The Southern herald., 1913-03-14

fancy to him and invited him to his
home to discuss theology. Mrs.
Stubs, his wife, was equally attached
TO him
Yes, 1t was odd what general fav-
orite Lin Loo became. OF course
ladies are apt to take a fancy to
Cinnamon, especially when they are
converted. People say that they only
pretend to believe, for the sake Of
advantages. / don't know much about
that, but anyhow, the ladies all liked
him and, what is stranger, the men
too Lin Loo was astonishingly well
posted in western ways. But he
wouldn't drink and wouldn't swear.
None of US thought the less Of him on
that account
ANY news of your cousin, Loo?"
we would ask, as we stopped in to
watch him bending over his iron and
pressing with his scrawny arms. And
Loo always looked up and smiled and
shook his head.
Whether or not any news of the
missing cousin filtered through to
him, he always denied knowledge of
| his relative. Yet somehow he never
seemed to doubt that Lee would re-
turn. And when a year had rolled
by and Lin had become only mem
ory, he still maintained the same
assurance. Imperturbable, suave,
courteous, jolly, Lin Loo was social
asset in our town.
And then the missing cousin turned
up just as Unexpectedly as he had
gone. One evening Lin Lee stepped
into our parlor, his basket on his
arm, as though he had only left us the
night before, and received the red
paper from my mother. Then he an
nounced
me going to leave tomorrow. No
more wash. My cousin, Sam Hong
! has bought my shop"
"And your other cousin-Lin LooT
we asked.
He go away" replied our visitor
mo see any more"
That was all. Sam Hong was a
very "ornary" kind of Chinaman, with
a thick pigtail, surly expression
and an ugly cast in his eye. He
was rank heather and was sus
pected of smoking opium in his little
shack behind the store on Sunday
afternoons. Our interest In the Celes
tial race rapidly evanesced.
1t must have been nearly veal
after our friends departure that busi
ness called me to Richmond. wal
strolling down one of the side street
when l caught sight of Lin Lee be
hind the glass window Of a laundry
ironing as hard as ever. walke'
in.
He greeted me with the same cheer
full smile as ever. We shook hand
and discussed old times.
why did you leave us so suddenly
Lin Lee?" l asked. I'VE all mis-
you in our town. What was the mai
ter? Didn't we treat you well?"
"Sure-flne," answered Lin LIE
with broad grin. 81 come to Ricf
mond to open bigger place, more bus
ness. l get married"
Then | ventured upon very Dol
experiment. / asked if he would pr
sent me to Mrs. Lin Lee. l knew
| was not Chinese etiquette and | wa
| not surprised when he told me tha
she was out.
But she wasn't out, because at ths
| moment the door opened and
Chinese woman, with a little, blacl
haired, squint-eyed baby in her arm
peered out. | knew her too. 1t wa
Mrs. Lin Lee-once Mr.. Lin Loo. Sh
nodded and smiled and shut the doc
in my face and l said goodbye quick
:. and went out.
Now hold no brief for or againi
J.. Cinnamon, but will say was o
q Tended at this horrible deception
=" the time. But afterward bega
n thinking; could he have been assure
of his wifes safety, living alone
=" our town, the only Celestial with
- twenty miles? l think he could;
know he could. But / can imagir
~ what dangers he may have feart
~ for her-the young husband, callt
y back eight thousand miles to fight h
70 u uuuntry's battles, with all he love
a dwelling alone among white-faced ba
q barians.
". Copyright, 1913 by W. G. ChapnIan.l