The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1891-10-14

bliOuSA no 1Slb SURF u6 WOulQ VIII.
$50 long, Johnp she said, as she went
out munching the candy. That was the
first of the queer courtship. 1t struck |
Maggie seriously, as though she thought |
she might do worse.
81 don't know but what I'll marry the |
Chink," she said to herself. ''pn get all |
Their clothes an money want an I'll be |
boss, you can betp'
There was cat which used to sleep
under Ling's counter. She grew fat on
the scraps of chow chop suey and chue
yunk which fell from the table, and al
together lived life of peace. But the
day Ling proposed to Maggie Sullivan
the cats manner changed. Instead of
sleeping under the counter all the day
she took to walking on the counter,
mewing uneasily in wailing voice
which filed the room with n distressful
sound.
Then she would pause in her walk, and
sitting on her launches glare at Ling
with staring eyes. Once or twice he
drove her away, but she came back and
glared until her eyes turned from green
to purple. Once he struck her with his
bamboo t'ung, and she retreated to
high shelf and watched him.
1.-THE evil one possesses her." said
Ling, and he burned more prayer sticks
before his kashat Joss, but the wailing
of the cat never ceased. She crept under
Ling's bed that night and scratched at
the mating on the floor; she paraded the
little room, and her big shining eyes
seemed to light up the dark place. From
that night the cat was never at rest, and
Ling became so stricken with q silent
terror that he would go out into the
street rather than cross her path.
he forgot about the cat a couple of
days later, when Maggie Sullivan came
in. She was better dressed than usual.
"Hello, john" she began, "I had
row with the old woman, and I've CHM
out. I'm dead sick of gittin jumped ON.
Now, II you wanter marry me on Their
square, I'm with you, but don't want
any funny business in minei"
You mally me?" asked Ling, while
smile crept over his face. "Allee lite,
mally you"
'But I'll tell you, john" the girl Invent
on, you've got to cut that pigtail off
and wear citizens clothes. You got to
be pretty near white man. You got to
be as white as clothes can kin make you,
an you got to treat me white, too, or I'll
shake you"
Ling didn't want to lose his cue and
he fought against what he considered
sacrilege. but he found Maggie relent-
less
II curl him up So" he said, as he
twisted it about his head; Z" 'n | puttee
on HAT, So" and he pulled an old SLOUGH |
hat down over his head, IN nobody slice
him, hay'
No, even that wouldn't do, and Maggie
went away saying: sim goin up to
lady friends O mine ter stay ternite,
John, an IN see you tomorrer, an. il
Their pigtail don't go l don't git married,
seer
Ling didn't quite see, but he thought
q lot He thought Maggie was the pref
test girlfhe had ever seen. There was
nothing chan about her She had fine
blue eyes, Il trim figure and shock of
golden hair that attracted the China
man. The old cat jumped on the coun-
ter and yowled and stared at him, and
he went out to get away from those
green eyes. He went to the joss house
and burned thirty cents worth of prayer
sticks and paper. He made up his mind
quickly after that, almost ran down the
dark, creaking steps and across the way
to where the tai'taulo lived and did
business.
Take off this thing" he said, when he |
sat dawn ON the stool in front of the lit
tie razors and scissors.
"Whatp said the barber, "are you |
crazy, or have the foreign devils got you
toor'
"Cut it off, tell you'll Are you not
here to do such work as thisf"
mo, that is wrong. | knew your
mother. What would she say If did it2
Her curses would come to me as well as
to you, unworthy SON."
Ling ran out while his courage lasted. |
He went to Kwang- tung man who |
Lived near Pell street and had no cue.
"Cut this thing Off he said; he did |
not need to beg this time.
"Ha, hal" laughed the Kwang- tung
man, "you are going to be one of us;
goodl" and he picked up big pair Of |
shears. Snip! and Ling's cue was gone,
cut close to his head. Out Ling ran,
leaving his cue behind him. He went
into his store and sat down to think,
when up jumped the cat. Her eyes were
yellow this time, and she howled mourn
fully.
"Get away, you evil thingp' and he
pushed her off with stick. He did not
sleep that night; he dreamed strange
fhinaru unH afv e,,x L.
thought of his home in far off China,
and his mother and the little Chinese
maidens whom he had known before he
came to the new country. He smoked |
and saw faces In the clouds. In the |
morning his eyes were heavy and red |
with the opium, and he let his hired man
do all the work. He lay in his cubby |
bunk and smoked the opium until he |
heard voice. 1t sounded as if it came
from great distance. 1t said:
Hello, where's the bossp In the back
room? all right"
The curtains were pulled back and
Maggie Sullivan came in.
"Hittin Their pipe, eh? Well, that's
bad for the blood. How's yer pigtailT
II cut him. He glone," said Ling
half stupidity.
"That's good. l knew you'd come
around. The Chinks alters do. Git up
II yer a-goin ter git married"
Ling had vague idea that he was
very happy. The opium had brought
peaceful feeling, but he was rather
stupid. Maggie sat On the edge of the
bunk and the cat walked across the room
with stately tread, glaring at her. She
paused at her feet, and at one bound
was on her lap. "Hello, pussyp she
said, putting her face down and stroling
the fur. Like fash paw shot out;
five hooked. sharp claws were unsheath-
ed and dragged across the girls cheek.
She gave frightened scream, and when
Ling looked he saw three red lines down
her face, from which blood was drip
ping. And the cat walked slowly across