The San Francisco call., 1897-12-26
eReT HARTe

tors ever gave him that name-or,
indeed, that it was a name at al.
but il was currently believed
that-as pronounced See Yup"
it meant that lifting Of
the outer angle of the eye, COM
mon to the Mongolian. On the
other hand I had been told that there
was an old Chinese custom of aff1xing
some motto or legend-or even SEN
tence from Confucius-as sign above
their shops, and that two or more
words which might be merely equiva-
lent to Virtue is it's own reward" or
"Riches are deceitful, were believed by
the simple Californian miner TO be the
name of the occupant himself. How
belt. "See Yup' accepted it with the
smiling patience of his race, and never
went by any other. If one of the tunnel
men always addressed him as "Briga-
dier-General" Judge" or "Commo
dore." it was understood to be only the
American fondness for ironic title, and
was never used except in personal con-
versation. In appearance he looked
like any other Chinaman, wore the or
binary blue cotton blouse and white
drawers of the Sampan coolie, and, in
spite of the apparent cleanliness and
freshness of these garments, always
exhaled that singular medicated odor-
half opium, half ginger-which we rec
ognized as the common Chinese
smell"
Our first interview was characters
tic Of his patient quality. He had done
nv washing for several months, but l
had never yet seen him. A meeting at
last had become necessary to correct
his impressions regarding buttons
which he had seemed to consider as
mere excrescences, to be removed like
superf1uous dirt from soiled linen. /
had expected him to call at my lodg-
ings. but he had not yet made his ap-
pearance One day, during the noon
tide recess of the little frontier school
over which 1 presided, 1 returned
rather early. Two or three Of the
smaller boys, who were lettering about
the schoolyard, disappeared with GER
tain guilty precipitation that 1 sus-
pected for the moment, but which
presently dismissed from my mind.
passed through the empty schoolroon
to my desk, sat down and began tc
prepare the coming lessons. Presently
/ heard a faint sigh. Looking up, tC
solitary Chinaman whom 1 had over
looked sitting in a rigid attitude on
bench with his back to the window. He
caught my eye and smiled, sadly, but
without moving.
What are you doing here?" I asked
sternly
Me washee shifts; me talkee but
TONS"
20, you're See Yup.' are your"
"AIIee same, John"
We'll, come here"
I continued my work, but he did no
move.
"Come here, hang it! Don't you un
derstand'?"
''Me shabbee. CONNIE yea. But mc
no shabbee Mellikan boy, who catche'
me, alice same. You CONNIE yea yol
shabbee?"
Indignant, but believing that the un
fortunate man was still in fear Of per
secution from these mischievous urch
ms whom I had evidently just inter
rupted, I put down my pen and went
over to him. Here I discovered to my
surprise and modification that his Ions
pigtail was held hard and fast by the
closed window behind him, which the
young rascals had shut down upon it
after having first noiselessly fished i
outside with hook and line. l apollo
gized, opened the window and released
him. He did not complain. although h
must have been fixed in that uncom
Portable position for some minutes, bu
plunged at once into the business tha
brought him there.
But why didn't you come to m.
lodgings?" 1 asked.
He smiled sadly, but intelligently.
"Mishtel Bally (Mr. Barry, my land
lord), he owee me five dolce 70
washee, washee. He no payee me. H
say he knockee hellee outee me allies
timee come for payee. So me no com
house, me come schoolee. Shabbee
Mellikan boy no good. but not so BIZ
as MelIikan man. No can hurtee Chi
naman so much Shabbee?"
Alasl I knew that this was mainl,
true. Mr.. James Barry was a gentle
man whose finer religious feelings re
volted against paying money to
heathen could not find it in my hear
TO say anything to See Yup about tn
buttons; indeed, 1 spoke in compli
mentary terms about the gloss of m
shirts, and 1 think I meekly begge
him to come again for my washing
When 1 went home expostulated wit
Mr.. Barry but succeeded only in ex
tracing from him the conviction tha
was one Of thin black Republica
fellys that worshiped naygurs." 1 ha
simply made an enemy of him. But
did not know that, at the same time,
had made a friend of See Yup!
1 became aware Of this few day