The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-05-10

ing there, still as death, pale, With
scarcely breath stirring the snowny
bosom, was the most beautiful girl 1
thought I had ever seen. Fair as the
the fairest lily, with skin as pure
and white as wax, the beauty of her
face came over me like sudden vision.
Her lips were full and well-shaped.
Her throat was dazzling in its white.
ness. Her hair, long, 6 lossy and soft,
was tangled and snarled. Her pres
ence in this hive of Cinnamon startled
me. The secrecy maintained by the
fellow who was her keeper told me
that I was in the presence of one of
those great and horrible mysteries
that have made the blot on the fair
land of California.
Something of my thought must have
appeared in my face. The Cinnamon
stood over the bedside, wringing his
hands nnd crying aloud in his own
tongue. He glanced up at my scowl-
ing face, and said:
"She my wife. She Chinaman's
Vile. OaFoe, uioSeoA. oo'SS NSN'
Much big fee if not die"
~ bespoke earnestly and anxiously. I
did not doubt his sincerity in wishing
her saved, but I thought he was liar
when he said she was his wife.
She was evidently high-born. The
scanty clothing that she had on was
rich and of American manufacture.
There were no jewels. If she had
ever possessed any, they had been
taken from her.
mentally noted all the surround
ings while I made hasty examina-
tion of the girl. After careful work,
I came to the conclusion that she
had been drugged. could not tell
what the nature Of the drug used
was, but it was something that
had the power almost to sus-
pend life. The Chinaman had used
too much, and was now fright
ened at the probable result. I did
not disclose my discovery to the
Chinaman. I was now fully con-
vinced that he was a scoundrel. I
could accomplish nothing by inform
ing him then what I knew to be the
matter. I opened my medicine-case,
and chose from it most powerful
restorative-a drug that acted directly
upon the heart. I lifted tho lovely
head on my arm, and dropped the
potion down my patients throat.
After what seemed to be an intermin-
able time, T had the satisfaction of
seeing q slight movement of the chest.
Then twitching of the eyelids. Then,
after still longer wait, she gave a
deep inhalation.
"Ah, she breathes!" said. "She
will liver'
"Glood! Glood! Me no want die!
Velly booful wife! No die"
I eyed the Mongolian contemptu-
ously. The thought that I was sus-
pected of being 80 simple as. to be
gulled by his words made me angry.
The Chinaman was now beginning
to get restless. It was very evident
that he regarded all need for my SER
vices ended, when I said she would
live. I knew he did not want me to
he present when the girl returned to
consciousness. I was in doubt what
to do. Ny impulse was to take the
girl in my arms and fight my way to
the street. I was not armed. I did
not doubt that every Chinaman in the
L ,,a1 1,lya hr,oonI
Again, there was no doubt that they
would not stop at murder to gain their
ends. But then it came over me,
suppose the story the old villain told
me should prove to be true. The
ridiculous spectacle of Archibald
Crickmore, NJ. D., Juggling China
mans wife out into the street at that
unseemly hour, with gang of cut
throats at his heels, was not pleas
ant one to contemplate. I would, at
least, under these circumstances,
make a great impression for the
wrong, aud probably injure my pros
poets for life. At any rate, I would
be the laughing-stock of the Golden
Gate Club. I soon convinced myself
that rash course in the matter would
accomplish no good, and might, pos
sibly, be harmful. Whatever fate was
in store for the beautiful girl, I did
not believe she would be harmed be-
fore she became conscious. Then a
happy thought struck me: One of
those sparks of genius that occasion
ally light up dull mind and then go
out again. I would administer a.
sleeping potion that would prevent
her becoming conscious for at least
four hours. In that time I could do
whatever seemed best to do.
Ihad heard of cases where girls were
stolen by persons and held or sent
away for the benefit of others. The
case before me might be one of that
kind. If 80, the celestial was only
acting for somebody else, and would
not dare harm the girl himself, for
fear of his employers wrath.
These thoughts went through my
head very rapidly. made resolve,
and fastened to act upon it.
7 gave the girl dose of chloral and
said to the Chinaman:
"Your wife will be all right in the
morning. You must not wake her.
Let her sleep till she wakes herself.
Then she will be we'll"
''Thlank! doctor glood man.
Heap like Chinaman's Joss. Eelly
smart. Much pay"
He fumbled under his peculiar,
shirtlike garment, and from some ca
pacious pocket produced fat pocket
book. He counted out five ten-dollar