The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-05-10
CHAPTER II.
1CONTINUED.l |


dow a queer little face, peering into
the lighted store f, ON the outer dark
ness. It was but moment, however,
for the next instant the owner OF the
face was in the store.
"Here is a customer" 1 called to
Phister, who came to the front In
rather a surly manner. Phister did
not like Cinnamon, and this fellow
was decidedly Mongol.
have good reason for remembering
that face and that night. Looking
back, now, after all these happy years,
I can see that face loom up in the
window as clearly and as startlingly as
it did then. It was not pleasant
face. 1t was a crafty, hateful face,
but the almond eyes were opened wide
with anxiety or fear, I know not
which. The rich oriental clothing was
limp and bedraggled. The water ran
from him in rivulets as he stood, pant
ing, before Phister.
''Dloctor her'?" he asked in q
pigeon-English common to the Cali
fornia Chinaman.
Phister nodded. He was not dis
posed to treat the Chinaman gracious
ly. He did not say that I was the
doctor.
"Clom, quick"
s'Not much!' returned Phister,
glancing out at the storm and shrug-
ging his shoulders. IT am not the
doctor; and if I was, I wouldn't go
out tonight for the best Chinaman in
San Fran"
A look of appeal came into the cell
estial's face.
"Who he?" he asked, looking al
'sThat's the DOCTOR" replied Phis'
ter; "and if he goes out tonight he's
bigger fool than I think he is"
"What is it you want?" I asked, not
inclined to he too severe with the fel'
low because he had been unfortunate
enough to be born heather.
"Not Chinaman sick. Chinaman
only want come. Mclean lady sick
very sick ck-maybe die. Clom, dloc'
tor, clom savee her; getee big pay
velly big. Clom-we go now"
He took hold of my coat and began
pulling me toward the door.
"Where is it?" I asked.
mo far. Clom! Mclean lady die
while sittee here"
"Well, Phister," I said, getting on
my feet and shaking myself. "Lend
me your macintosh, and I'll 60 and
see what's the matter"
Phister was very much disguised,
and while he was getting the mackin-
tosh for me, he muttered something
very much to the disparagement OF
my intellect. But I didn't mind that
of Fhister. It was his way; and I felt
rather imbued with the spirit of ad-
venture and was bound to see the
thing through. I had not been to my
Office since making my round OF calls.
and so had my medicine-case handy.
Rolling up the bottoms of my trou-
sers, I said to the Chinaman:
$50 on; lead the way. I'll follow. "
I didnot know any Chinese, and did
not know how they measured dis
tances; but if the walk that fellow
gave me that night was a short one,
may forever be spared long walk
with like company under like circum-
stances. He battered on just ahead
of me, chattering to himself in unin-
telligible lingo. His hands were
tucked in his sleeves. With my head
ducked, to keep the rain out of my
neck, the collar of the macintosh
turned up as high as I could get it and
my medicine case under my arm, my
hand, deep in Phister's pockets, I
strobe after the shambling Chinaman.
We passed innumerable physicians
signs. I did not think then, but in
after days I wondered what impulse
led that heather past so many drug
stores and doctors houses on his way
up the hill to PLi,ter's. In the light
of subsequent events it was apparent
that he did not want the physician to
know the neighborhood into which ne
was going.
On and on he went, down one street,
over another, into districts that were
entirely new to me, until I was salts
fed that he was trying to mislead me
as to our direction. I began to think
he was going to take me all over San
Francisco. And yet he was in tre-
msndous hurry, but he would not ride
in street car, nor would he let me
hire carriage. At last my mysieri-
Gus guide stopped before a gloomy
looking house, the windows of which
were dark, as if there was no life with
in. Had I stopped to think, I might
even then have given up the job, but
what with my curiosity and my eager
ness to earn large fee, was deter
mined to see the adventure through.
The Chinaman gave three quick
knocks and two slow ones on the door,
and it was opened. The smell of a
hot, foul atmosphere came out into my
face and nearly stifed me. Almond
eyes from two leathery faces peered
at me from the dimly lighted hall as I
followed my guide inside. There was
a moments chattering, as of 80 many
monkeys, and I felt queer sensation
as Iheard the heavy door closed behind
me. I was in for it now, come what
may.
The fellow who had brought me
seemed to be the master spirit of the
place. The others obeyed him with
alacrity. At his word my macintosh
was taken from me and carefully hung
up to drip.
"CIom mel" said my guide, imperi-