The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-08-10
SELECTED STORY.

BY BRET HART,

ever gave him that name-or, indeed,
that il was name at all-but 1t Has
currently believed that-as pronounced
sSee Up"-it meant that lifting Of the
outer angle of the eye, common to the
Monaghan. On the other hand, had
been told that there was an old Chinese
custom of affixing some motto or le-
gend-or even sentence from Confu
Cius--as sign above their shops, and
that two or more words, which might
be merely equivalent to "Virtue is its
own reward" or "Riches are deceit
full, was believed by the simple Cali
fOrnian miner to be the name OF the
occupant himself. Howbeit, "See
Yuph accepted it with the smiling pa
tience of his race, and never went by
any other. If one of the tunnel men
always addressed him as "Brigadier
General" Judge" or "Commodore,"
it was understood to be only the Ameri-
can fondness for ironic title, and was
never used except in personal CONVEX
sation. In appearance he looked ike
any other Chinsman, wore the ordinary
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 was recognized as
the common "Chinese smell"
Our first interview was characteristic
of his patient quality. He had done
my washing for several months, but |
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
superfuous dirt from the soiled linen.
] had expected him to call at my lodg-
ings, but he had not yet made his APP
pearance. One day during the noon
tide recess of the little frontier school
over which l presided returned rath
err early. Two or three of the smaller
boys, who were lettering about the
schoolyard, disappeared with certain
guilty preci pitation that suspected for
the moment, hut which presently dis
missed from my mind Ipassed through
the empty school room to my desk, sat
down, and began to prepare the COM
ing lessons. Presently heard faint
sigh. Looking up, to my intense con-
cern, discovered a solitary Chinaman
whom l had overlooked, sitting in a
rigid attitude on bench with his back
to the window He caught my eye
and smiled sadly, but withou! moving.
"What are you doing here?" l asked
sternly.
"Me washee shifts; me talkee but
TONS"
ooh, you're See Yup,' are your
"Alle same, John"
"Well, come here"
/ continued my work but he did not
move.
Come here, hang It'll Don't you
understand"
''Me shabbee CONNIE yea But me
no shabbee Melikan boy, who catchee
me, alice same. You commee yea,
you shabbee2'
Indignant, but believing that the IN
fortunate man was still in fear of per-
secution from these mischievous ur-
chins whom l had evidently just in
terrupted, l put down my pen and
went over to him. Here l discovered
to my surprise and modification that
his long pigtail was held hard and fast
by the closed window behind him,
which the young rascals had shut
down upon it, after having first noise
lessly tished it outside with hook
and line. ! apologized, opened the
window and released him. He did
not complain, although he must have
been fixed in that uncomfortable posi-
ton for some minutes, but plunged al
once into the business that brought
him there.
"But why didn't you come to my
lodgings?' ] asked.
He smiled sadly, but intelligently.
Mishtel Bally Mr.. Barry, my land
lord he owee me five dolce fol-
washee, washee. He no payee me
He say he knocke hellee outee me allie
time l come for payee. So me nc
come housee, me come schoolee
Shabbee? Melikan boy no good, bu
not 30 big as Melikan man. No car
hurtee Chinaman 80 much. Shabbee?'
Alas! l knew that this was mainly
true. Mr.. James Barry was an Irish
man, whose finer religious feelings re-
VOTED against paying money to {
heather. l could not find it in my
heart to say anything to See Yup abou
the buttons; indeed, spoke in com
plimentary terms about the gloss O.
my shirts, and ! think l meekly beg
ged him to come again for my wash
ing. When l went home l expostu
lated with Mr.. Barry, but succeeded
only in extracting from him the con
viction that / was one of "thim blacl
Republican FELIX'S that worshippet
naygurs." had simply made an en-
envy of him. But did not know that
at the same time, had made a FRIEND
of See Yup!
l became aware of this a few day,
later, by the appearance on my desk o
q small pot containing specimen O
Camellia Japonica in flower. / knew
the school children were in the habit O
making presents to me in this furtiv
fashion-leaving their own nosegays o
wild flowers or perhaps a cluster Q
roses from their parents gardens-bu
l also knew that this exotic was to-
rare to come from them. remember
ed that See Yup had a Chinese tast
for gardening, and a friend, anothe
Chinaman, who kept large nursery il
the adjoining town. But my doubt
were set at rest nv the disoovary of