The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-09-18
she dashed on, while Ling went in and

''You lakkee China candyY' began
Ling before she could say anything.
"Heap goodI" and he showed queer lit
tie box full of keung toward her. II
lakkee you," he continued, while he
picked at the gilt buttons on his blouse.
II bling you nice close, heap nice, you
sabe? Makkee you nice close, you dless
heap nice, sabe? You mally me, you hab
heap money"
''Marry you, John2 Well, guess not!
Me old woman would pull the pigtail
out of your head if she heard you maxim
any breaks like that"
s'You mally me bimeby," said Ling, as
though he felt sure he would win.
$50 long, John" 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. 'sI'll get all
ther 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 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 a 'wailing voice
which filled the room with 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 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 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 silent
terror that he would go out into the
street rather than cross her path.
| He forgot about the cat couple of
days later, when Maggie Sullivan came
in. She was better dressed than usual.
"Hello, john" she began, 81 had a
row with the old woman, and I've clim
out. I'm dead sick of gittin jumped on.
Now, if you wanter marry me on ther
square, Pm with you, but l don't want
any funny business in miner
"You mally me?" asked Ling, while a
smile crept over his face. s'Allee lite,
mally you"
''But I'll tell you, John," the girl went
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 a
sacrilege, but he found Maggie relent-
less,
81 curl him up so," he said, as he
twisted it about his head; IN puttee
on hlat, so," and he pulled an old slouch
hat down over his head, 'sn' nobody slee
him, hap
No, even that wouldn't do, and Maggie
went away saying: I'm goin up to a
lady friends O. mine ter stay ternite,
John, an I'll see you tomorrer, an if
ther pigtail don't go don't git married,
seer"
Ling didn't quite see, but he thought
lot. He thought Maggie was the pref
tiest girl he had ever seen. There was
nothing chan about her. She had fine
blue eyes, a 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'-tau'-lo 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.
"Whatw said the barber, .'are You
crazy, or have the foreign devils got you
too?'
"Cut it off, tell you! Are you not
here to do such work as thisy'
''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 a Kwang-tung man who
lived near Pell street and had no cue.
"Cut this thing offr' he said; he did
not need to beg this time.
"Ha, har' laughed the Kwang-tung
man, ''you are going to be one of us;
good" and he picked up big pair Of
shears. Snipl 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 thingr' and he
pushed her off with stick. He did not
sleep that night; he dreamed strange
things and saw strange sights; he
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