Evening journal., 1907-01-30

N All NENG, the little mother, sat among
IN the cold embers wailng and scattering
" handtuls OF ashcs over her head while
4 II fong Quong ran through the streets cry
ing, Loo Puck Loo Puck Oh little
peach blossom Of thy fathers garden where art thouf
An hour before she had been playing her tiny baby
brother astrde her hip wnh troop OF small heather
outside the bazaar door, while her father sat inside
and slipped sam-shR with his cronies One moment he
looked out and smiled at his merry little girl, with
her rosy cheeks set IN her shining HAIR like Oriental
pearl IN clasp OF jet The next moment he looked
--she gone
The other youngsters we're still PLAYING at their
games, laughing whooping like little iends Of mirth-
land, camperng hther and yon with pigails trailing
tasses OF red sken floss at their heels, the merry
imps played as If nothing had happend. Reassured
fong Quong had calmly questioned them. They
hocked about him.
"Oh she is here She is therel She is hiding in
chrruped
u saw the engshin (earthdevls) catch and eat her
cried one tiny rascal more imaginative than the rest
But she was not here there, nor in the old
barrel, nor IN the cellars, the doorways nor the
alleys Loo Puck the little celestial maiden of thir-
peaches like the tulips Of Hanoi, was gone
and That IS why the rice pot yawned empty of chou
and ne little mother Nah Neng, SAT IN is place among
the cold embcrs crying out her grief while Fong Quons
roamed the alleys calling, calling mournfuly for his
hgs born-though she svcre only girl
When he came back to the bazaar at nghtfan Nah
Nens sun SAP az her weeping; she did not
Iaise her head Tor she knew that his search had been
finding himself neglected was contcntng himself bv
soiemny scuiiing m corner with the Kittens while
diarproya of his preferences for feline playmates
r. picked the little boy up and coddcd him In his
arms $50
tast thou called in the bue-coated fat-beiies %
The white pigs and hast thou summoned TO council The
wise ones OF thy tong SOME base williams of ,be
dark alleys hath stolen Loo Puck and hidden her
IN nest OF iounessi why may wisdom and blood
money bring her backr
Il have considered these things The high man of
the buecoats has sent his best ferrets on
mighty ones have sent with cunning cves ana
padded iect into dcns where the white pias cannot
go-but Loo Puck not in them percbanrc ~
vilc % f0H Isl lhghbndcss) have taken her to como
House of Dreadful Doom and are holding her TO-
ransom. dici l know noti except thar mn near, is
very sad and mourn for my lily bud Loo Puck Iiei
he little mother and slipped her fat feet into
sandals. '0
4 80 to the temple and bcseech Kum Tah Foo Yum
70 hsrm' ''S
dict disi" cried Foug Quong to himself when sb.
had gone, had but sold her only two days apo to
illustrlous Chung No, the great one of the euev
sings, would now have thousand ven But how
can one OF the Hop SAM Tong sell the flesh of his
hesh 20 a Suey Sing Besides, / have promised her In
marriage 70 our cousin But Lucy Chen viii have none
OF her now, though She be found again 4fef 4iei
Il IS hard indeed 20 lose ones woman-ohild-or a
thousand ycni'
rs he sat lamenting with the rolypolv youngs,er
euddled IN the hollow of his arm, the drauqht IRON,
beneath the loosely hung door 20 the broken chimney
waited tiny bt OF rice paper the floor
lie iad the baby tendery on mat and picked I'd
the bit Of paper ~
Spread open, the aimsy billet displayed a line Of
pcraggy Chinese characters rudely brushed in dark
green ink lie read