The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1906-03-01


the afternoon on some GRAND and a.
he passed the cook house where Lung
Sing was scoarlng his pots aud pans
he heard sound that CAUSED hun to
stop in his tracks aud eXelaim
We'll, I'll be hanged
Lung Sing was whistling He aad
been cook at Star ranch for over
year and had never been heard Ia wins
tie before Indeed, he never hummed
never smiled. never talked unless d
rcctly spoken TO. lie was put down a.
surly aud ,rossgraine-l. but rs he was
a good cook and rs none of the men
cared copper whether he talked or not
he still held his place.
Whats the matterF' asked Colonel
Spears wife. Who was mistress OF the
ranch as the foreman finally reached
the door
That heaIhen buck there is wills.
Ting
We'll. can't Il heather whistler"
There Is no law against It. but Lung
Sing has been here over year, and
this Is his first foot Wonder what has
happened to chirk him upY'
Il can't say. ! had him in here An
hour ago and told him that he'd have to
take the blackboard tomorrow morning
and drive over to PluC Hill to meet
Fannie Williams She's coming on TO
stay with lis month or two. you know.
They think something IS the matter
with her lungs. and the doctor has rec.
commended this climate The colonel
has get 10 20 over 10 Wolf Creek. and.
Of course. the resi- Of you are busy"
"Bnt-but | don't Ike the idea" said
the foreman rs he scratched his head
"NhY coat yon%'
"RecaGs,- Lung Sing i whistliug
When Il truthen whistles lool, out for
him
The woman laughed aud turned away.
and a minute later the foremau was
walking off He passed the cook house
again, and the Chinman was still Wits.
Ting softly TO himself
Hes at it again. and III bet he's ur
to some deviltry. III tell the boys to
keep an eye on him."
KS soon as he had cooked the mems
breakfast Lext morning Lung Sing set
out on his ten mile drive TO the rail
road. He was given many words OF
caution by the colonel wife, and he
promised over again to drive slowly
aud bring the girl and her trunk safely
to the ranch. His face was as impas-
sivc as washboard until he had left
the house half mile behind him; then
he puckered his mouth aud began to
whistle Between whistles he grinned
and smiled
An hour and half later lie drove up
10 the little station on the plains, and
when the train came in his passenger
stepped from one of the parlor ours.
Lung Sing welcomed Ter with u grunt
He gruntcd again as he put her bag
gage aboard the vehicle and he put on
a blank look rs the station agent said
to the girl
II suppose hes the cook over at the
Star aud they seut him because all the
others were busy
"Oh, III excuse him. laughed the
girl rs she settled herself And next
moment Lung sing was driving away.
1t was in June aud the weather was
cool and pleasant and the girl almost
forgot the man beside her as mile after
nile was passed Once or twice she
WAS conscious HAT he was whlstling,
but as she didn't know whether China
men usually whiStled or not she did
not give the matter a second thought.
She had boon Informed by letter that
the drive from the station TO the ranch
house would not occupy over two hours
ut the farthest That meant her ar
rival by noon Her watch showed her
when that huIIr had come round. but
she could scc 40 sign of civilization. In
fact. she saw Chat the vehicle had left
the road, such rs 1t was, aud was pro
recdlng over the unmarked plains.
Are We almost there?' she asked as
She turned 10 Lung Sing and spoke
for the first time since leaving the
station.
Lille while--ille while he replied
as he stared straight ahead
But how is il that you are off the
road?'
Load ale light"
A minute later the Chinaman was
whistling. 1t wasn't the honest whIs-
tie of an American, but there was
something hypocritlcal and deceiying
about ii. The girl had nothing further
to say. The man would not have been
sent IL he hadn't been all right, and II
he had left the track IL was probably
TO take short cnt and reach the
house all the sooner 1t was not until
her watch marked / o'clock and the
vehicle was being driven among the
scrub pines and cedars. along n stretch
Of foothills. that the girl turned and
seized Lung Sing by the arm and ex-
claimed:
Il know you are not taking me to
the ranch house, What do you mean
by this"
"Alle lght-alle light" replied the
Celestial as he hurried the horse for
ward
But it 10 not all right Let me out
ut oucen
He seized her with one hand TO hold
her in the seat while he guided the
horse with the other, but In the strug-
gle the animal was refined Into tree
and the vehicle stuck fast. Then Lung
Sing developed the plot that had been
working in his brain ever since the
moment lie was told that he must drive