The San Francisco call., 1897-12-26

tragedy in Chinatown. A prominent
Chinese merchant, the proprietor of
business houses in several cities, had
been shot down while passing along
Jackson street. Highbinders had been
lying in wait for him for several
weeks The Kwai Kung, to whom Lin
Fab belonged, had laid the matter be-
fore the Beng Kung Tong. A secret
meeting had been held. Chinese de-
tectives were employed to work on the
case. Leong All Ping had been proved
to be the man who helped her to es-
cape The tong had secretly con-
demned him to death and ordered out
the ''hatchet men" to take his life.
Hearing of the plot, he was advised to
employ some rival highbinders to act
as his bodyguard, but had refused,
saying: Il am Christian man. I
trust in God and the laws of the United
States to protect me- All day Lin
Fab was inconsolable She refused
food; she beat her breast and lay
hearted grief. Later in the day the
matron came in. Don't fret, dear"
said she, 'tI have just come from the
hospital. The doctors say the wound.
though dangerous, is not necessarily
fatal. Cheer up. Leung All Ping will
not die" and Lin Fab gave a sigh Of
relief.
Three months have passed and the
day for Lin Fah's departure had ar
rived A letter had come from China
inclCs;ng money for her passage home.
1t was a happy day. Kind treatment,
good food and fresh air had done much
| to obliterate the dark lines of care from
her face and restore her to health and
beauty. A hack was enga ged to take
her to the steamer, and the time had
now come to say farewell to that home
where she had passed the only happy
days she had known on American soil.
Seated in the carriage, a stalwart po-
liceman opposite, her hand clasping
that of the kind matron at her side,
she said in pigeon English: "Me no
savey one ting. Wha' for you Nell
can lady so heap kind Chinese gil?
Me fada, mudda no b'Iong you. You
fadda mudda no b'long my. You Mel
lean, me Chinese. Wha' for you makee
me ALA sim you sista? You my Welly
good fen. My tink of you ebly day till
1 die'
Lin Fab" said the matron in Chi
nese, cit is the religion of the cross
that teaches us to do this. ConfuciuS
taught that all within the four seas
are brethren Jesus taught us that all
mankind are our brethren" Chan
hal! Chan hail" said Lin Fab. 'I tink
some day me likee become Cistin like
you. Me b'lieve Ye-su; some day me
see you up topside and nebba go away
from you any mo-"
On their way to the steamer it had
been arranged to call for few minutes
at the hospital. 1t was Lin Fah's own
request. In one of the wards, propped
up by pillows, was a pale-faced China
man with a bandaged head. He raised
himself as they entered, and Lin Fab
beheld the brave and chivalrous bene-
factor to whom she owed life and
liberty. Looking at the pallid face
before her, the beautiful girl poured
forth words of gratitude to one who
had risked his life in her behalf. No
one present could tell what was pass
ing in All Pings mind or what caused
him such agitation. At last he said:
Lin Fab, you are about to return
home. 1 have had something on my
mind that I wanted to say to you. She
bent lower, and what he said was in
whispered words, the import of which
bystanders could only guess. Lin Fab
looked down till her long eyelasheS
touched and scarlet bushes mantled
her cheeks. For a, man to speak to a
maiden in China would be highly i'm
proper. But America is outside the
domain of Confucian conventionalities.
Lin Fab shook her head, with a sad
look, and heaved a deep sigh 1T can
not be-" she said; 81 belong to another.
FAREWELL" AS she passed out of the
door, her eyes wet with tears, All Ping
sank back upon the pillow, the picture
of despair. This was the girl whom he
had loved since that early morning
when he saw her passing down the
rope ladder-the girl whose name the
doctors had heard him call while he lay
in fever and delirium after the tragedy
on Jackson street.
On board the steamer Oceanic was a
missionary lady bound for China, in
whose charge Lin Fab was placed. The
mailbags had been taken on board, the
gangplank removed, the hoarse whis-
tie blew, handkerchiefs waved, as the
great vessel began to back out into
deep water. There were sad partings
between husband and wife, lovers and
friends; the sobs and tears and heart
aches of women mingled with the
calmer good-bys of the men. Tears of
gratitude moistened Lin Fah's eyes as
she waved her adieu to the ladies who
udu CeeIeu 1OT ueF so kindly. The
steamer turned to the Golden Gate and
was soon out of sight.
On the wharf in Hongkong father
and brothers were waiting to welcome
back the long lost girl. Who shall de-
scribe that joyful meeting after two
long years of separation and grief?
But there was more sadness in store
for Lin Fab. The gray-haired mother
was no more. She had sorrowed over
her lost darling, refused to be comfort
ed, and so pined away. Her father was
now a broken hearted man. The fam
lily property had gone. Thousands of
dollars had been spent in fruitless
search. The dowry had to be refunded
to old Mr. Wong. Disaster followed
disaster The family was now bank
rupt and almost destitute And where
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