The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1908-02-07
THE LOVE OF
WAH SCUM @

interested eyes, wan Of unB Sni'eIeu
with suppressed excitement and hid
her blushing face behind her fan
This was the third time that the
handsome young American with the
commanding presence and smiling
face had gazed upon her oriental
beauty with more than passing In
terest, and the heart OF the little
daughter of the flowery land throbbed
rapturously. So she peeped slyly
from behind the sheltering expanse
of her fan and returned the smile
with pretty lips.
Suddenly Wah Soung with difficulty
suppressed tiny scream. The tall
blonde stranger had laid hold of a
creeper that twined its graceful
length round the supports of the bal
cony and was climbing up. Even
in that instant of fear Wah Soung
could not repress feeling of admira-
ton for this man who had no fear.
For it is brave man that ventures
into the clutch Of the dragon when
the moon wells her face behind the
clouds and there is none to see.
For an instant the girl hesitated
whether to flee behind the protecting
walls or await the advance OF the bold
invader. The timid heart beat with
terror, but her curiosity prevailed
over the call of generations of slav-
cry and fear of the horror that would
follow detection. And while she still
wavered the man had gained the bal
cony and was at her side.
Gently he addressed her in the Ian
guage of her fathers, and she, taking
heart, answered his greetings with
soft words and smiles. And as they
whispered, neither marked the baleful
eyes that glared at them from the
shadow cast by the towering walls.
And their talk flowed on as the mel
ody of the brook that sings of love
when the days are long and the sun
smiles on the blushing flowers.
After many minutes the man slipped
cautiously into the embrace of the
creeper and stole from her presence.
She had his pledge that he would
return at the same hour on the next
night, and she had promised to be
there
But as she turned away from the
street her mother seized her roughly
and struck her furiously in the face
"Wretched one" she hissed with
flashing eyes, vile spawn of a snake
Is 1t for this that you were brought
from the land of flowers? Know We
g.,
orable Ling Wong of many treasures?
And We waste smiles on a son of the
thrice accursed white pigs For this
your shoulders shall smart and the
| face of thy honorable mother will be
dark against thee for many days. And
If the great Ling learns of this, then,
indeed, were it better for thee to
| have remained in the land Of your
| fathers"
And with many blows she dragged
the weeping Wah Soung into the
| house.
The moon shone brightly from her
throne in the darkling sky and the
waves Tapped gently against the sides
of the wharves. From her window
| Wah Soung watched for the coming
of her white love. And her heart was
heavy, for the angry hand of her
honorable parent had severed the
clinging length of the friendly creeper.
Suddenly her small body Strengthened
and her gaze became fixed.
On the other side of the narrow
street strolled a man and n woman.
Their laughter fioated up to 'he win
dow, borne on the unfeeling wings
of the night wind. And she saw the
man, the man for whom she was
suffering, glance toward the window.
He smiled, said something to his com
panion, and again they laughed And
as she gazed, her mothers scornful
laughter fell upon her ears.
Wah Soung rubbed her bare shout
ders where the strokes of the whip
glared redly, and bowling her head in
her aching arms, wept.