The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1913-08-16
Saturday, Short Stoy
lcopyright, 1898, BY Robert w. Chambers.)

AS L entered the alley the bells OF the DIM city
toed for the passing night Far in the of filthy
lanes and mist-choked streets policeman whstled;
I heard the distant din of an elevated, rushing
through the fog, which rolled from river to river,
heavy, sitting.
In the gloom of the alley shadowy form passed
All around me the vapour became tainted with opium
- and flare of yellow light streamed out from an
opening door. There was momentary murmur OF
voices the soft shuttle of feltshod feet, the rustic
OF silken sleeves. painted paper lantern swung
from the doorway, dipped, and disappeared. heard
the deadened slam of the door and the black night
yelled my eyes again.
I raised my eyes to the dark house before me
where from rusting balcony sign hung low above
= the doorway:
'Ths was her house, said aloud to myself but
passed on to the next house. Before could find
the handle, the door flew open and I heard Nc
Manus' angry below: "Git t. hell outer here, yer
dope suckin' yap!'' and Chnaman was hustled into
the area, fleeing like Infatuated ape.
1 stepped into the low-ceilinged room and took q
chair at table beside the wall. Two young men
sitting there said, "Hello, Jim!''
"Good evenin',' said McManus leaning over the
bar, "did you me givin' de bounce to Wah-Wo?''
eyes," said, ''when did he come back?''
"He jest come in. told him to git an he give
me de ha-ha, so Charley trun him down.
One of the young men at the table beside me looked
up from the Welsh-rarebit he eating and called
for ale. McManus brought it himself a trimming
pewter mug. Then he bawled for Charley to take
my order.
,. bit, and Penlow, of the Tribune spoke well of
the chops, so 1 left it to Charley, and he retired
whistling, "Oh, don't knowl''
cts wonder to me,'' said, hanging my wet
macintosh peg and kicking off my overshoes,
tits wonder to me that Wah-Wo was discharged
by the COURT
''There was no evidence to hold him." observed
Lynde.
Penlow lighted his pipe and ratified his mug on
the table.
"No evidence repeated; "do you fellows doubt
that Wah-Wo did it?"
'I suppose he did," said Penlow, cit was my
scoop, too"
1--WE may scoop YETI said Lynde, ''the mans
bound to be caught"
Gents began McManus ''youse is dead off
Wah-Wo amt in it," he said contemptuously: 81
give him de t'row-down- fur why?-fur because
don't give de glad hand to no dope suckin' chink
But he didn't do dirt to the gal whit youse gents
was stuck on-he amt that kind! He give me the
laugh an trowed him down, see? An L won't
do ting but push his face in. See?'
"We, Mac,' said Lynde, whats your theory
You know as much about it as anybody. The cir,
in here every night, didn't she? People say
she lived alone but Of course she had company when
she wanted it. What's your idea, Mac?''
McManus looked out of the window and drummed
on the bar with the blade of his oyster knife
AS eating in silence, thinking of Wah-Wo
and the dead girl Caithness Of the Consolidated
Press in looking cold and ill, and we hastily
made room for him at our table.
"You're SICK said Lynde sharply, "you ought
to be in bed
"Im all right said Caithness, glancing at us
with his large dark eyes; Mac, get something
hot"
turned again to the chops, scarcely listening to
the voices beside me- for was thinking again Of the
dead girl.
I had no doubt that Wah-Wo had killed her. Agar
and again had seen his eyes fastened upon her as
she sat chatting with u.s. here at this very table, The
motive clear to me. had spoken of this to Tho
others but they laughed at me. The district attor
ney took no stock in it, either.
How could anybody but Chinaman, crazed witt
jealousy and opium, harm the chida For she was
mere child, this pallid victim whose soul hat
mounted to the Judgment seat from the filth Of New
Yorks Chinatown.
Pale, slim, childish she had never haunted Chi
nese resorts nor, to my knowledge had she eve