Evening star., 1912-02-25

| OF cigarettes and began tucklng them INTO
| his blouse
"What became of your wife," asked the
| lad softly.
"She fool-she die!!" said Bung earnestly,
a tear trickling down from his single eve.
He rose and disappeared for a moment
into his little den. He came out suddenly
and dropped sackful of jingling coin into
| Tommy lap.
@You tell Judge Olivah l no bothah him
too muchee any mo- he said.
"But what's this money!" asked Tommy,
confused.
"Fi' hundre' dollah 1 take away from
Japanee boy. Velly solly-polka game heap
| sinful gamble
"But Bung, we can't treat you that way.
The Yups may get you as soon as you leave
this place. Well keep you somehow.
Well"
Judge Olivah say Bung 60! All lite.
Bung go!'
"But it isn't the Judge who wants you to
60. It's those confounded Japs! Well fire
the whole lott"
"Ah, ILL boss-too muchee talk all time,"
said Bung with melancholy smile as he
closed the door and locked it on the inside.
|W/HEN Ton,r1y strolled moodily up the
| W ranch he dropped the sack of money
into the midst of his family who were
waiting on the porch, an embarrassed
group.
as he-is he going?" asked Mrs. Oliver
in whisper.
Hanged if know!" blurted the boy as he
threw himself upon the comfort of wicker
chair and held the San Jose paper screenlike
before his face.
| For several minutes the rest of the family
sat gazing into the popped sunset saying
nothing.
A tall, stopped man in blue pajama-like
suit, wisp of gray pigtail hanging below
his battered straw hat, passed slowly down
the road. There was wooden movement
about his legs. He was not the spry China
man who had scrambled with comic agility
up and down the ladders dozen, half
dozen, seasons ago. The small bundle of
possessions he clutched wrapped in pink
handkerchief over his shoulder, added to the
peasant pathos of his attitude. He plodded
stoically round the bend, kicking dust as he
walked
One of the Oliver girls rose quietly and
went in the house.
aPoor old dog!' groaned Tommy, sud-
denly plunging the paper to earth, twisted
wreck
3He was like a dog said Mrs. Oliver
softly. 3Always at the kitchen door-none
Of the family jokes ever got past old Bung.
Benjamin, do you remember when Tommy
first went to school and"
II think we've had enough "reminiscences
for one EVENING"" said the Judge sharply.
Silence.
| "The poor little bundle he carried-so
small and faded! l believe it's the very
| same one he had the first time he came down
the road" Mrs. Oliver wiped her eyes.
The eldest girl laid aside her novel.
3Walking away alone, into the sunset It's
like the end of a story" she said.
Silence.
Mother, think I'll hitch up Bally and
drive over to the store, said the Judge,
clearing his throat and rising evasively.
REHIND the lively pinto Judge Oliver
= caught up with Bung just as the latter
was turning from the main gate into the
county road
Hey el B1ng g! Where are you going at this
Iquit! Goo'by!" shouted the Chinaman,
loo ing the other way.
What do you mean by quitting without
my orders? Jump up into the blackboard,
you old pirate!"
"Me pilot? All, no! Me velly sad ole
China boy!' said the yellow patriarch; but
without further protest he scrambled into
the seat beside the god of his destiny whom