Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-02-29
The Argus Daily Story
Up Saltpeter Creek-By Clarissa Maclie.
copyrighted 1911. by Associated Literary Bureau.

the question and shook his head in
such rapid negatives that his cue lash
ed back and forth like the tail Of an
angry cat.
Mailed? Me? oh, no. no, no, no.
Me no like gals-me not nailed, oh,
no!'
You got a girl7'
"Oh, no, no, nor
"why not? You think boss not like
you have a girlT'
'Oh-he not like Chinese gal. Me no
have gal till me go back to Canton
some day"
'I don't think he'd care IL you want
ed to get married. Wah Sung. There's
q nice little house down in the pasture,
and you could come up and cook every
day Why don't you tell the bossF
Me no like gals-me no want get
nailed" persisted Wah Sung.
AS he rode over the well worn trail
that led to the Widow Clancy's ranch.
Harry Barry was firmly convinced that
the Chinaman had been lying to him.
1t was a bright moonlight night, and
he resolved to ask Mrs. Clancy to ride
with him up Saltpeter creek and in
vestigate what lay beyond. The ro-
nance involved might lure her into the
evening ride.
1t did. She was warmly interested
in the story of the despairing China
man, and the suspected love affair that
might be at the bottom of his cratic
actions.
How long has he acted that way.
Harryf she asked, as they rode side
by side up the trail, her hand in that
OF her sweetheart's.
About three months. Ever since he
came back from a months leave OF
absence. He went to San Francisco,
and he's acted like crazy flea ever
since" and he told her the story OF the
bean soup, and the conversation that
followed.
Poor fellow" sighed Mrs. Clancy,
and Harry Barry leaned over and kiss
ed her lips.
When they reached the springs they
could see that the trail entered thick
ct Of thorns. but Harry investigated
and found that the way had been cum
ningly cleared of thorns, SO that per-
son might pass through. They left
their horses at the springs, and Harry,
leading the way, they pushed through
! the thicket to emerge on the other side
into an open sandy space dropping
down the hillside that formed one
boundary of Lone Bull ranch.
A faint light pricking through the
gloom of another thicket on the hill
side lured them down until they stood
before small cabin matched with
branches and almost concealed from
the view OF the casual passerby.
There is a window. You look, dear
said Harry Barry, and as his sweet
heart hesitated he added: "You know
it's to help 'em along IL it's necessary"
Then Mrs. Clancy looked through a
corner of the pane from which the cal
leo inner curtain had swung back. re-
vealing the interior of the one roomed
cabin. She looked and looked, finally
reaching out and drawing Harry to-
ward her until their faces touched.
They looked upon a little home. 1t
might have been picked up out Of any
city in China and dropped there on this
|
GUS force had enabled the small China
man to secretly bring from great dis
tances all the little household gods that
meant home to him? Love, of course.
The walls were hung with gayly
printed cottons, and in one CO -
where a small altar had been erected
for his ancestral tablets there was a
square of rich silk embroidery. Little
bronze vessels stood on the altar, and
on a bracket there was an image of q
favorite household god, with an offer
ing of incense smoking before It, A
roll of quilts was on the built In bed
or bunk in one corner, mating covered
the rough floor, couple of Chinese
chairs were there and a low table.
There was a row of quaint oriental
porcelain dishes on a shelf and odd
cooking utensils of copper and brand
new American cook stove OF the small
est dimensions.
That was not all. There In one of
the chairs sat the daintiest little Chi
nese woman you ever saw. In her
arms she held a yellow morsel Of baby
hood, who was staring up at Wah
sung Win Deduy Dldck bldUlEHB eyes
and sucking Its thumb contentedly.
Last of all there was Wah Sung-not
the craven. panic stricken cook of the
Lone Bull ranch, but Chinaman in
vested with the dignity OF the head of
a household. He was smiling down at
the baby. with nothing but love in his
, mild brown eyes.
Poor DEVIL" whispered Harry Barry
GROSSLY, because his own eyes were full
, of tears and his sweetheart was wlping
the tears from her pretty blue eyes.
! Poor" challenged Mrs. Clancy.
, drawing him back to the springs and
their waiting horses. Man alive, Wah
Sung is rich! Let US go straight to
, Boss Clintock and tel him that Wah
r Sung is married and that he must give
them the cabin in the pasture"
, "Of course he'll do it. But II be
Shouldn't teased Harry.
"I'll hire Wah Sung myself and build
a Chinese temple for them to live IN
. and dedicate It to the god OF love-" de-
rlared the Widow Clancy.
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