The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-03-17
WING SHEE,
THE SUICIDE
By WILLIAM HAMILTON OSBORNE
copyright, 1905. by Daily story Pub Col

/ A LII HIS life had Wing Shee been
"A happy; little Wing Shee, OF the
| 20-odd years-all his life until now. To
| be sure, there had been no reason why he
| should not be happy. For ever since
the time when he had left the Street of
| the Seven Waxen Fuchias. he had been
/ successful, as the world goes. He had
been good; he had prayed 70 all his gods
with his little spit-ball prayers with all
his might. Especially had he shown his
| intense devotion to that great American
god, the Dollar. So he had prospered.
But he had prospered, to this time, alone
( he and his collars and cuffs and his
/ fat irons, and his sign that had Wing
Shee, Laundry, on II, and swung fitfully
with the passing breeze.
| But, now, the great god of Unrest WAS
at him, night and day. And no wonder.
| For the dlminutive Yo King had ar
rived. When or how he knew not. But
| there she was. Yo King, laughing and
| nodding at him with sheer good nature
| from a window Just across the way.
Wing Shee. it is true, had never seen Yo
| King before; nor had she seen him-but
/ Wing Shee knew that his time had come.
| He had seen many beautiful women,
| both in the old Street OF the Seven
| Waxen Fuchias, and upon the thorough
| fare Of the marvellous Broad Way but
never had he seen aught like Yo King.
He smiled at her and waved his hand
and showed his teeth.
"Yeh, yeh," ne exclaimed, riotously,
| though, Of course, she was too far away
ito hear him. He picked up bit OF silk
ribbon and stuck II in his blouse, Amer
lean fashion. She laughed and placed a
flower in her hair. Then Wing Shee bent
to his work and ironed furiously away,
singing a quavering little love song all
the while. This was the beginning Of
Il all. This was the time that the great
god OF Unrest laughed In his ample
sleeve.
II was love at first sight: Wing Shee
knew Il: and so did Yo King. They met
and gabbled, each In a coy, embarrassed
way-and then they had made their lit
tie vows, and had told each other that
the world was as bright as though IL
great suns were shining all at once.
They little knew.
Wing Shee was not the only one OF
his kind who had seen the little 70 King
and caught the glamour Of her eye. II
Yo King had had her own way there
would have been no glamour In her eye,
save when Wing Shee looked on; but
the gods had made her beautiful and
there were other of her countrymen
who recognized that fact
One Of these was big Fang Ho, he OF
the tea store and the big yellow teeth
He was rich and powerful-he was q
bachelor. He took 70 Kings old guar
dian out to the Chinese chop-house and
filled him up with good things to eat
and with rice wine to drink, and told
him, that he, Fang Ho, must marry Yc
King. Yo Kings uncle. a kindly, bu,
weak old man. nodded his head and
blinked his eyes and agreed that II must
be so.
But Yo King would not have It so. In
a moment when the gods had ceased tC
favor her she told the reason why-shs
loved Wing shee. Fang Ho heard Of
this, and nodded darkly. He had way
to nx all that.
Behind Fang Ho was the Big 81,
Tong. II was the Big Six Tong thai
served on Wing Shee, one morning, its
terrible summons--a summons thai
must be obeyed. This summons lfelt
this message:
go to San Francisco, to the counci
of the Tong, or, go back to China, Or
die. This do, at once"
Wing Shee knew too well what II al
meant. He groaned aloud. Then he be
gan 10 plan. He wondered II he coult
get the little Yo King and steal away
with her in the darkness. He dared no
go near her in the light. He tried I,
make some sign. But it was no use. H,
must fee until 1t was safe to come back
, He went.
He crept aboard ferry boat ono,
upon 1t he watched an who came aboard
He was sure he was safe. The boa
pulled ont and as II reached the middle
OF the stu cam two dark figures sprang vi
from a corner-it was highland ap
preached Wing Shee. Wing trembled
He knew who these were-Fang Ho ant
, Wou Sing, another member Of the Tong
Where bound for?" asked Fang Ho.
San Francisco" answered VIM
Shee.
NO" said Fang Ho, you lie."
"Yeh." responded Wing Shee. ~
China"
mo-" hissed Fang Ho: "eat this" I
was . small. round pellet. Wing She,
!. trombled. but he took II. Up to thi
time he had had hope. But now hop
forsook him-ths doom Of Unrest W.
upoa him. He knew that he could no
sscaps. The ere Of Fang Ho-oe tn