Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-04-26

tElnS must De Just 81 4oA Aiiii. w
The table cloth Was a wee brown spot.
brought about through Missees care
ltssness IN helping herself TO gravy,
and this 10y WAS endeaNoring TO hide
when entered to him the Mister and
Missee, very hungry impatient after
a long walk; likewise Jim Sing. the lat
Ter wearing very white and dunn
founded face and shaking hands. Some
:hing must be the matter, Toy thought.
as he glanced at his cousin; doubtless
a pie had burned or that careless Foo
Chung had again ruined the tish-sln
verguenza! But Missee wanted some
hot tea lin hurry" and Mister was
cross about his soup - Jim Sing, in
spite of his urgent, almost frantic ges-
lures. would have to wait.
Twenty minutes later. Missee being
fully appeased and enjoying highly her
nice fried chicken and hot tea, 10y
dared leave the room to speak for
moment with Jim Sing. What did
he mean by his idiotic behavior? Sure.
IN, one would believe the restaurant on
fire. or mans wife Oh her death-bed
the mattero
Jim Sing. weeping Indignantly in
the midst OF several white-faced China.
men, explained brokenly that Chona
and the bull-ti@hter Juan Jimenez had
half an hour earlier, been seen cross
ing the Rio Grande bridge; both We're
fitted out for travelling. both carried
a
for "liberty or death" Two train;
had since pulled out on the American
side for Sierra Madre and Sonora, re.
spectively, and the Central would also
go out within another ten minutes.
He Coy Lee) was "a dishonored man,
along with his kindred, and all or
account of the American Misses tea.
But for her there would have been time
to stop the runaways. Now it woulc
be too late, confusion to their souls.
in some matters the Chinese have very
nice and delicate feelings: otherwise
any one of the dozen Cinnamon who lis
tened TO Jim Sings tale of woe coulo
| have gone after and overtaken. halt
an hour ago. the erring and fleeing
wife. AS i, was, only the aggreved hus-
band could avenge himself and the loss
of the precious $4,000. For a hurriec
investigation showed that every cent
of poor Toys savings had been stolen
| In the confusion and hustle the
American couple We're forgotten, like
wise the fish, likewise the milk-custard
likewise the fact that, never having
taken out passports. Toy Lung Lee
could not, according to the law, pas.
over the Rio Grande bridge into Amer
lean territory. Up to the flagstaff thai
held proudly a.oft the American stars
and stripes he could wa.k-no further
With faint thought OF this, whirl:us
though his brain and senses were, poor
Toy hastily dressed himself in Ameri'
can clothes, with a tall silk hat crown.
ing his fiat. snub-nosed face-the sob
bling Jim Sing had suggested "Melican'
clothes and a tall hat as the most posi-
tive of DISCUSSES. Dressed as an Amer
lean, he might perhaps elude the vigil.
ance of the dreaded customs officer 90
the American side. During a part OF
the costuming Foo Chung had been
present. He it was who braced up Toys
trousers. and even pinned a Mckinley
button on his coat lapel before hastily
departing to attend to The custard.
At about five minutes to eight the
| American customs officer a the bridge
was preparing to turn over to his night
relief. when quick gathering footsteps
were heard. Nearer and nearer they
came until a man doomed up out OF the
gray adobe-ness of the night. and stood
painting before nina small man.
dressed accurately in American clothes
and tall hat. His face did not show.
fully kept hand extended to the GUS
toms man an American coin. covering
the bridge toll. At first the gringo
thought of dispu1ing this mans right
to cross: it seemed, somehow. that
something was wrong. But he was
Sleepy. and what did it matter after
all' He took the coin and returned
ten cents in change, upon which the
man plunged hastily past him. TIC
haste the American was accustomed.
but the feeling that something wa.
wrong caused him to look after the
stranger. What was that long. ropy
thing dangling down from his silk hat :?
\ pig-tail. and its owner must be Il
Chinaman trying to dodge the United
States law.
In five seconds the customs man had
caught the Celestial. knocked off his
tall silk hat, and was staring scrutiniz-
ingly into white twitching Chinese
face, with agonized eyes and cold. blue
lips. that made applications in a
strange language. a Chinaman. sure
enough. The disguise had been care
fully gotten up. TOO, but for the for
gotten pig-tail. which dangled uncon-
cealed far below the waist-buttons of
the American coat.
Americans generally know only
the American language, and China
men hardly ever know more than
their own cultural tongue; there
was, besides, no interpreter. Other
wise (for it was an important mat
teri the customs officer. in the
| goodness of his heart mjUht have