Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-11-12
Dbeelins Register
LITTLE Tors DEATH.
An Alaska Street ohinaman's Strange Love
for n Prattling Babe.
RkfgSsfubf Il Me- l

AL @NNN-EN 6tNGCA AuAllsl1an = AlrHnKG Love
for n Prattling Babe.
PsaaRsip4is S-rs.
Tot is dead. There was Grape on the
door yesterday above the step where the
wee pratter used to play, aud yonder on
the corner, where Wsh Kee lives, q simple
rosette, with streamers of black, is tackled
on the creaking sign.
In Alaska street, on the corner of q mar.
row alley below Sixth, there is a dingy
laundry with the name Of "Wah Kee"
painted in flaming lesteas on a crazy sign
above the door, This is where Wah Kee
lives, and works, and spends his lonely
life.
Wah kee's homeis old and grim, and the
rain PLAYS hide and seek under the battered
roof, but the house across the alley is Just
as old, and the roof is Just as crazy, and the
folks that live there are Just as poor and
lonely as poor Wah.
That's where Tot lived. Everybody
knew Tot. Tots clothes were old, and
Tots face was wan, but somehow the soul
of the little n crept into the heart of the
lonely Chinaman, and Wah KEGS eyes
beamed as they had never beamed before.
So be would stand By the door and look
across the alley at Tot and snile-and Tot
would patter across the little ocean of dirt
and water, and clapiny her chubby hands
around Wah kee's legs, look up into his
face and COO.
Tots folks chided the little one-Eor they
hated the sight of the haytheu,' as they
called Tots friend.
Bus Tot stamped her feet and called Wah
her Gilman, and battered across the
ally the same as before.
One day Tot stayed away aud Wah Kee
looked in vain for baby. Another day
passed and then Wah kees face grew sad
aud his heart heavy, and hefhamblei across
the narrow alley and begged Tots folks to
tell hip where Tot was.
They ,oldhim she was sick, that it would
be many days before Tot would be about,
that weeks would 20 by before the li:tle
II might sit on the s,Oop in the sunshine
again.
So Wah went back to his diugy shop and
rolled up his sleeves and went to work again,
bat his head was heavy and his heart was
across the alley in the little house where
Tot lay i'll.
After a while Tot seemed to get better,
and one day Wuh kee looked over the way
10 the little house and his heart gave a great
leap. for there, pressed against the window,
was the face Of wee Tot-white and wan,
but smiling. And Wah Kee dropped his
iron and ran across the pavement, and stood
by the window.
Tots voice was weak. and Tot might not
have the window sp, for it vas cold and
damp. but Wah Kee stood outside and talked
in p~antomime, and Tot, punching her fists
against the murky pain, laughed with glee.
50 every day Tot was propped up in the
window. ard Wah kee stood in the shop
and looked &C the little face and sighed.
Sometimes when Wah kee's countrymen
came 20 see him they laughed, aud Hop
Long and Lee Yeo and Wong Sing Lung
chided him for The strange love he bore the
baby. but Wah Hee only shook his head and
answered:
"Wah Eee has Mo one else. Tcti is Wah
Nee bsaby.
But Tot died, and yesterday thay buried
Der. There were only two carriages-there
was n for Tot and the father aud mother
ofthe dead babv-and Wal had a carriage,
and all alone, in the silence of the tight
closed cab, he rode and grieyed for the
SUNNI face and he prattling nonsense Of
the child he had worshipped with all the de-
,.-,y-, ~ r,z yornp Eaith
They buried her at Fernwood in a little
grave in q Ettle plot almost as small, and
Wah Kee stood py the grave and cried:
"PloO- Tot-ploor Tot,
Aud then into the face Of the Chinamau
came a look of Infinite love, and, leading
over the shallow grave. he clasped his hands
and sojbed
"Wah Kee has Mo blaby ulow-nlo b!aby
nlOwr'
And The great tears streamed down his
face. and dropping upon the grave, kissed
the place where Tot-or all that was left OF
her-Slept in silence.