The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-08
All FOO is ALONE AGAIN.
AND GONE rs THE JOY OF THE OLD
CHINAMAN's LAUNDRY.

AND GONE rs THE JOY OF THE OLD
CHINAMAN's LAUNDRY.
His Liiiee Boy Torn From Him Uader the
Gaise Of Humanity BY the Society for the
Suppression Of vice-Ah's Touching Plea for
the Little Ward That Had Won His Heart.
Strange things are sometimes done in the
name OF conventionality, said the man OF ex-
perience. -and humanity often prompts us to
be cruel. This was so. or at least IL seemed to
me to be so, in the case OF the Society for the
Suppression OF Vice versus Mr.. All Foo.
The virtues OF the Anti Vice Society. being
negatively expressed in It's name, are too palpa-
Bile 10 require explanation. The party Of the
second part. having a less comprehensive
cognomen. cannot be so summary disposed
OF. All Foo was a Chinese laundryman, He
was a very quiet. unpretentious Chinaman.
His shop was a ramshackle. wooden affair
perched on two or three big table rocks that
projected from the base OF a Helena hill. and An
Foo himself was so democratic as to collect
and deliver many OF the clothes that were washed
in his establishment. In spite OF his unassum-
ing manners, All Foo had a great reputation in
Helena and had he chosen to put on airs he could
have done so with impunity. In his line All
Foo was easily u king. There was not a better
washer and ironer in all Montana than he,
Helena. at that time. was a veritable Mecca OF
Monaghan importations who We're strenuous
at the washboard and artists with the fatiron.
but all their cleverness failed 10 raise them TO
the high level attained by All Foo. whose shirt
bosoms shone ike mirrors and whose ruffies
and tucks were without crease or blemish.
All Foo had many regular customers in the
western part Of Helena. Among these sturdy
patrons were the settled residents OF the Hotel
ST. Martin, The ST. Martin was a family hotel
whose population was subject to frequent
fluctuations due TO the nomadic propensities
OF the families stopping there. The st Martin
was managed by the 81. Martin itself and a GER
tain Mrs. Cecilia Foote. The st Martin. being
a solid structure Of brick and stone and DIM
cult Of locomotion, was always on hand 10 look
out for its own interests, but Mrs. Foote. al
though possessed of much solidity on her own
account. was less reliable. She. like her guests,
was given to erratic tendencies and there were
periods Of a week at a stretch when Mrs. Foote
was an unknown quantity about the hotel and
the st. Martin was obliged to take care Of itself.
A. a rule, the house deported itself with dignity
and proprie,y during these mysterious vaca-
tons Of its mistress but one time when Mrs.
Foote returned from her prolonged outing she
found that the st. Martin had forfeited It's repu-
tdtlOu lOT cpIi-FT NdtlNll ny hHNA-'l9 trHlluk
a part OF itself Room No. Si7-to a woman
with a limited allowance Of money and no ward
robe to speak Of and a prodisious supply Of
tears and a baby. So far as Mrs. Foote was
concerned the wardrobe and the tears were Of
small moment, but the money and the baby were
Of tremendous importance. The fact that the
81. Martin was a family hotel did not argue in
favor Of the baby. The families that patron
ICED Mrs. Foote's hostelry did not run 10 babies.
Never in all her experience as manager OF a
hotel had Mrs. Foote received a guest who was
either minus money or plus a baby. and now 10
be- confronted with both these evils united in
| one person, and that person domiciled beneath
her roof. was a shock that fairly Frustrated
Mrs. Foote. recently recovered, as she was.
from the CELEBRATING effects of her late disap-
pearance
Upon investigation Mrs. Foote learned
that the 81. Martin had had an accomplice in
the Infringement Of the ime-hOnored rule
in the person Of Nannette. the small maid whose
chief duty il was To carry coal and water. Nam
nette promptly went into Mysteries when ac-
cused Of her dupltcity.
YOU may beat the life out Of me- she
sobbed. but ! couldn't help il. She was a
stranger in town and didn't know where to
go, and | didn't have the heart 10 turn her
away on account Of the little hoy
Neither did Mrs, Foot. have the hardihood
TO insist upon immediate eviction after she had
gone around to No. 3i7 and interviewed the
occupant thereof She stayed in the room
more than twenty minutes and when she came
ont she held her handkerchief 10 her eyes and
her ample bosom heaved suspiciously. Down
in the hotel Office she encountered An Foo,
who had Just come in with a hasketful 81 freshly
Numbered clothes
John she snid, I believe I have a new
! customer for you. She i upstairs, in room
81. She hasn't, much money, ! believe, John.
and II you should take her washing | do hope
YOU will work for her a. cheap as you can. In
case you lose anything on her you can make
it UP by extra charges TO other people who have
more re, money P1S {har }eey sno" S %ha' 10 do dS TiIh;'
'Allee lightee. he said Ne see hlout il. Me
wa.hee welly cheap now alice leady,
When An Foo had delivered the basket
Of garments to their respective owners he
went upstairs to room 3i7. The door was
slightly ajar, and even the gentle force with
several inches further. There was no re-
Spouse from within and Al Foo knocked a
second time, stu nobody said Come In
but through the door, which wa. by that time
standing wide open All Foo had a good view
of the interior OF the room The FIRST thing
his eyes lighted upon was a baby that sat in
with wonder and a shadow Of fear in his big,
brown ewes. An ZOOS heart travelled with a
bound over the twelve ieet OF space separating
\ him from the mall boy and his feet soon fol-
lowed the emotional part Of hi being at a more
| decorOus pace. When one short step distant
from the edge OF the bed An Foo stopped and
locke ed his hands at his back resolutely.
Hello, lilae boy he said, ,,Whe' yo' ma"
The little boy p~uCkered up his lips as II to
make answer by use of n warning howl, but
| thinking better Of his inho,pitable impulse
the Instant it was conceived he rapidly emerged
| from shadows into a sunshine Of smiles. 90
~oo-goo' he said, quite distinctly.
All Foo wa, delighted with this communica-
ton. He understood every word Of il and
expressed his appreciation Of the small boys
conversational accomplishments by putting
another question.
Lillee boy he said. "wha's yo' name?'
The small boy had worked himself up into
such a sleeful frame Of mind by that time
that he said 'Oo-oo-goo' several times over
and punctuated his reply with so many rip
ping little laughs that All Foo was hard put
to 1t to disentangle the cognomen OF Celestial
novels from the inslodious gurgles. But
in spite Of this confusing interminsling of
Ideas All Foo was still convinced that the baby
met and he cheerfully proceeded with his cate
-" Iillee boy he said. 'yo' mightee pootee
lillee boy. YO' likee Gomez me-
The mall boy was so well pleased with
this compliment that he forgot TO enunciate
his customary euphonious reply, but merely
laughed and held out his arms as an indica-
tion Of his will ingness TO accept the invitation.
Al Foo's s.lf-reStraint became intQlerable
then. He unclasped his fingers. and. leaning
over the bed. he lifted the small boy into his
thin arms and becap TO promenade with him
IN and down the length Of the room. He
was still so engaged when the haby's mother