The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-16
The LiIy-Maid.

ed few things, but the one was the
learning of the woman while the other
was only the learning OF the man.
Before adjusting this newly acquired as
sortment Of miscellaneous learning Wing
Tee set about to accomplish her very
The American missionaries who had pene-
trated into Wings domain had lived on
the fat of the land. and had introduced
their American religion They mad. fur
thermore. sought to abolish many objec-
t:onable native customs. notably the wor-
ship OF ancestors. In fact. after living
among the Americans for time Wing
soon came to understand that reverence or
! even common respect for ones parents or
| ancestors was a thing quite unheard OF
! in the western world. and there were ma
ny other prospects quite as alluring.
| The good missionaries had made much
| Of the youthful Wing Tee. They had
| taught her to read and write and had in
structed her in their religions. and had
/ finally declared her converted from the
| faith of her fathers. Then 1t was 6ecid-
| ed that she should be educated TO become
a missionary, too; accordingly, several
! struggling foreign missionary societies
/ were saddled with the responsibility and
| expense of educating the ambitious young
Wing in order that she might some day
return to her own country and work
| among her people. And she must be
| transported TO San Francisco to be edu-
Gated.
The lady managers of the foreign mis-
sionary board devoted themselves gladly
to the care and culture of the Chinese
! girl, and were well repaid by her indus
try on becoming Americanized. But, I'M
! fortunately, aside from being industrious,
Wing Tee was very fair
HUE Chan made this discovery one
morning on his way up Sacramento street,
when, looking along the high-balconied
windows, blossoming with Chinese lilies.
| he saw among the round little yellow
faces of the flowers another face, some
what larger but scarcely less round or
less yellow than they. Such a discovery.
to be sure, is not unusual. In fact, some
such discovery is the inevitable first act
Of every human comedy; ii began with
Adam, and will probably be the last thing
20 stop when time shall cease to be. II
both the discoverer and the discovered
are foolish it usually ends in a romance;
if only one is foolish and the other wise
it may result IN tragedy, but IL both are
wise it usually ends in-nothing at all
In This case it was not HUE Chan who
was wise. He spent dreaming days and
sleepless nights wondering who this lilly
maid" as he fcndly celled her. might
be- AS for Wing, she had not seen his
fatuous smile when he looked up. and
had only noticed as he passed that he
was fat and walked like duck.
HUE Chan was q prosperous barber.
with a fourishing FISH stall in the rear
of his shop, and as the lily-maid was al
har he
could attribute no more worthy ooJect
for her being there than to watch for him;
consequently, one morning, instead OF con-
tinuing on his way past the sweatshop.
the restaurant, the basket-maker, 20 his
own little hole in the wall, With its mix
ture of soap, fish, and pomades, he STOP
ped a. the low-browed doorway and made
his way up to tbs door that correspondent
with a certain window.
Wing Tee was surprised. She looked up
from her book. still coming in her mind
the ten commandments, and was not
pleased to see her visitor. Being a man,
Chan was capable OF seeing only ono side
of a situation and that his own. He was
glad to be there, therefore the lily-maid
must be glad 10 have him there, but the /
book was not closed, and Wing Tees eyes |
were raised only occasionally to answer |
some platitude for-she was learning: |
Thou shalt not make unto thee any |
craven image"
The first visit was not a great success, /
nor the second; but Chan, nothing Gaunt- !
ed, persevered morning. noon and night.
Finally, Miss Wing was forced to tear /
her mind from the contemplation OF her
Thou Shalt Nots' long enough 10 con-
slider ways and means of bringing CHAINS /
attention to a stop. She might lock the /
door-yes, and to make sure she would
tack up notice, little pink card. which
should say in black characters, please
do not disturb me-
Accordingly the appeal for peace was
pasted on the door at CHAINS usual hour
of intrusion. And scarcely had the sound
Of the hammer ceased when Mr. Chan
came putting up the stairs.
This he said to himself must be in
tended for some OF those babbling lady
although it does happen to be
written in very good Pekingese''
But although Chan was ponderous of
build he was nimble of wit. The door
was securely locked. but the transmo was
open. and through it came the sound OF
a little smothered giggle.
A table near the door offered the solu-
second step quite easy, II only the table
could be induced to bear the double
weight.
Aha, his prayer wads had not stuck FOR
nothing. The table creaked and groaned.
out nevertheless lent itself TO his purpose,
md, once mounted thereon. he could al
most reach the transOm; then, with the
chair on top OF the table. he could put
ais head quite into the room. That love
aughs at Iocksmiths' is doubtless as true
n the east as in the west. but the orien-
al laugh, unfortunately, has not always {
he desired effect upon the occidental /
ock.
AS poor Chan had expected. tbs Ily- y
maid was in her usual place by the win
low, her eyes glued to her book. Giving :
himself a moment to enjoy in anticipation :
Ter surprise al seeing him. he prepared ( I
o make his best bOb-a bow was impos- S
ible-when 20 his horror the jar brought
,own the transom- A sudden wriggiIng .
0 free himself sent the table and chair 20 s
he floor with q crash and brought the :
ransom down tighter on MS precious ,
eek.
The Hly-maid sat moaonlsss. Another :
sriggle and smother tightening. gen /.
ls, gurg.ing sound finally caused the liy :
laf- 70 raise heE eyes uut sA- ~-1 i4Se =
imp nor scream she surveyed the n
ruder with unwonted interest The start
1g eyes were fixed on her IN an agony =
Z appeal. He was certainly very fat. )
he eyes were scarcely more google than
sual. and the face. always ugly. was e
OF much worse 81 purple tones Ihan yei- n
Nv a
II she made an outcry and called some Q
ne 70 her rescue he would perhaps be 2
Efficiently recovered - tew days 90 2
ontiuue MS visits. Il she I'D nothing. De C