The San Francisco call., 1910-04-24

Z When his majesty. the baby. had
been carried away and quiet was once
more restored. 7 discovered that the
girl with the interesting face was still
there.
when do you Ieave?" I asked. as
went over and stood beside her.
AT 8 o'clock" she answered timIdly.
/ stood by her chair for a little while.
and presently asked her name.
Nee" was all she said
And mine Is Bow" piped up the lit
tie one with the saucy smile She was
asked All Nee how long she had
been working
Two years." she replied with evil
dent pride
We are sisters" again volunteered
All Bow.
then. during pause in her work. ven
turing a question Yes, venturing Is the
right word, because their shyness and
reserve were beginning to have their
effect. and embarrassment was descend
ing upon me like a pail. All Bow was
the only one of the girls who had
spoken to me voluntarily at all. There
was an indescrtbable, intangible some
thing about these little oriental maid
ems that raised up a barrier between us.
Their attitude was friendly. they smiled
at mo charmingly, but all could get
tions. Their constraint was so apparent
that felt a sense Of intrusion in even
asking them their names. 1 was really
beginning to despair. when heard the
front door open and close. All, relief
was at hand! The manager had ar
rived
Loo Kun Shu had not been overrated.
He has all the suavity and manner OF
the high class oriental and something
besides A friendly, genial smile and a
little gleam OF humor IN his shrewd
comprehensive eyes that mean good
fellowship.
Upon being introduced by All Sing
Immediately unburdened myself OF my
troubles
Your little hello girls are very in
teresting." said Il wish I could get
them to talk to me"
He shook his head and smiled an un-
derstanding smile.
They're not much for conversation,
are they% said he Not much like the
American girls You see those screens
he continued. glancing over at them.
We were standing by his desk nodded.
Il had to get them." said he When
we hrst came IN here you could see
right through to the switchboard: but
the girls wouldn't have it would
have lost my operatives. had to screen
them. on And when we tried to take a
picture OF them they wouldn't turn
their faces TO the camera The photog-
rapner had to be satisfied with view
OF their backs"
had visions Just then Of the pbotog-
rapher trying to get pictures for this
page! However, 1 had troubles Of my
own
How many operatives have you. al
together" i asked
Ten A few are bows but since the
nre we have been employing girls. We
like them better"
"All that have seen speak good
English. Were they born here in San
Franoisco?"
"oh, yes, all of them"
And where did they get their school
ing? At the English of Chinese
AT the mission schools. They like the
mission schools. because there they can
learn both the English and Chinese
his is beautiful place. Have you
been here lOngT' I asked.
We've been back four or FIVE
months"
-Oh. were you here beforee"
Yes, In this same spot before the
nre but we We're upstairs then. Since
the hre We've been at the Bush street
once We're all under one manage
ment, YOU know. This is simply a
branch of the Pacific T. & T. co,,Danv.~
He called big. husky American
youth. who had passed through the
room FEW minutes before. one of the
en- enslneers, and told him to show me the
plant.
Those are very bright little girls
All Bow and All Mee-don't you think
so?"
Yes, 7 do he replied.
Il wish / could have gotten ac-
quainted with them, but they wouldn't
talk to me-" Q was still regretting
my defeat at the hands of those dainty.
elusiye. little Chinese maidens.)
Talk he exclaimed. why, you
might know these people for years and
they wouldn't talk to you III you
worked among them day after oay,
year In and year out. you'd know what
1 mean WAY" he went on. "a halt
dozen of them might see a murder
committed in the middle OF the street
tomorrow morning and in 90 seconds
tssy would none of them know any
thing about it"