In A Shanghai Garden On A Summer's Evening azine, 20 ster declines to interfere strenuously fa, successful, dinner. Setting. A pleasant teachments of nature. ly with 'A tarantula skims along the surface of a small Luke. clarified by, darkness and spanned by a miniaidge. Three frogs sit ina confiding trying to decide whether to croak a bedtime story or to com-june with the new moon in silence.
foxctervior awaits a rendezvous with the lady next door who. has Tong since been put to bed. A breeze stirs occasionally, but "not enough to discourage a' plague of mosquitoes which the watersilies harbour in the pond.
The Host of the Evening with a flashlight in one hand and a lighted far in the other appears. in the garden. He prowls quietly for a While. "His flashlight makes rest-Tess patterns on shrubs, branches and pond. Finally it rests upon the trunk of a tree beside the water. A spider has woven a huge network: near at hand for the enticement of some sleepy fy, and sits. staring Saturninely into the darkness, The Host of the Evening takes a pul? of his. cigar, shows marked excite-Tent and returns to his guests on the verandah, H.O.E. "Come along you people find take a natural history lesson. 'This is better than going to the Majestic'
The fox terrier responds. with alacrity and hope deferred, and not to be outdone, the others gradually collect themselves, light cigarettes, and. prepa tertained.
The Retired Naval Officer stope forward happily and collides with the spider's network. He apolosizes and beats a hasty retreat, The ady with a hidden hankering wards scientific pursuit stands uletly with eyes glued on the rank, Her fold kid ink per and deeper into the soft and a. momentary rogrgt was her mind that she wore) them. The Man of Affairs remem-hrs audibly the frst rabbit he skinned at the investigating age of thirteen, Tuo other Indy is beginning to feel the vanguard of mo quite battalions. The Leading cumalist looks imperturbable and amused, He has apparently assist-births of cicadas, bea5 a grub in the garian. The flash-ight keeps up a steady stream of light. As it shows no signs of remitting, the cicada decides to ignore it altogether.
HOE, "In about another half hour the cicada population of Shanghai will be added to. He will make one supreme effort, pull his tail out of the shell, bend backwards and arch hold of the tree. Thereafter he will be ready to grow his wings and make a noise."
Retired Naval Officer:—(to Leading Journalist) "What is the latest hour a birth announcement can get into the mooning paper?"
LI. "Ten o'clock to all but the most. personal friends. The makeup of a daily journal from 10 pam. on is far more important than the inevitable statistics of population."
HO. Boy, bring the Pit for The Flit? appears, i. pumped assidiously around the gathering which suddenly grows alert. The cicada makes an unsuccessful effort to cut his last remaining family tie, He then remains immobile, his beady eyes showing unconcern. Then he wiggles his legs in a sudden attack of good nature.
The flashlight darts to the branches above, Another cicada appears to be in the same travail. Returning to the lower trunk just in time, the flashlight reveals another superhuman effort on the part of the first. He bends his rigid back a clutching position and is rewarded by feeling terra firma. His wings begin to expand to everybody's respect and delight. From being cupid-like appendages on each side, they gradually assume a size one third again as long as They ares filmy. gauze-like transparent and seem to indicate that the evening's entertainment is about over. He cannot be expected to make a noise just yet.
H.O.E, "How about a little drink to commemorate the christening.
Chorus: "Excellent ides Lady with Scientific has only taken deota on the tree-trunk Was the lassitude of several years
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.