Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-01

Don't you believe that" said the
boy. '"cause 1t isn't 50. Never heard
either of them sung. It's probably
some Jew song. I'm not much ut
Hebrew. though there was Il Jewcss In
| our house.
Tillie was disappointed. but putting
her hands on her hips and her legs faf
apart she sang THE Sidewalks OF
New York" from start to finish. She
, was interrupted by Betty's call for
| Fun Ting. The women wanted him to
bring his musical blocks down ana
play for the men.
A little while after he stood in the
seat of Joers armchair playing tiny
mandolin. On the table i'm front OF
him was his trick box" as Betty
called it. She was afraid of this box.
| He had done such wonderful things
with il on rainy days. She wished ne
Wouldn't show any of them. She
| feared that his miracles savored too
| much of black art, and might pre-
| cipitate another encounter with the
minister or the critical Mrs. Hovey.
The mystical music Of the mandolin
and the blocks was having it's effect
! upon the audience. Everyone had
| eaten too much. Everyone felt
sleepy or drowsy The little boy was
| planning to carry out his threat to
("entertain'' as he had offered to the
| day before. He was but doing the
time worn things that he had seen
done in the cellars and darkcncd
| rooms of Chinatown. and the secrets
| Of which his wonderful father had
| taken delight in teaching him.
The music was Overpowering. Old
| Grandma Smith was fast asleep.
! Others nodded.
The boy suddenly laid down the
| mallet and opened the box. He took
| out a glass ball and holding il up be-
! gan to chant in n drowsy sing-song,
! .-rinC-ling-iinc. Ting -lng-linE,
| B:ng-tinS-ting. BinG-t ine-ting-
| All the time the glass ball gilt
| tered in his hand, and held all eyes
upon it's shiny surface. Gradually he
! reached forward till one OF joel
big Northern Spy apples fell into his
hand from the basket on the table.
ana he put it beside the ball. Round
| and round they circlcd till the ball
| disappeared. No one saw where II
| went. but it slipped down one OF Fun
| Ting's ample sleeves. All eyes were
upon the apples red. smooth Flora
painted sides.
| Taking knife from the table the
| boy split it open. still chanting this
| sing song Ting ting"
Counting out the seeds i'll his brown
creamy palm he held them before the
audience. His voice gradually fell to
a monotone. Taking the hcaping
sugar bowl and placing the seeds in
the sugar he kept up his incantations,
moving his hands in circles over the
| bowl. The minister felt vaguely that
he ought Ia interfere but he was too
curious. and the rythm Of the chant
held him spellbound. With startled.
set eyes the farmers and farmers
wives saw three green slips start up
from the sugar ana grow rapidly. The
trained eyes of the farmer folk rcCog-
nized the young shoots of the apple
tree. Now it was small tree with
green leaves. Fun Ting waved a white
napkin over the head Of celery in
front of him. still chanting. and be-
fore the hypnotiZed eyes OF the visitors
the apple tree broke into bloom. and a
minute later young green apples We're
growing. Betty. who was not under
the spell. saw Fun Ting pass several
red apples from the basket to the
head of celery. but what the others
saw was the Eloriiicd Chinese chcrub
picking ripe luscious apples from 4
| tree growing out of the sugar bowl.
Then. while the tree still stood there
the hoy passed the hcapinE basket 10
Title Eruce and told her To give every
one an apple. When she had passed
clear around the table Fun Ting said.
Now cat them"
Everyone. even the pale minister and
the lean Mrs. Hovey fell to taking
great bites out of the apples they had
seen the Oriental pick from the tree in
the sugar bowl
| Fun Ting. with vicious pleasure
waited till the minister had hastily
eaten half his apple. his eyes still
fixed on the head Of celery behind the.
sugar bowl. which nc WAS sure was an
lapple tree. Then he smartly clapped
his hands.
The spell broke. the tree disappeared
like magic. and the guests found them
selves excitedly eating big apples as il
they had never eaten anything else.
The basket that had been heapcd
with Northern Spy apples before the
seanCe began. was empty.
Mrs. Hovey was the first to break
the surprised silence.
| Betty Hudson. l would not stay in
the house with that little heather over
night. for the world" she cried.
He sleeps like kitten" said
Betty sweetly. She was proud of
him. She didn't understand what had
happened. but saw that the little fell
low had amazed everyone.
1T is Of the devil said the minis
ter pushing back his chair. and falling
upon his knees to pray. as was his
custom after eating in the house Of a
rarishioner When he got up and saw.
that Fun Ting had knel: beside his
chair and covered his face, he could
say nothing. but he vowed he'd make
trouble for him in the months follow
ing II he got the chance.
That night when all had gone Fun
Ting explained that he had lust
fooled" the folks, and that he had not
Eurt them ut all
| Papa used to amuse mamma by
showing her the old farm here and Vol,
~ nd no,