Page:Stewart Edward White--The Rose Dawn.djvu/196

184 "Not frightened, exactly: but very excited. Oh, godpapa, do you suppose I will get any dances?"

"Well, if you don't," stated the Colonel stoutly, "I'm going to have the eyesight of the young men of this town examined. Where are you going? Your aunt isn't ready yet."

"I just thought I'd go see Sing Toy," she said shyly. Why she wanted to see Sing Toy she did not exactly know. It was no mere desire to show off her grandeur before another. But Sing Toy was one of the family.

The Chinaman sat under the lamp in the middle of a spotless kitchen that looked as though it must just have been finished and furnished by a very careful person who had not yet used it. Not the smallest item was out of place. Sing Toy was in a straight backed chair. He wore loose garments of silk brocade, dark blue on the outside, with others showing edges of lilac and pink underneath. His socks were snowy white, his thick-soled shoes were stiff with embroidery. His long queque, which in daily work was coiled neatly around his head, now hung ceremonially down his back. He sat bolt upright, his hands tucked in his voluminous sleeves, staring straight ahead of him as though expecting distinguished company. This was his frequent habit, though most evenings he was with the gardeners in their quarters. Thus he sat rigid and silent the whole evening through as though receiving visitors, engaged in mysterious thoughts of his own. Perhaps he did receive visitors—who knows?

As the door opened and Daphne slipped in to the well-lighted kitchen Sing Toy turned his head and looked at her for some time without expression.

"I go to party, Sing Toy," said Daphne. "I think perhaps you like look at my new dress. Very fine silk."

"I think mebbeso you come," stated Sing Toy. "He China silk. Velly fine. Old silk. You young lady now: no litty girl. You no come want ginga snaps any more," he added, and a faint smile appeared in the depth of his eyes.

"Oh, Sing Toy! I'll put on short dresses to-morrow, if I'm to have no more of your good gingersnaps!"

Sing Toy arose and waddled deliberately to a cupboard drawer whence he produced a long shallow box of the soft yet stiff crêpe-