The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-07-24

YES, | have heard. said All Him.
with a shullder. But We're they ever
known in our tong?"
III you had been present at the meet
Ing ysu -tould have remembered, my
good Kim" said Wong Chez. 1T was
in the tenth year of Kwong Suey, not
three years since, when Mc:v Zip Ting
refused to pay is dues in the tong,
and his case was brought before the
meeting of the association. Then we
sat in the dark, and the voice of the
tong read the charge against Now Zip
Ting And we listened in silence, and
| when it was asked if we would forgive
| the debt there was no voice raised for
| the merchant, for he had made his
riches through the favor and protection
| of the tong. and he would evade the
| dues that even the poorest must pay.
| So when the voice of the tong spoke
| through the darkness and said that we
| had choice to forgive the debt or to in
| fiict the punishment there was NUT
ter as of the thunder that sounds in the
distance. and it was the sentence of
death to Now Zip Ting. Then it was
| spoken in the darkness that it was not
fit that one of the tongs should do the
deed. and whisper ran through the
| air that this was work for the broth
| ers of the Ratchet. So it was said,
| and the reward was fixed, and | was
made the voice of the tong to speak to
| the three brothers. Yes, l know the
three and have seen them, but do not
speak their names nor turn my eyes to
| their faces when meet them on the
| street You know the fate of Now
Zip Ting?"
who does not?" said All Kim.
"Who, indeed?" echoed Wong Chez
placidly. For many men have given
up their lives in Chinatown, yet but
three have suffered death in the man
ner of Now Zip Ting"
"And Sam Suey was hanged for it by
the police of the white DEVILS" said All
Kim
"The art of the three brothers is past
the power of the police to search out
For though the white devils are clever
with machines they are but children in
the subtle workings of the mind and
know not falsehood from TRUTH
"Your wisdom is great, Wong Chez;
yet is it great enough to say who goes
through the door of the house that the
three brothers have taken tonight?'
"It is great enough to say to you not
to concern yourself with such thoughts.
| Think not of who the man may be.
Pray that he be none of your friends.
Make sure that he be not yourself"
/ al ic
of the best will go to the house of
the joss to pray for my friends and
dismiss the three brothers from my
thoughts
And so saying he left Wong Chez and
turned his steps toward the shrine Of
the joss that is in the tong house in
Commercial street. Yet on the way his
thoughts were only Of the three broth
ers of the Ratchet, and in the darkness
he could see with the eye of the mind
the face Of the tall brother with the
scar running from eye to chin and the
stout brother with the wart on his
cheek and the small brother who limp
ed with his right leg. And the three
glowered as they tioated before him
through the atmosphere of thought and
threatened him with silent words as he
walked. So it was with alarm that
came almost to CONSERVATION that Ah
Kim found that his feet had brought
him once more to the doorway from
which he had seen the three brothers
go with such mystery into the vacant
house. and he halted as a man struck
to stone. To his excited vision the three
faces peered menacingly at him from
every dark window and told him that
even in the obscurity of the doorway to
which his feet had brought him he was
observed; yet he could not fly from the
danger and watched the house as the
bird watches the snake.
He looked intently for sign Of life,
yet none was to be seen. No light
glmmered from the windows. Men
came by in ones and twos, and he
shrank back into the shadow. Then on
a sudden he saw figure glide along
the walk across the street and disap.
pear in the fatal doorway. Now All
Kim shook as with an ague and was
alert for what might happen.
Was this the man for whom the three
1
tim would go so unsuspectingly to such
house and alone. Yet curiosity was
strong upon him. and he wished thai
he dared venture to the door and lister
and perchance learn something of the
dreadful deeds of the three brothers Of
the Ratchet.
AS he looked and listened and trem
bled two men came along the walk. HI
, was relieved to see that they were
white devils and listened to their talk.
81 was sure that was the number,
+ said one.
! "Now, that's quare," said the other
and All Kim was stricken with fear tt
I see that this was one of the white dew
. lis policemen, for he had been arrested
| for the awful crime of holding lotter.
ticket and had been kept 80 days il
o Jail. Yet he was not too much in fea
t to hear the policeman as he said, "Tha
e house has been to rint liver since cam,
on this BATE
; ut is not so strange" said the other