| Show H HACAR G AR 0 F T THE H E P PAWNSHOP A vv i HOP Jade 7 The ae at Third Idol I l a Customer BY FERGUS and HUME the Hagar we was a shrewd clear be headed ded girl who having been educated in the hard school of Jac Dix knew the value alue of money ana the art of diving good bargains Otherwise she was un uncultured I cultured and un uneducated although to speak truly she had a 8 considerable knowledge of pictures and nd china of gems and silverware But a schoolboy knew more than she did as regards information She was ignorant of geography as that science had been taught neither in the gypsy camp nor in inthe inthe the Lambeth p pawnshop China was as to arid and not a vast empire 0 of the east cast But when the third customer came to pawn an idol of sea green jade Hagar learned something concerning the Celestial kingdom The man was 5 a with ith a coarse CORnie face reddened by wind and salt water and two twinkling blue eyes which peered at her Ier shrewdly from under craggy baggy e eyebrows He had bad stron strong white wilke th which glistened through a be heavy vy mustache a 8 head or of fair curly hair and a h n built figure well sup supported supported ported on stalwart legs His rough mush trousers of blue serge his black pilot jacket with brass buttons and Ms gaudy loose e cravat were aU all redolent of tile the ocean cean wave Rings of gold in his large red ears ad added ed to his queer AS ASPect asand pest and he rolled rIled into the shop like tikI one oe to whom the firm earth is strange after the swinging and pitching of a ship This mariner cast uneasy glances over oer his shoulder Moulder as he entered the shop and finally swung into one ot of the sentry boxes like a vessel coming to anchor Here he took off his gold banded cap and wiped his rough brow with a red handkerchief of Chinese silk Hagar with her hands resting lightly on the counter waited for him to speak and was rather surprised le when he stilt still kept silent and still con continued to glance gance over his shoulder in inthe Inthe the direction oJ of the door Finally site she lost patience Well what hat can I do for you she shea a asked ked sharply The mariner leaned e ned across the coun counter counter ter and spoke in a hoa hoarse voice like Uke the roaring of waves waw s Nathaniel Prime JS is my name miss he said almost in a 3 whisper Nat fur short and Im third mate on bo board rd a tea ship as trades from to port and hack agin Well Mr Prime said Hagar Har U as he be paused what do you want nt Nat pulled a small parcel wrapped in a blue check handkerchief out of Ids his pocket locket and plumped it on the coun counter counter ter Ive a small article here S Sa as a S I wants to lodge with you fur tur sate safe safekeeping keeping leepin Ohn Oh said Hagar adapting this speech to her own Ideas You want too W pawn something What is it Hagar drew back What gibberish are you talking she asked frowning frown ing Its Ewan what It Its Is miss Chinese replied the n ariner promptly Us is the god of war warin warin in China miss miMe unrolled the and displayed a p particularly u ugly ly his image I got it from his bis temple temme in the street of Ute the Water Vater Dragon in Canton Jest look at atit atit it wait alt a bit He rolled roiled hack back to the door stepped out onto the pa pavement and looked to right and left rd Apparently he was satisfied satis with Uh this survey for with ith a compla ent whistle he returned to continue the conversa conversation tion tinn I 1 thought that blan blamed ed Chinaman China Chitta nan man might be Arter me said he slip slipping slipping 4 ping a plug of tobacco ipso bUo his cape cap Ious mouth hed knife me like piet pie to I get N that dd l thing there Knife you man What do you mean Why Thy said Mr Prim this Chi Chia d is his to git lt that there god so 20 as I dont want a 3 exploring my inside I think thick its it itO good O tl biz to leave it with Ith you for safe Ale AlekE safekeeping kE keeping Hagar Hasar put down the idol and stepped hack So you want to tran transfer fer the danger to me site she said aid dry dryly No thank you take that ugly thing away uN Now dont YOU make any mi mistake take L miss said Nat pushing back the idol rn in his turn Yuying Yuyin dont know as asIm Im on this lay All I wants ants is to leave eave In this here shop for H a week There here aint no danger in that Hagar picked up the god od again ain and considered It was a 8 revolting u ugly ty a figure carved caned out of green jade and had diamonds for eyes eos cr crossed legs and two large fanlike hands resting on a protuberant rat stomach Not a de Iwo save as a r urk sit but no doubt it had some tie sacred acred si significance Ct in the almond eyes f Yu Yuying ing hence his desire to obtain n nit it even at the cost of a mans life Ufe For F Fora a l moment or two to Hagar hesitated as asIf tl If taking in pawn but as a are s I 1 re seemed to be no immediate dan daner daner er and might not be an any she resolved 11 in trade H Hagar tl was as so 80 tar far Hebraic t never nevet lost the chance of mak making making ing a ba bargain ln but then according to toOme t o some Ome folk the Romany are one of th the thet e t ten fn lost Jost tribes rn Ill give you r e shillings on It 11 she sh e said aid abruptly Thirty bob it is assented Nat promptly as 88 all aJI I want is to leave this thi s pre ere idol in your Y Ur di diggings n fur safety If tas pawning I guess ess thirty quid ud be nearer my price I reckon that tha t there piece of jade is iB worth ge es pounds lounds I dont kno know the market value of o f Jade retorted Hagar impatiently AU All my business with Uh you is to lend money on the thing Its 30 shillings s or o r nothing Dont I tell teU you its a deal said sa Mr Ir Prime shifting the quid of to tobacco bacco to the other side Ride or of h his mouth Give us a scratCh of the pen to sa al alas as 35 youve got ot In char charge e eName Name and address demanded Ha Hagar Hagar gar making out the ticket Nat Prime mariner 0 Old 0 W Ice loe street Docks said the sailor allor It Itis I t is a pub puh y know the Nelson Ill stand you 00 a drink If you ou looks me to e up and proud to do It fur a A gal like yourself Heres the and nd the money Mr Prime If all your business het et ot oft sharp Sharps the word said the obedient t pu mariner slipping the 30 shillings Into int inthis o his lis pocket and if Yuying comes 1 smelling round here jest you up an anand bol and steer fur fUl me at the Nelson Im the he t bad man from the back of be beyond yond vond when hen that heathens about 1 Mr Prime nodded in a friendly way i to Hagar and TOlled rolled out of th the shop door She heard him singing a chant chanty y as he left Carbs crescent and it a as 88 only when the roar of his lusty voice fled died away that she be bethought her herse elf of the diamond eyed e ed idol Idel Kwan was a Very u ugly IY deity but curious and 1 attractive in his way So for th e furtherance nce of business and to see r f there was any truth in story about the girl placed the Chi CM nose god in the shop wIndow He smil ed as complacently there out of his si al almond simond mond eves Ces among the e du dusty ty wr i j r I f I j I t 7 A Ar AM Ar e r M r d dI f I s i V t ty r J T y t to tT o r 0 4 z I y 41 I rN rNe t a i y e L NC a Fi I I k 1 s a I Ii r 1 t tt t t M 4 tf Gt 1 i L as formerly he be had beamed on his nis wor worshipers shapers in the street of the Water Dra Dragon gon on in tar far Canton Now it if there be one vice above an another 11 1 other oCher which ruins the female sex it is that of curiosity Here was Hagar told a surprising faCt concerning the idol and at once she resolved to test if story was true By putting the jade god in the window she afforded Yuying Y a Ce of seeing it and then th n if he wanted anted to possess the apparently it ashe ex petted that he would enter the shop and offer to purchase it Not for a mo moi I i meet did she think that he would kin kill j b her r or even een attempt her life Ufe That statement she believed to be an em of Primes to adorn his queer qU er story And I dont bel believe e a word ord of it said the doubting Hagar Hasar Ho However ever the jAde idol is exposed in the shop window and we wilt will see Bee what will ill come of it it Greatly to her surprise trouble came of her folly and affil that speedily At noon the next day she be was eating h her sim mm simpie pie dinner in the back parlor with the door leading into the shop MOp open so that she he might hear the ap approach of ble Most of the th inhabitants of the crescent were ere within doo doors at the midday me meal I and the th little square I was waft quite deserted SuddenlY Hagar h heard rd the rash crash of glass and sat Rat para peTa for the mo moment nt in sheer astonish m sent nt at the unusual sound When she recovered vered her wits and the use of her limbs she ran rapidly into the shop and Beheld the warning of Nt Nat Prime yen verl fled tId to the letter The middle pane of the SM shop window was as broken and th the jade Jd idol I was gone With YUh an ejaculation tion of surprise HagAr sprang to the door and sa saw w a blue bloused figure rae lug down the narrow street which led to the thoroughfare The Chinaman the Chinaman cried Ha Hagar r giving chase chaR Thief Yuying Yuying Followed by a crowd which had eel like magic in answer anser to her cries ries Hagar sped as 8 lightly as a deer down donor the aU alley y But she was no match for forthe the nimble Chinaman When she reach reached ed the crowded street t doubtless wa uld not he be seen She appealed to the by bystanders to a stolid policeman to the cab drivers but aU all aUto to raft no purpose Certainly they had bad seen the Chinese thief tying out of the CarbY Crescent but no one bad taken particular notice of hits him Hagar raj t this ls way that way questioned considered all in va vain Yuying had vanished u as though the earth had bad swallowed him UP and with ith him t the he jade idol of Xa Nat t Prime Blaming Blam Blaming ing herself fo for her credulity and head headstrong d strong folly in putting into the window windo Hagar returned crestfallen to the paw pawnshop Hain Having placed a temporary barricade before beffe the broken pane and having sent for fOt the glazier to mend it Ha Hagar r sat down to what hat was to be done relative to the theft Assuredly Prime Prim would return at tine end of t the week to redeem the jade god and Hagar did not know what ex excuse cure cuse to make for its loss Without doubt Yuying had followed Nat to the shop on the previous day and had as ascertained the fact at of the pawning He had bad watched his hll on to steal the god od a as h ha evidently preferred this illegitimate WAY to buying it In a prop proper er r manner Probably Yuying with the astuteness of the Ch Chinese character gu guessed that Hagar could not and would not sell it hence hene his hiI raid on the shop window However Hoever the idol was gone and H Hagar r jud judged ed it wise to ad advise advise vise Nat Prime immediately of the loss It might be that he knew the where whereabouts whereabouts of Yuying and could rould tax him with the theft ther Thinking this the best beet course to ado t under the circum st ices Ha Hagar a wrote rote to Prime at the address he had bad giver giyer her Then she prepared to receive him and to make th the best of a bad business In her let Jet Jetter letter ter she made no m mention of the theft It was ag two days before Prime appear appeared ed in person to answer h her r note and he explained his negligence by stating that h he had been down at Brighton to in interview a friend Then he asked to see seethe seethe the jade Idol to assure himself that it was safe When Ha Hagar r told him of its loss and of exploit his ra rage e was as frightful H He swore volubly for forten forten ten minutes and such was as his bis com command command mand of bad lan a e that he scarcely repeated himself In delivering a string of o oaths the In hm his subsequent tion It may be u as well to omit these flowers of speech I 1 knew that blamed Chinaman had bad followed me he be said when somewhat calmer If ff y mind miss I went to t look Jook tf if the coast w or clear I ar H He mUM must haw ha sneaked round the trl orner r I guess Curs CUN all Celestials say AAY r T TI I 1 am sorry the thi idol is gone Mr fl i Prime No Now miss dont re say sav another ward How was as a young gal like you to f a Why Vh Yu Yuying sing d dt de t e have Ute the teeth out of yer afore ore ye e cud say ay knife Still I ant am to bk biame nee it ud ml have been jest the same returned Nat gloomily if Yuying got the god so easil easily hed have haye burgled the shop to get It Aye miss and ha have I cut your throat in into into to the bargain Why does Je he want this idol so C p par particularly r For the same reason as r I do Fi Fifty t is ic the rea reason n FIfty thousand pounds echoed Hagar drawing back baek The idol t worth that Not In itself miss but it kin git that cash I reckoned to have haye It myself and chuck deep sea Bed sailing but now I opines that blamed John Chinaman s scooped the pooi I Iy Why y dont you look up Yuying and tax lax him with the theft Hed ony lie miss and as an fur look looking looking ing him Up I guess hes made himself mighty scarce by this tinte But Ill Illo go o on the trail anyhow Good day t te tye ye e m mass and dont YOU nut Dut trust in then them Chinese devils Alter After which SJ speech ech Tat at rolled away with a philosophical air leaving Hagar very regretful for tor having haing contributed to t the he loss or of tb the idol by her negligence and J perverse folly AU All the same me she shedid did not believe the statement about the 0 Yet as she might have ar argued argued gued but did not Nat had told the truth concerning the desire or of Y to possess the idol so why should he not have bave spoken truly concerning the Ule money And after all Hagar knew no details likely to confirm the tall tale On consideration she dismissed Nat and Yuying and the jade from her thoughts and considered that she had purchased a ne new experience at the cost ot of 38 shillings In the meantime Nat was seated Mated in inthe inthe the taproom of the Nelson on down the docks way Wit vita l a PIPe in hi high mouth and a 8 tankard of beer before him bim For several days he had sat thus alone would appear from his ex expectant expectant some visitor Four days aft after the inns or of the Idol he was no longer by himself for fer to 1 a chair near him sat a dried UP alert man mand d jn in black blak with bri bright ht eyes and a akern kern n This his ual was as a Jr the visitor oy et Nat Prime U If Olly on y u oafs lC a 1 seek abro o Id not have pa pawned ned the idol said Nat in a glom tone Uan an the blamed thing h have l been heen lost Yes f cs I see e I see But why did you yoo pawn it saM MW tM the fret fretfully fully fuU Why Vh said id Prime dryly cause I 1 want my throat cut by Yuying As long as I carried that trat idol on me memy memy my life worth a red cent How did Yuying learn the value of oft t the he idol UHe He was 28 a priest in the war god gods temple I reckon Ive seed eed him do jOS pigeon a dozen times and when he hekim hekim kim on bOArd he OS after the idol But I slept with on one eye open added Nat triumphantly an I guess gues he be best me till I put into that blamed pop shop But I dont see how lIe he Jan gained a knowledge of the iron ion box bux in London persisted th the doctor irritably or learned about Poes tr treasure ule Prime drank some beer and le leaned forward to sneak emphasizing his re remarks remarks marks by means of his pi t m Now here Dr Dick said he slowly what was it y told me a aye ye year r ago afore I went this trip to ChinE Why said id Dr Dick thoughtfully hr I told you that my untie uncle had bad been at atthe atthe the sack of the Summer palace in Pe Pekin Pekin kin Chinese helped to loot the |
