The suburban citizen., 1900-06-02

Celestial's perturbation, and wild ges-
tieulating. So vehement was his in
sistence that 1 went so far as to re-
explore the interier of his canvas
money bag, in quest of a possibly over
looked note or gold piece. The in
spection, however, was unavailing,
and as to any miscalculation on my
part, I felt that to be out of the ques-
tion, for, in view of the circumstances
I had been more than usually careful
in my counting.
"rhe final conviction that my orig
inal conclusions were correct had any
thing but a modifying effect on my
temper, and turning again to the
Chinaman, I berated him roundly,
and finally ordered the porter to eject
him. The last saw of him he was
tearfully relating his hapless venture
to an unsympathetic policeman.
I dropped into my big chair to in
dulge in laugh over the affair, but
in the midst Of my hilarity / all at
once became aware that some hard
substance was pressing against my
right hip, and reaching down found
wedged between the cushion aud scroll
work of the chair aroll of silver coins.
With a sickening certainty the truth
flashed upon me. 1t was the China
mans missing money, which had
carelessly thrown, together with the
canvas sack, into the chair seat, where,
partially hidden by the upholstering
it had until now wholly escaped my
notice.
"For a moment I was quite over
whelmed by the swkwardness of the
situation, l recalled all too wildly the
helpless celestiaps efforts to convince
me that his claims we're accurate, and
my heart smOte me as L pictured his
opinion regarding my motives for sub
jecting him TO the disgraceful treat
ment he had received. Then a wild
impulse dominated me to overtake the
poor fellow and restore his money into
his hands. thrust the package of
coin into my pocket, caught up my
hat and huruedly left the treasury.
"I think the world never seemed so
large or so densely populated as when
I got out into the street. Though /
followed the same direction which 1
had observed the Chinaman to take,
knew that with his ten minutes start
there was little chance of Immediately
overhauling him. My chief hope lay
in finding him in the wretched little
slum familiarly known as Dope Al
ley, where the major portion of the
local Chinese colony lived. While I
hurried along l strove to recall his
name as had written it in the certif-
cate. The first part thereof / felt
sure was 'Ah, but whether it were All
Sing, Ah Foy or All Sam 1 could not
for the life of me have told.
SIN this bewildered state of mind /
found the Chinese quarter. A solemn
faced Mongol, whose corpulent
anatomy entirely filed the doorway of
a dingy, evil-smelling den, was the
only visible inhabitant of the district,
so went up and spoke to him.
4 say, John, you know China
man, him first name "Ah?"'
"At my question the Celestial's
erstwhiie stolid countenance relaxed
into an expansive griu, and he chuckled
gleefully for full minute before an-
swering my query, whereupon he
said:
'Oh, yes, I savy heap Chinaman
fusnem Ah. Pullee near all Cinnamon
catchee that nem. Ny mem, he added,
by way of example, him All Fat
But the Chinaman L want I
explained, he buy certificate to-day
send China. You savy him?'
'Oatchee clitifoate thlee hun'ed
f'ty dollah?' inquired the Celestial
astutely.
Yes, yesl he's the chap, 1 eagerly
rejoined. do you know where he is?'
"'Oh, yes; he go ChinaP
Gone to Ohinal Why, man, he
buy certificate only half hour ago.
"I savy, was the comfortless as
surance. He go China bou' ten
secon' ago.
Ten seconds ago' I echoed, gaz-
ing wildly down the street. which
way him gomez
a." PA way to lailload, pa may so
steamboat
"'Yas, but which one railroadP /
persisted desperately.
No savy him. One lailload-two
lailload, allie sem Chinee.
My hopes of oyertaking the wronged
Celestial were rapidly dissipated.
One chance only Of returning his
money to him now seemed open to
me.
" See here, Fat said I confden-
TALLY, depositing a coin in his yellow
palm, by way of holding his interest.
You tell me all you know bout this
China boy, will you2
"He scrutinized the coin critically
for moment as if to satisfy himself
as to it's genuineness, then thrusting
it into some hidden pocket within the
folds of his baggy pantaloons, he ran
his little eyes suspiciously over me
and asked:
'Whalla malta China boyp You
detective, like catChee TO- get China
ehg
e" mo, no; not thatr I protested
ayersely. 4 China boy's friend-got