The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-27
By
CHARLES
X.
MOSER

window The four panes. each no wider than hands
breadth, grmy with dirt, the aeeumulations of
years All the windows that spotted the square court
like iyspeeks on kaolin walls similar; here and
there little painted face peered out through the iron
bars smiling sometimes. sad, wistful smile.
But this window was high up; lace pressed against
it could not be seen from the yard below
The itself bad, that its lnery
frayed and soiled with the musty odor of aging
filth.
On the mats lay little girl She was weeping
softly, her head buried IN her
The heavy door swung back on its hinges without
warning creak, and came into the rooni-a tat
old man with mrthful features, an upper lip like the
foreshortened OF tapir that gisened like
polished shoe buttons and huge under his chm
He wore breeches green satin, tightly bound the
ankles, blouse of wine-colored silk, and ron-gray
queue swung from below his concal cap with its red
button, signlfying his rank as mandarin.
with rain little golden fay he said noting the girls
tears. Come, come, Miss Bright Eyes, high time
for the TO shine Lift up thy face and let me see
The trembling figure in the girish of blue made
An listen now. fragrant little jasmine flower Hear
the words OF one who hast much love for thee and
give thyscf happiness. Behold, have brought
bracelets OF jade for thee and SILVER bangles to nke
butterflies and star-pns for thy hair, which hath the
glory OF the night already Wilt thou
@p + would have only my mother, Nah Neng. most
noble lord, she said between her sobs
Foolish one am thy father and mother also
There is other; hast it not yet come to thee thou
art the slave OF Chung Wo and art bound to his wls
oh, gracious lord, | pray thee lie. go to Nah
Nene Illustrious one, | shall die here, l shall die
here! pray thee, is that want the little mother,
Nah Neng!"
and swung her up to the level of his breast In
stany pleading child turned into nurated little
beast She screamed like tortured kitten and flung
her pointed nails his leering yellow face with all
her furious strength.
Chung We hurled her from him to the heap of mat
ting and cody walked to the door. Ills SKIN smarted
with the sting OF her scratches, but he smiling
1t was late that night when Chung Wo sat IN the
inner sanctum OF the Suey Sing Tong, smoking the
pipe OF peace with himself None but his secretary
guarded the antecambcr but the secret gathering
hail. where the blood clan grisly councils a
score of Ratchet wielders played fan-tan within sound
of his ::
The-seoretary pushed aside the green baze curtain
and stood i'll the presence OF the mighty one he kow
towed twice touching his head the floor:
Exalted greatness he said "a dog of coote stands
without the door, ne infect the thou
breathest with his diseased bones
Chung Wo frowned.
What doth he want ??
HE hath a complaint. graciousness.
well, let him | will feed his eyebals to
The cooe entered, young in faded overaHs
clogs and a jumper that smclled OF fish and sea-
water Three times he kowtowcd before the great
OF earth. -
\yhat wilt thou, born!"
"Oh ilustrious one, ] poor man as thou dost
sec Alas! My father dead and his bones lie this
lsnd OF The infdes My mother weepeth for them by
TO send them. | suppiicate- -
But thy father was not OF the Suey Sing
NAV. heaven-born, but
The secretary entered again and kowtowcd:
Another vile ooolie with tale of woe, gracious
nessr