Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-02-04
| WING SHEE.
THE SUICIDE
BY WILLIAM HAMILTON OSBORNE
tcopyrish.. 1905. BY Daily story Pub. Co.,

A LII HIS life had Wing Shee bee
~ happy; little Wing Shee. Of tn
20-odd years all his life until now.
be sure, there had been no reason why b
should not be happy. For ever sine
the time when he had left the Street {
the Seven Waxen Fuchias, he had bee
successful, as the world goes. He ha
been good; he had prayed to all his god
with his little spit-ball prayers with al
his might. Especially had he shown hi
intense devotion to that great America
god, the Dollar. So he had prospered
But he had prospered, to this time, alon'
he and his collars and cuffs and BIZ
fiat irons, and his sign that had Wins
Shee, Laundry, on It, and swung fltfully
with the passing breeze.
But, now, the great god Of Unrest wal
at him, night and day. And no wonder
For the diminutive 70 King had ar
rived. When or how he knew not. But
there she was, 70 King, laughing and
nodding at him with sheer good nature
from a window Just across the way.
Wing Shee, 1t Is true. had never seen 70
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 F'uchias, and upon the thorough
fare Of the marvellous Broad Way, but
never had he seen aught like 70 King.
He smiled at her and waved his hand
and showed his teeth.
"Yeh, yeh," he exclaimed, riotously,
though, Of course, she was too far away
to hear him. He picked up BIT OF silk
ribbon and stuck 1t 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 quavering little love song ell
the while. This was the beginning Of
Il all. This was the time that the great
god Of Unrest laughed in his ample
sleeve.
It was love at first sight; Wing Shee
knew It; and so did 70 King. They met |
md gabbled. each In a coy, embarrassed |
way--and then they had made their lit |
lie VOWS, and had told each other that
he world was as bright as though 10
yreat suns were shining all at once.
they little knew.
ForWing Shee was not the only one Of
lis kind who had seen the little 70 King
md caught the glamour Of her eye. II
70 King had had her own way there
Tould have been no glamour in her eye,
ave when Wing Shee looked on; but
he gods had made her beautiful and
here were other Of her countrymen
tho recognized that fact.
One Of these was big Fang Ho, he Of
he tea store and the big yellow teeth. !
Ie was rich and powerful-he was a
achelor. He took 70 Kings old guar I
ian out to the Chinese chop-house and {
He'd him up with good things to eat, {
I'D with rice wine to drink, and told d
i'm. that he, Fang Ho. must marry 70 ;
Ing. 70 Kings uncle, a kindly; but B
eak old man. nodded his head and I
linked his eyes and agreed that II must Il
so. s
But 70 King would not have It 50. In 8
moment when the gods had ceased to v
vor her she told the reason why-she h
we'd Wing shee. Fang Ho heard Of a
Is. and nodded darkiy. He had a way d
lx all, that. p
Behind Fang Ho was the Big Six Z
ing. II was the Big Six Tong that n
rived on Wing shee. one morning, It's q
rrible summons-a summons that
nat be obeyed. This summons. held q
Il message: "
Go 10 San Francisco, to the council lii
the Tong, or. 50 back to China On, p
This DO. At once" ~
Wing Shee knew too well what Il all a'
ant He groaned aloud. Then he be-
J TO plan. He wondered n he could
the little 70 King and steal away ~
\ her IN the darkness. He dared not -
near her IN the light He risd 10 ~
he some sign. But 4 vas no use He 4.
It Zee until Il Wls safe to cone bach. -,
went -
70 crypt aboard q ferry boat; once IL
a lt he watched IN Who cane abuars ~
va sure he wa1 rnla The boat Il
Ia out and a. 4 Ilached IL middle Ife
1s stream iVo dalk 1rur's l1r'nr % t.l
p . e'rn7'-'i rl1 r'Est-.11 - ~