Arizona republican., 1905-05-21

lying, smoking opium pipes. Least ways, I thought they were Chinamen, but as soon as the door was shut one jumped up and took me in his arms. 1 screamed and fought to get away, but he called me Reba, and knew it was daddy. No wonder I didn't recognize him before. He had on a wig with long queue, and a gold embroidered costume. and his face was painted in a hideous fashion, with his nose all white and streaks under his eyes.
 After I had kissed half of the paint off his face he told me what had hap pened
 Daddy had been i'll San Francisco long enough to get pretty we'll ac- quainted with Chinatown. He had kept around there from the first to escape notice, and he had got to be mighty good friends with one of the actors who spoke English fairly well. When he was chased by the detective he made straight for Moy Kip's room, and asked to hide out. The Chinese are used to fooling the police. and Kip just threw a gown over Daddy's shoulders. painted his face and put him on the opium bunk. When the officer went through the actors rooms he looked in, but he didn't see any more than l saw at first. Then Moy Kip watched me through the little window over the stage, and as soon as the detective left the place they sent for me.
 Daddy and I were taken to a room three stories under the sidewalk, where We hid for a week, going upstairs at meal times. It was just like one big family of about eighty men, but only one or two women
 lixri,,or fac cI1iov7 Tr-ifbo11f sunlight or decent food, didn't agree with daddy ot oil. and he fell sick. It wasn't only the air that was ailing him; it was the fear of capture, too, and with all the hardship and worry his fever got steadily worse. He was always worrying about something when he was delirious, and I couldn't t make out quite what it was about till one day, just before the end, when his mind cleared and he told me. Moy Kip wanted to marry mel Daddy didn't know what to do. He couldn't t bear to ask me to marry a Chinaman, and he didn't like to refuse the man who had been right kind to him.
 You can imagine how felt about it. It would have been bad enough if Moy Kip had been an ordinary Chinaman, but, being an actor, he belonged to almost the lowest caste. Undertakers and barbers and boatmen are the only ones below Actors can't even mix equally with the ordinary coolies. Be side Kip being the principal 'white | face" actor or comedian, the manager
 didn't let him leave the theater much. for fear he'd be kidnapped by highbind- CTS and held for ransom. If I married him, the life would be something awful. And now, to make it all the worse. my poor old Dodo was taken away. He died in my arms after being sick a week
 i I was alone in the city, without money or friends, except the Chinese factors. I was almost crazy for sun 1 light and fresh air and the sight of [ decent people.
 | Moy Kip was the only one of the crowd of Chinamen in the building who could speak English very we'll and he had also been my fathers friend. He was educated after a fash | ion, and, for a Chinaman, kind and
 gentIemanly.
 | One day, soon after Daddy was bur | jed, Kip came to my room. I was cry | ing on the bunk, and he stood there
 watching me; then he placed a roll ot ] gold on the table. 'I give you s200,'
 he said You likee go away home: i No good stay here. Chiny actor hear
 bad
 I sat up in surprise. I wondered where I would ever find another mar
 who, loving me and having me in his power, would give me the means tC
 escape. Right away I began to like him.
 "Oh, Moy Kip" I said, ''you have 1 been so good to poor Daddy | Jn ''You likee Moy Kip? You mally me 1 please?"
 So, after a while, I ended by accept ing him, and I have never been sorry
 since.
 But it was not till the carriage tool
 me from my old rooms and the slave woman had carried me on her back III l the stairs and into Moy Kip's room (s6 | that I should not stumble on the ! threshold and bring bad luck) that 1 found out how much difference the marriage was going to make to my | husband. For I wasn't taken to the theater at all. but to a little set O. rooms in Spofford alley. When h' l came into meet me, dressed like z prince in his lilac blouse and greer 1 trousers, asked him how it happened
 he hadn't fitted up a room for me ii ] the theater.
 1 Seems like he reckoned I haC i brought him good luck, for he had paiC
 the manager for the right to quit act 1 ing and he was going to try and ge | into more respectable business. II l China, of course, he would have haS
 to go on being an actor, and his son: after him, but Chinatown here is diff ferent, and it's getting to lose some O 1 the old strictness.
 1 What Moy Kip was going to do wa:
 to smuggle opium. He'd been wanting | to go into it for a long time, but h' | had nobody to help him at it; nobodS | he could trust that is. With me tC take hold, he reckoned he could make right smart of money.
 1 We bought a naphtha launch anC filled it with nets and truck, like WI were fishing, if anybody wanted to in l Snact and Kin had fixed the stew.