“And this stick is somehow connected with a Chinese secret society?” “Exactly. It was stolen three years ago from a temple in the very heart of China. Since then members of the order, which is the largest and most powerful in the whole world, have searched for it everywhere. It somehow fell into the hands of an Englishman whom I had the good fortune to befriend. He lost every dollar he possessed at Monte Carlo and blew out his brains. Before doing the latter trick, however, he gave me the stick, telling me its real value, and I have treasured it highly ever since. It was in my pocket when the encounter took place on that corner, and somehow it fell out.” “I have no doubt that it belongs to you, sir,” said Frank, “and, therefore, I shall take pleasure in restoring it to you. But why did those two Chinamen make such efforts to obtain it?” “They must be members of the society.” “That is something I do not fully understand at the present time, but the high priests of the society are sorcerers and magicians of the highest degree, and with that stick they somehow work out their most difficult feats of magic. Without it they are powerless to do the mightiest things.” “I am beginning to understand how a superstitious Chinese society might come to set a great value on the thing, but I fail to see why it should be of any remarkable value to an American or an Englishman.” The stranger smiled a mysterious smile. “Some Englishmen and some Americans are superstitious,” he said. “The man who owned this stick formerly was a gambler. When it came into his possession he was down on his luck. While he possessed it he made a fortune. Money rolled in on him. Everything seemed to come his way.” “But fortune turned against him at last and he lost all.” “Yes.” “Did not that cure him of his superstition?” “Hardly. He carried it to death. He claimed that he lost because at the proper time he failed to do the proper thing in connection with the stick.” “But why did he kill himself? With such a marvelous talisman in his possession, he should have believed himself able to regain all he had lost.” “Not all. Money he might have regained, and he knew it, but not his wife. When he lost his wealth he lost her, also. She was young and beautiful, but heartless. She loved a man for what he could give her. When my friend lost his last dollar over the table, he had her near him. He looked into her eyes, and saw anger and disgust there. He knew she hated and despised him for losing his money. He also knew she had been greatly admired by the Prince of Monaco.