The Press., 1890-01-23

|
 One day as she was coming home John l Chinaman met her in the hall. After much mysterious fumbling he produced a large packet from some hidden cave in his blouse. He thrust it into Lischen's hands and vanished. Chinamen have the art of vanishing-Ch Fong did. Lischen car ried the packet to her room and opened it. It contained large papier mache dragon and this was filled with salty Chinese bon bons of wonderful taste. When the old violinist came home that afternoon from the Bowery theatre of varieties she showed him the dragon and laughingly told him how she had been presented with it.
 "H'm, ut,-jai'' said her father, and wrapped it up and took it down to the Chinaman.
 | My daughter cannot take this," he ex- plained, ''she is much obliged to you. Do you understand?'
 "Go Tong way" returned John, placid ly, ''nlot mine-go long way l"
 Herr von Haeckel tried again with no better success than before. At last he was fain to go back, dragon and all, as he came. After that mysterious parcels would come sailing through the transom long, silk scarfs and gay colored handkerchiefs twisted under the door like snakes-and l One afternoon Lischen was startled by a sharp knock. She opened the door and there stood John Cbinaman. He wore a long blue silk blouse, lowered gorgeously Yellow silk smalls were wrapped about his thin legs, and white silk shoes addfned his feet. His pigtail hung to, ethasa asssa, and his face was wfeathed fn asmile bland CT than new butter. In one hand he car ried a lighted wax candle. This he de- posted on the table. .x Then he drew up 8 chair and sat down.
 "Plitty day." he said. "Will you mally me?"
 "What?" ?" exclaimed Lischen.
 "Mally me, please" An Ching Flo re. peated, and pointing to the candle he gave her to understand that while it burned she could ponder over her decision.
 Half laughing and half frightened, she Jumped up and blew ont the candle. All Ching Flo sighed, shook his head sadly, and went away.
 Of course ,h, Chinaman knew-how could he help knowing? Every one ill the tenement had heard of Lischen's ambition, and the old violinist's savings. II When the old man came home to tea that afternoon Milano seemed very fal away indeed. John Chinaman-known te the wise as An Ching Fo-stopped him il ) the hallway and spoke to him.
 ''Veliy plitty gel, y lil gel, mally John; No, no, no! Lii gel go Hong way be gleat sing-gel an be velly rich-good, gel Here plenty heap dollsls-lil gel be glea singer-good bly, !"
 7 Now, that speech the old man under stood in moment, for An Ching F, ! r,of into ic ho- v,;k l. x,1 notes, big and little, and jolly tumble o gfe for the poor old German violinist- in Bowery theatre of varieties, mark you but he was 8 gentleman still. and he gay it back.
 "No," he said, ''you have a good heart but you do not understand our ways. No |, lno"
 Then he went slowly up stairs. Al Ching Flo sat down in his laundry, and flo the second time that day his face clouded and he puffed out an opiated sigh. Joh Chinaman had been saving this money i , order to go back to China and be grea
 mana magnate in his native village Somehow or other that old ambition seem ed flat, stale and unproftable now. It ha lost it's old-time flavor. So An Ching F n sighed and looked disconsolate enough. All of sudden he broke out into Gal gantuan laugh, such ss Chinaman ha ,. never laughed before or since. Then h , locked up his shop and went out In . few moments he returned with two friends l. slanting as to the eyes and yellow as n the skin. The three sat and smoked opiul : and chatted hieroglyphios together fe g half the night. The first thing in th $ morning they set off to lawyers and A ohu fn1x oC E his will-and hls two friends witnessed
 Now, as a matter of fact, you may b. a lieve in old superstitions or you may no
 fact? The very day that An Ching E -- signed his will he was taken desperatel ,1a ill. He was in terrible pain.' He rolle IS on the floor and groaned.
 John grew worse and worse. One his friends went out for physician an
 came back with pimply young man-a
 sistant in the drug shop in Mulberry s
 This wise youth looked at the squirmiu = Chinaman very sage]y, hemmed, pockete
 a dollar, and went away, promising
 send some medicine.
 But before the medicine came Joh
 Chinaman was past mending. An Chin
 Flo was dead. Dead beyond doubt, 70
 understand, absolutely dead One of h ss countrymen went ont and bought eff = and An Ching Flo was laid out forthwith Prayers were burnt over him; three DO
 of evilsmelling incense darkened the ail
 in the corner prayer machine clicke
 dolorously away.
 An Ching Flo was dead The next ds
 the coffin was taken away. Followe
 by many of An Ching Eos sorrowing, 8
 mond-eyed friends, it was borne to it's la resting place.
 Little Lischen looked down over Il of stair case as the coffin was borne ava.
 She half wondered at the sudden tea
 that flooded her eyes. The laundry Wi = sold out, and Mott street knew An Chir D Flo no more forever.
 Lischen went back to her dingy lit ,h room. She sat by the window broodinl
 The old man, her father, drew mournf
 sounds from his violin.
 "Rat-tat- bang!"
 Herr von Haeckel opened the door:
 fat, red-faced man, with long, black mu
 tache, came in smiling. "Ah," said h "here we are-all of us. Misther Hickl :, Hiss Tickle, mesilf-I congratulate ye P " "What do you mean?" asked the O
 German, shortly.
 - "By that same token, Mister, Tickle, }
 needn't be after being so quick I am 1axux,nr Io rr, Stor Erin NCl nui1ip a