New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-10
consideration. against suicide. and suicide kin-fo
has determined to commit. Mr.. Bddulph thus ex-
Mains the philosophy of the matter

adJng that We reserve 10 ourselves discretionary
right of watching all their movements. besi .i;
what shadow of probability could there ne that
the wealthy Kin-Fo could ever contemplate sell
destruction "
The arrangement having been made, and pohcy
obtained securing $4,000 10 the philosopher
Wang and S15o.000 60 the widow La-oo' hh-fo
prepares TO kill himself lie has already, according
to the Chinese custom, beautiful CONN. lie
draws up an elaborate programme for his funeral
ohseouies. But lie is troubled about the means
which nc shall employ to rid himself Of life.
should lie rip open his stomach, like japanese
Should he strangle himself with a silk girole'
like a mandarin Should he open vein as he
reclined in q perfumed bath like the Roman
epieure Of od1 All these devices he rejects as
brutal. He determines upon poison. BHe aV the
last moment he exclams "Confound 1t am ho'
going to die in this way. without sense OF emo
tion. Emotion | want aud mean to have 1t. TO
die in this way! Out of the question: He hurres
of to his philosophical friend Wang, and be2s de
by bis hands explaining that he has lett MN
$40 600 He wishes 10 he killed unexpectedly
81, tng or standing, waking or sleeping, by daS OF
by night. by open violence or by secret art, by
steel or 10y poison. Wang kindly consents 10 uh-
dertakc the business.
Meanwhile Kin Fo Is watched by Craig and Fry.
TWO Yankee agents of the Ccntcnarian Thus the
situation is complete. Wang is bound TO kill KIN
Fo and the life company IS determined that ne
shall neither he killed nor commit suicide. lie
has his costly coffin busted clean and reyarnished
Poor Wang, tornented by his rash PROMISE
abscOnds. Just then comes news That the san
Francisco bank has not failed, and that kln-fo IS
as rich as ever Now he wants to live. just rs
before he wished to die. but feels that Wang VIII
hold himself boUnd to fulfil his contract. bN-
PLANTATION might be made, il only Wang could be
In. In q IN
surance company now dcpuJcs Craig and Fry to
protect the insured from assassination. kin-fo
adyertises that the contract is void, III the hope
that Wang may see the advert scment. The COM
panv offers a reward Of 2.OCO taels for Wang The
situation is getting complicated krn-Fo, hndihg
himself a noted character, determines to quit
shanghai and Craig and Fry arc sent with him to
watch over the precious life. The philosopher is
sought in Nankin. bat Is not there. They go from
Nankin to IIan-Kow but neither there nor i'll Nucn-
Lo-Foo can they lind Wang. They hurry from
town to town. They pnsh on toward the Morrill,
and all these pcregTinatio1s give NJ. Verne an eX-
ceont opportunity for displaying his top0g aphical
and antiouarian knowledge. Kn-Fo was TO have
been killed. we should have sad. within two
months, and the period has nearly expired. In
one city they see Wang. but he runs away, and
being holly pursued jumps into the water from Il
bridge. After that the chase is abandoned.
Kin-Fo at Picking finds his widow, La-oo. Not
vitbstandlng hls fear of being allied by Wang, he
determines to be married Here is an account OF
the outfit of Chinese bride
Meantime the preparations for the Wedding.
which Kin-FO wished to be very handsome, WeIC
advancing rapidly. Already the thirty pairs OF
embroidered slippers That are necessary lor u
Chinese lady's rousseau had arrived at La-0oS
house. and her boudolr was rramined WIN colllec-
tloncrv dried fruits, burnt almonds, barley sugar,
syrup of aocs, oranges ginger, and shaddoCNS, an
IN confusion with rich silks. Jewels OF wrought VoH
and urecious stones rings, bracelets, for the
nails bodkins for the hair. and all the charming
knck-knackS that PekIhg jewellers 50 cuhhihSP
devise.
Alas the troubles of Kin-FO are not over. The
Empress-dOwager dies. and marriages are inter
dicted. letter arrives from Wang, saying that
he is at the point of death, but that hc has conded
the execution of Kin-Fo to Lao-Shcn. This makes
the position more critical than ever. The search
must now he for Laos bcn; the unhappy man en-
barks upon the Gulf of Pc-Chi-Len the emlSsaries
of Lao Shcn are discovered concealed IN collins
Kin-Fo with his Yankee guardians quit the JUNK
and sail about in rather an Improbable manner Ill
gutta percha suits d Ia Boyton They are al
tackled by tiger shark, and other horrors happen
IA Jules Verne But they land safely and seek
Iao-Shen. The agents OF the Centenarian, as the
policy has expired, take themselves OF. Lao-Shen,
being found refuses to give UP the contract and
offended Buddha by despsing the life which
Buddha gave him." Kin-Fo is thrust into cage
The cage is placed on a steamer After Ii is landed.
poor Kn-Fo begs That his eyes may be unban'aged.
And here is the denouement:
Grant the criminal the boon he asks said
solemn voice severely in his ears; let the bandage
be united"
The bandage was removed.
Kin-Fo quivered with amazement. Was he
dreaming' What was the meaning OF III thisf
Before him table sulnptuously spread.
Five guests were smiling as If they were expecting
his arrival. Two seats were still unOccupled
Friends fricndsw he cried in the bewilderment
of his excitement; " tell me. am mad p
A few moments restored him To composure, ana ne
looked around; there was no mistake; before ms
eyes were Wang and the four friends OF his carry
Youth Yn-Pang, HOoal PaO-Shen ana Inn, with
whom lust two months previously he had feasted Ill
the cabin of the yacht on the Pearl River at Can
tom Here he was IN the dnng-room oil his own
Speak, Wang, and tell me-" he erred, "what
means all thisf Is yon or your ghost !, .,..,..
1T is Wang himself" replied the philosopher
Kn-fo looked puzzled. Wang then went on
"You have come home again after rough lesson
You owe that lesson to me, it has been my dong
that YOU nave had 50 much to bear. But it has
been tor your good, and you must forgive me-.
More pcrpleXed than ever, kln-FO looked at hiln
but said nothing. ,
undertook at your solicitation. the task of putting
YOU TO death. just in order that the commission
should not be given to OTHER hands. knew, sooner
than ever you did, that the report about yonr ruin
and the loss of your property was all false; ana |
knew i'm consequence that though you then wanted
10 die YOU would very soon want TO 1--we. nave
made my former cOmrade Lao-Shen, my confdant.
Lao Shen is now one of the most faithful OF the
friends of the Government; he has long since sub
mittcd to established rule but III this affair he las
cOoperated with me and your own experience OF
the last few days tells you how he has brought
Won face TO face with death, and thus has taught
;ou the lesson determined You should learn of the
value of life. My heart bed for YOU at the trouble
and suffering you had TO endure it "a hard and
bitter thing to me 10 abandon you to what YOU
would have TO undergo but knew there was no
other. no easier way in which you could be made
successful in the pursuit of happiness"
All ends happily. Kin-Fo maIries his charming
widow, La-oo. And we are informed that prosperity
awaited them through their future life