The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-01-18

front running gear. Then he TOO ours
ed loudly. for the conductor must not
think him chicken hearted and con-
cerned at the killing Of an Oriental
The effort was wasted, however, as
the conductor. pencil and pad in hand.
was taking the names % passengers
and witnesses. now OF the car and
gathered around the STOPPING motor
man. peering fascinated at the shape
less bundle beneath the wheels. One
woman, in evening dress, held her
dainty skirts above the dust of the
street and ENORMOUSLY asked a COM
panion why the car was stopped. why
did not the men pull out the man.
poor fellow. and let her get on?
We viii miss the first numbers al
together over this wretched thing
she fretted. her escort looking at her
in stoIid silence. What could he say
70 justify the delay when the air Of
a dreamy Hawaiian waltz was already
in his Iady's ears and beneath her
dainty feet, in anticipation. the waxed
floor OF the ballroom, not the dust Of
the slums2 Her annoyance was sure
" justifable and It was too much
10 expect that the dismal formality of
taking down names for an inquest
would appear to her a sufficient rea-
son why she should miss one bar of
the music or one step Of the dance.
A police sergeant pushed through the
gathering crowd.
What's the matter?'s he asked. and
ne TOO stopped and peered beneath the
standing car.
KILLED a Chink. I think answered
the conductor gruff7y, for he knew the
way Of the police and the induisitlve-
ness shown at all such inquests over
the speed of the car, the ringing OF
the gong and other troublesome de-
tails. Every coroner's jury seemed TO
have some meddlesome, prying person
on it and the company was always
ready to make the car crew the scape-
goats.
Obeying the instructions of the
sergeant the motorman assumed once
more his charge Of the power handle
and backed the car some feet away,
the bundle beneath rolling over and
over as the platform scraped it and
exposing a face. yellow-white under
the headlight glare. SIS the fender
cleared it. One arm, the hand tightly
clenched over some papers, fell out
straight from the body. The man was
dead, even the kanaka policeman could
see that.
Does anybody know~him?' and the
officer of the law swept the circle.
with his questioning glance. ChinesE
and japanese lowered their eyes be-
fore his. It is not well to know too
much when the police ask questions in
Chinatown. The impatient lady shrank
back as her eyes fell upon the staring,
dusty, dead face distinct in the glare
of the headlight. lying in the bright
circle. She twitched her companions
arm.
For pity sake call a hack. You
don't want me to stay here all night,
do you? I won't enjoy the dance one
bit after this
"Tt's Sun Mans cousin" said ka-
naka bootblack. 'T see him all the
time in the store
Identification established, Sun Man
was sent for and the bootblack de-
snatched to call the police dead wagon.
The sergeant poked at the body with
his night stick, then noticed the pa
pers in the dead mans hand. The
fingers were tight in their death grip,
but were forced apart.
Here. read this for me-" and
watching Chinaman was forced to step
into the rim of light ana falter out.
in pfdgfn-EngIish. the words printed
on the papers. thrust Into his unWlII-
ing hand.
whats the story?" A reporter ell
bowed his way through the press.
looked curfously at the huddied form
The
geant knew him He also knew the
value OF being the one to tell the story
and receive mention.
The delfciousness of the SITUATION
had also baen borne in upon him. The
joke was huge one, the best he had
ever had on fool Chinaman.
Just a pake putting up JOB on
the street car company he chuckied-
.,FIopped under the car to Kill hirn-
self and then gave the whole thing
away by writing letter 10 ms COUSIN
and keeping il on him
He laughed once more as ne listen
Cd 10 the letters being read over AGAIN
for the benefit Of the reporter, VINO
made hasty scratches on his copy
marx wen the grave" he wrote
then turned and looked long into the
upturned face at his feet.
It was a good story. He saw that
The car company, good patrons OF. the
paper. would not be hurt as ne wonla
write il and the readers could chuckie
a. the Joke over their morning coffee.
Bu+ as the headlines he would use
formed themselves before him, oenina
them he could see mother starving
an aged father, watching, waiting.
diving. and in his ears rang over ana
over with pitiful repetition the Woras
~ the dead. Mark we'll the grave.
nnrAN NnRLFNAN Uses