The Mena weekly star., 1910-04-07

'a'ihS tO move, yet real 'zing haste was her only hone sbo reached the foot of the stairway. aha stopped, and before emerging from lie protecting shadow quickly took off her httle wooden-soled slippers ana tucked them under her arm.
 Then suddenly Wah thought be sau ngure Ait past his wicket ua jumped up, and in his clumsinass overturned the table as he rushed for the door. Turning an instant to savo .ne iainp' the next flash of the figure was lost upon him. and when he reached the door the fugitive was swallowed by the friendly fog.
 Down the street she battered mn. noticed by the hurrying passers o~- cept 10 be jostled out of their way TWO turns to the right she had made III saiety. Already she began to feel iree and secure. What would old wah think when he found she had ea. caped? she asked herself. On the in. s'ant sudden thought struck her making her catch her breath In a qulcK, painful gasp. He would mn. douotedly suspect Lem, and what would be the result?
 She knew too well the work of tba 'hatchet men" to be in doubt as ,o what the end would probably be. The See fups were the strongest tong on the coast and Chuck Wah one of inc strongest See Yups in the tong Against his influence the efforts of the "Chinatown Squad" would be fin. tile. Lem would quietly disappear and no one be the wiser.
 At the turn to the left she hesitated The glee in her heart had died out II was not the prospect of her safety In the mission home she thought of now. What would rescue and safety or anything else mean to her if Lem Yet lost his life in accomplishing itf The chill of the night crept into her heart as she realized that every steu she was taking toward her safety might be also toward Lem's undoine
 As she waited, irresolute, a tall figure loomed mp in the mist before her. lnstinctively she again fattened herself against the wall as 1t an. preached. The next instant with A smothered cry of joy she was about to spring toward him. Lem Yet at 'ast' But the cry was strangled in her throat. On he came, peering, list ening, searching for her, as she knew. Crouching in the angle of the wall she let him pass. She almost felt his bseath, he was so near. yet the next instant gone
 The fourth floor, her home of refuge now only few steps away, gleamed with friendly light Lem ran hur riedly up the steps to Inquire wheth CT the little fugitive had reached it. The calm-eyed little mother of the fold shook her head as she explained that no one had been there that even. Ing.
 Wing. motionless as little Satsu. ma idol. saw 1t all and shrank still deeper into the shadow. Her life was not of much account, she told herself with a choking sob, one more or less of her kind vas of no conse. quence. The open doorway sent out hint of hospitable warmth to the shivering little waif. Here within half dozen steps was an escape for. ever from the horror and degradation of the life behind her. She clasped her hands so tight over Ter breast and dug her sharp pointed nails so deep into her flesh the blood came In tiny crescent-shaped gashes.
 As Lem, bafiled and disappointed. turned from the door and made his way back to the corner again. his gar. ments almost brushed against the quivering little Wing. As his figure disappeared Into the dimness, with heart and soul she strained after the one gleam of happiness that had come into the horror of her life. Lem. she knew. now thought her heart was bad and that she did not want to escape. so he was lost to her.
 When the mission door was closed and Lem out of sight down the street. the piteous little atom strengthened her limbs from their cramped position and turned to retrace her steps
 The streets were still quiet. Back to the corner, one turn to the right, two to the left. she turned. The fog seemed denser, the darkness more cruel and bold
 Again as Chuck Wah sat fin his shop he heard plank creak. He listened suspiciously. but as 1t was not re. heated. he again restored the pipe to his mouth with a malediction upon the rats
 Softly the door closed behind her No one had discovered the little slaves escape and no one heard her return. The fog came down with 3 melancholy drip. drip and the tide Of prosperity soon turned toward Chuck Wah's shop.
 Ills Scheme.
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