Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-09-05

aaS 1aottSN oAs NhAiS A%ihS went III anu
waited.
After awhile she came in with a rush.
You lakkee China candy 2" began
Ling before she could say anything. Heap
goodl" and he showed queer little box
full Of keung toward her. Il lakkee
you. he continued, while he picked at
the gilt buttons on his blouse. . bling
YOU nice close, heap nice, you sabe?
Makkee you nice close, you dless heap
nice, sabe? You mally me, you hab
heap money"
Me old woman would pull the pigtail out
of your head if she heard you maxim any
breaks like that
you mally me bimeby, said Ling, as
though he felt sure he would win.
so long, joint" 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.
IL don't know but what I'll marry the
chink, she said to herself. "rll get all
ther clothes and money want, an I'll
be boss, you can bet 1"
There was a cat that used to sleep un-
der Ling's counter. She grew fat on
the scraps of chow-chopsuey which fell
from the table, and altogether lived a
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 wall
,,-I.s,l. Gll,I
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 e, IS turned from green
TO purple. Once he struck her with his
bamboo t'ung, and she retreated to a
high shelf and watched him.
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 mat
ting on the floor; she paraded the little
room, and her big shining eyes seemed to
light up the dark plte From that L4sht
the cat was never at rest, and Ling became
so stricken with a 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, II had
row with the old woman, and I've clim
out. Fm dead sick of gittin' jumped on.
Now, if you want'er marry me on ther
square, I'm with you, but / don't want
any funny business in mine |"
you mally me 2" asked Ling, while a
smile crept over his face. "Allee lite,
mally you"
But I'll tell you, John, +" the girl went
on, you've got to cut that pig tail off
and wear citizens clothes. You got to
be pretty near awhile man. You got to
be as white as clothes can make you,
an you got to treat me white too, or I'll
shake you !"
Ling didn't want to lose his queue, and
he fought against what he considered a
sacrilege, but he found Maggie relentless.
Il curl him up so, !" he said as he
twisted it about his head, an puttee on
hlat. so, and he pulled an old slouch
hat down over his head, an nobody see
him, hai"
No, even that wouldn't do, and Maggie
went away saying: "Pm going up to
lady friends o. mine ter stay ter mite,
John, an I'll see you to-morrer and if
ther pig tail don't go don't git married,
see 2"
Ling didn't quite see, but he thought
lot. He thought Maggie was the prettiest
girl he had ever seen. There was moth
ing chan about her. She had fine blue
eyes, trim fl rure, and a shock of golden
hair that attracted the Chinaman.
The old cat jumped on the counter 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 80 cents worth of prayer sticks
and paper. He made up his mind quick
ly after that, almost ran down the dark.
creaking steps, and across the way to
where the tai'tau'-lo lived and did busi-
ness.
Take off this thing" he said when
he sat down on the stool in front of the
little razors and scissors.
what" said the barber, @are you
crazy, or have the foreign devils got you
too?"
Cut it off, I tell you Are you not
here to do such work as this ?"
No, that is wrong. / knew your
mother. What would she say if did it
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 Pel street and had no queue.
@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 a big pair of
shears. Snipl and Ling's queue was
gone, cut close to his head. Out Ling
ran, leaving his queue 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 mournfully.
@Get away, you evil thing!" and he
pushed her off with stick. He did not
sleep that night; he dreamed strange
things and saw strange sights; hethought
of his home in far of China, and of 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