Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-05-29
TI u
THE
Mandarin'S Daughter.
By WONG CHIN Foo.
CHAPTER IV.-CONTINUED.

fiE ~ --SONIlNIk I'D.
She won the hearts of those in the
little house that sheltered her as easily
as the birds charm with their music or
nature with its beauty. The old phil
osOpher would sit as the evening shad-
ows gathered into night talking with
her and his children, and Sho Mai held
these hours tc be the most valuable
which ShG had ever passed. If any re-
greet for her extraordinary flight had
come to her it would have melted in her
delight as she listened to the words
which taught her how the eye of wisdom
can pierce the mysteries of the world.
Ii Xii, too, sat at his fathers feet with
deep attention. Sho Mai could see his
handsome face light up, even as his mind
also was illumined, and she watched
him with q certain pride and pleasure
with a feeling new to her which she
could not comprehend-whil on the
edge of the group was little Ii kean,
whose eyes never wandered from the
face of the stranger who had come SO
suddenly and SO wonderfully into her
life.
All! Ii Kean, to what sorry mock
cry must your young heart wake from
us uESU SNttJ tlGtdlIS, IL IL SHALL Want
at all in this strange world. Happier is
Sho Mai, who feels the same delicious
thrill along her pulses and hears the
same voice calling to her out of the en-
chanted futureI
So the days passed happily, and the
two students bent to their tasks with
energy, while Ii Kean ordered the af-
fairs of the household with prudence
beyond her years. Though Sho Mai and
Ii Xii were both intent upon the same
prize, there was no jealousy in their
striving. Each assisted the other, Sho
Mai experimenting the fervor and
strength of the young mans mind with
the subtlety and grace of her own. Ii
Xiii, who had been held the foremost
scholar of the college, now shared the
honor, and felt that he had won friend
who was worth the sacrifice.
He was young man of SO open and so
pure mind that this daily association
with him brought none of that embar-
rassment which Sho Mai had dimly
feared.
In fact, she was far less at her ease
with Ii Kean, whose heart she had
failed to fathom. This poor girl was of
a most romantic nature, and she soon
passed the point where her sentiments
were uncertain to herself. She knew
that she was deeply in love with this
gentle and beautiful young stranger,
and she did not fail to suffer in perceiv-
ing that the answering sentiment was
only friendship. 1t is strange how much
of pathoS can inhere in a situation SO
ridiculous. Little Ii Kean grew thin
l. ha,
kindness more easily than this calm
friendship, which was so palpably itself
and not love.
Sho Mai was not unconscious of the
efforts which Ii kean made to win her
regard; she was ignorant only of the
feeling which inspired them. The
flowers, which nsver failed to deck her
chamber, pleased her, and she said SO
with frankness which was much worse
than if she had not noticed them at all.
So Lii Kean was frequently in tears,
and she dropped until the eye of her
father began to take note of her condi-
ton. He was not so blind to the cause
of it as was that cause herself, and so it
came about that an invitation arrived
from relation who lived in a city at
some distance, and Ii Euen Wy was firm
in urging his daughter to accept 1T.
This cost Ii kean more tears. She in
sisted that the little household would
be wholly disarranged by her going
which was unfortunately quite true
and she plead thousand such excuses
as come readily enough at such time.
Sho Mai and Ii Xii took her side of the
question as openly as a proper regard for
the wishes of an elder would permit, and
altogether the old savant found himself
confronted by difficulty which threat
ened to overtaX his philosophy.
In despair he determined to take
young ''Tien" las Sho Mai was then
called by them alp into his confidence.
He did so, and there ensued a converse
ton which, all things considered, was
as remarkable as well could be. For
the first time Sho Mai discovered that 1T
Is not so easy to be man. In her sor-
row and pcrplexity she was tempted to
confess her secret, and nothing but the
inflexible detern$ nation which she had
made to let nothing whatever move her
to such disclosure, prevented her from
doing so. 1t was 4 situation in which,
naturally enough, she found her wits at
fault, and she could suggest nothing
more than that her departure for Picking
to attend the competition would solve
With nd with ShO