The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-07

Copyright, 1901, by Daily Story PUB. GO.
Mau Cling was young and brown, and
dimpled youth and innocence shone IN
her obliuue veivety eyes, but there was
pathetic look in their depths. for Mau
Cling was Chinese slave girl. The OLD
woman who had her in charge never per-
United her to go upon the street alone,
and she was under almost constant sur
VIGILANCE. But tonight, being the ffst
night of the Chinese New Year, the Old
bag had permitted her to step out upon
the long balcony and look down upon the
motley scene. She was dressed in rich
and becoming manner; blue silk trousers,
and the tiniest embroidered sandals, and
even CARRIED in the ungainly blouse OF the
China woman one could detect the sym
metrical lines of her young form, swell
ing into wOmanhood.
What beautiful picture she made as
with tiny brown hands pushing ASIDE the
SPRAYS of the China lily she peeped
through its fragrant whteness and down
to the street She could see the door be-
| low. and watch the men coming In 10
smoke opium. OF men she knew nothing
las vet; and her virgin soul, not KNOW
ing the hellish life forced upon slave
girl, pictured to itself the hero VINO
| would come one day, and with love ana
tenderness WOO hSr She thought of these
Things uOWy DIS SIlO pNSPSo LII 49, 49,
lilies. She thought, too, of the hideous
old highbinder to whom she had been
| promised but she had always felt that
fate would not be so unkind as to let MIN
possess her.
The sensuous fragrance of the lilies
| must have been waited to one below, Tor
Just then a handsome young American,
evidently of wealth and refinement, paus-
ed in threading his way through the mar
row streets. and glanced upward. Mau
Cling CHANGED to look down at that mo-
ment and the oblique eyes met the laugh
ing blue ones, and-the crowd surged on.
| Jack no longer went with the crowd.
however but was possessed of a sudden
| desire to try a new experiment-that OF
smoking the long opium pipes. Strange
! that he should never before have felt this
desire.
He grew holder as he ascended the 1sar
row. opium-scented stairway, and the
! sight of a pair of celestial eyes peepinS
from the balcony made him more boid
than before. No one was on guard to-
| night but the old yellow wrinkled has
who held the keys of this sweet and pat-
pitating young life. If he could only get
rid OF her, But how? A slave girl was
| too precious thing to be left unprotected,
for who could tell what might happen.
| even in moment? The old bag did not
| know he had seen the young Mau Cling:
did not know that at that moment his
heart was beating so wildly that he fear
/ ed it might be audible, and all because
| through the folds OF curtain two
| brown eyes were looking into his very
! soul. and two soft little brown hands
were stretched out to him, in a manner
| which plainly said Save met He stood
| there pickering with the old woman and
| pretending he couldsnot understand her,
| in order to gain time-to plan. Only
| curtain separated him from this young
| unknown-she of the Orient-he had no
excuse for coming, save that he wished
| to smoke. He could not delay any
| longer. or she might suspect and that
would end everything. With despairing
| look at the young girl, he entered the
| small hot room and took his place on the
hard bamboo couch. He really did not
| have the least desire to smoke the opium;
the very idea was repulsive to him; but
| it would give him time to collect his
| thoughts.
| He hardly knew what he wished to
| do-only that he was young and ardent.
just then a crowd came in, and the at
stention of the old crone was taken up
with Them He was in a room all alone;
lie could hear them as they swore at the
| old woman, and she finally assigned them
| to. their different places. Suddenly his
| door was softly opened-he had not
fastened lt-and there came INTO view liie
| pretty, piquant face of-the unknown.
| ..Come in quickly. he hoarsely whisper
| ed. Swiftly her 1.-THE young body slipped
through the door, which was Immediately
| fastened by the ardent Jack.
| Now that she was inEwhat sftuld she
do? He took the slim little brown hand
in his. and could feel the wild pulse
| throbbing as it lay in his palm. She was
near him-alone with him-where no one
| else had any existence. She was more
beautiful than the almond fower-and so
| Young. and-innocent.
al am a slave girl, save mel! she pant
/ ed. as she looked into his eyes; and he
he knew then that 1t did not signify in
| the least that she was of China, and he
of America She was woman-young
and beautiful-and at once his whole i'm
pulsive soul went out to her. He pitied
her. and pity is akin to love-
Dear child will save you" he said.
.Where is your owner-the old woman?'
"She?-she smoke with the mani
know how she do when she smoke; she
no wake till the dawn" God!
| the JOY of this. Could it be that he was
TO be near this sweet young thing alone
until the dawn? This was more than