f the city authorities to come and rescue
what would probably be some thousands of dollars' worth of gems.

"Fortunately, I was armed with an effective weapon and they were not. So
I managed to hold the fort till Geoffrey returned with the authorities,
and on seeing them, the mob promptly melted away. The mandarin wanted to
present me with some of the jewels, in gratitude for my services, but I
had no wish for them and only asked permission to take with me a few of
these little scraps of paper, which had been among the medley of articles
in the idol's interior. Of course they assented, deeming me, no doubt, a
very stupid 'foreign devil' to be so easily satisfied! I have carried
them about with me for several years, and now I am going to give them to
you young folks--one to each of you, as a little token of my gratitude
for your invaluable help!"

He sat back in his chair, smiling benignly, while he watched the
bewilderment on all their faces. Ted, Phyllis, and Leslie were striving
to hide this, under a polite assumption of intense gratitude, though they
were a bit puzzled as to why he should choose _them_, of all people, who
had no very great interest in such things, as recipients of this special
gift. But his own granddaughter was under less compulsion to assume what
she did not feel.

"This is awfully good of you, Granddaddy!" she cried, "but I don't
honestly see what the big idea is! I think that story of yours was
ripping, but I don't exactly know what to do with this little bit of
paper. It seems so old and frail, too, that I'm almost afraid a breath
will blow it to pieces. I really think it will be safer in your care."

He was still smiling indulgently. "I suspected that the outspoken Eileen
would voice the general opinion of this gift! I don't mind it in the
least, and I don't blame you a bit for feeling a trifle bewildered about
the matter. But I haven't told you the whole story yet. To continue! As I
said before, I carried these bits of paper around with me for a number of
years, simply because they reminded me of my little adventure. Then, one
day early this past summer, on the steamer coming across the Pacific, I
chanced to meet a man connected with the British Museum whom I soon
discovered to be one of the principal experts on Chinese antiquities. And
it occurred to me to show him these bits of paper and ask if he could
imagine what they were. He examined them carefully and then came to me in
great deligh