couple of minutes afterward, when his eyes were called to the corner of the wall at his right. Poised motionless a

or me?" Ro

m of the John Dividend. There was silence a

added McLea

did n

reached him a

ty and concentration of that sing

and called for assistance. Other servants came quickly. There was consider

clothes were gone. As he stood in his morning-gown reflecting upon the recent affair, his boy came in, bringing a plain black suit of fine quality, suggesting that he try if it would do, and adding apologetically that breakf

at. Drawing forth his hand, he found that it contained currency of the empire to an amount that

servant who sto

comes back again," h

way down," g

t's

open grave, supplementing the picture which Rom

Then there was a crisp, brown, small

ely Chinese-rice, tea, several varieties of sea-food and small high-c

l for you here. A little matter takes me to the Provinc

tered. Their deepest respect, even reverence, for Ti Kung interested Romney, as well as t

ong halls of the provincial building were dotted with groups of nobles and elders not in the lea

argely attended and in full regalia. A native throng was collecting rapidly and cluttered the street at the entrance of the building. The effects produced on the crowd by

ened about the carriage, and pressed against the wheels. Dr. Ti Kung leaned forward to speak to the driver, who began to lash furiously at the heads and shoulders of the throng.

ll have to fire

ses. They passed out of the public square without further molestati

usual thi

hey're just

to get any les

ffered much. They

he remarked. "There's a charm about this thing. I never

over and touched Rom