Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-11-07

j A& within my hatred Of Wing Tai;
greater still than that hatred, my love
ee,xsszEnD for the maid he had stolen, 10y Shan.
Elsa He had stolen her out of her fathers
CO house at Using Hin, she that my
betrothed. had given her in care Of an
old crone, his mother, and taken her to
Marking. Thither had followed them-too late!
Then I, Chang Kuang, the scholar, sold what
jewels had upon me, made over half my house and
lands to usurers, bought me keen, short sword and
dagger, and followed in the next ship. Weary was
the journey-pent as was with coolies of the low
est caste in the dark foul belly Of the vessel.
AT last the monster foamed into the bay of San
Francisco. and I. In the guise of returning mer-
chant and with ready passport entered city I
had never seen. l made my way into the Quarter
Of the Chinese. None knew me there.
Cautiously ali. cautiously inquired after Wing
TAI, the save-dealer. Cunningly knowingly I
,med as asked whether, perchance, he had
brought new slave girls from China. So cunning
vas in my questioning that all, forsooth held me
20 be one who had mind to purchase such pretty
:hattels. They could not read the black thoughts in
ny brain, the red rage In my hearth They could not
NOW that in my tunic not only gold lay hid, but
teel! Wing Tai, said they. was the man must see.
lie always bought the prettest slaves. His power
with the white officials was great. and the richest
among the merchants shielded him from the law of
he land. He had but lately returned from China
40 doubt he had brought at least fair bird from
he homeland.
1T is we'll. It is most excellent cheering news"
,aid I, smiling upon Fong How, tea merchant, with
whom had had most speech; "but where may the
great Wing Tai be foundT
"He is one of the leaders Of the Quong Ho Sing
Society" said the tea trader land will sit in council
his evening"
The Quong Ho Sing was the name of one of the
secret tongs clans of the city, and waged bloody
feud with Its rival, the Ming Ii tong.
I stood In silence, the while the courteous mer-
chant babbled on:
"If the Honorable Stranger would have speech
with Wing Tai about"
Eyes," broke in. II would have speech with him
about girl"
Whereupon the sleek merchant behind the coun-
Ter grnned in friendly wise and bespoke me thus
my friend you appear In truth to be an honor
nbie man and rejoice to DO Of service to you and
10 my tong. II 10 to dispose Of 10y Shan" (did he
mark me Vince at that beloved namely that Wing
Tai goes to the rooms Of tho tong tonight I, too.
an q member Of the Quong Ho Sing Society. If
your worship, perehance, has . mind to possess this
II would give III hsve IN ths world" cried, TO
possess hesi"
Then saw that greed awoke In the heart of the
merchant He measured me with his little eyes,
and grew still more gracious.
u cannot" said he conduct you thther myself,
for affairs Of great importance bid me remain in my
shop tonight But you shall have that which gives
sdmittance to our chambers"
! He wrote strange words upon card and bade me
deliver to the doorkeeper at the meeting place of
The tong.
All that day I wandered through the Quarter.
plagued by despair and cheered by hope. How close
wss I to my revengei-how close to Wing Tai and
10y Sham Where was 10y Shan3 What walls hid
her. what secret alleyways led to her prison When
oh Cd froc 90
bounded within like roe lest 1t be She But the
fox Wing Tai was too wise to display his human
treasures upon the street. fearing. the power and
envy of the other tong, and the women among the
white missionaries.
Once thought the thief of my happiness
from afar. stood still and clutched the dagger
within my sleeve but it was not he The people in
the street gazed at curiousy, remarking as a
stranger, therefore did deem it wise to hide me
somewhere until the night What place was there
filter for that than the temple? Thther went anc
offered up prayers before all the josses and burned
many punksticks and gave offering Of gold to
the priests. But my prayers to the love goddess, the
marriage goddess Kuan Yin, loudest and mos,
deep.
"Let 10y Shan be given back to me-" implored
my house is empty in Using Hin; the thresholds
and the mat long for her tiny feet. Our marriage
cards wait to be laced together with the red sikcr
cords; the flowers whitening there in their vases
My heart too: would wither within me were it no
kept warm by my wrath and fresh by my tears
Give 10y Shan into my hands-Loy Shan and Wins
Tai"
Thus prayed before the smiling golden goddess
and offered up the richest incense By chance IN,
short sword slipped its sheath and fell out of m,
bosom and lay glttcrng, naked before the altar;
Happy omen!-an answer to my prayer! Then, ever
as | called unto the goddess, it was as if she mad
response. Did not hear little cry and voice tina
was like the faint murmur Of the voice OF 10y Shal
Or was it but sorcery?