Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1918-09-20


as won't they're beginnin' to send on
r. me country"
-1ut how do they git by with tha
--rs Of thing right under our eyes?'
inquired Colonel Mac.
Under our feet would be a better
way to say it, my friend" said Nc
Kabe. "We're wise it's goin' on, but
stoppin' it's like the old recipe for rab
bit stew-first catch your rabbit. An
they're just like rabbits. Folks will
tell you that the new Chinatown is a
sort of model settlement with the
worst features of the old one left out
- sort of expurgated edition, but
that's cause they don't know. When
they rebuilt they was told to cut out
all them underground passages an
dives an that sort of thing-but did
they? I'm askin' you, an the answer
is: they done what they pleased.
There's miles of them runways
under them houses up there, an
they're worse than any rabbit-burrow.
They can git girl or a dozen down
there an then you try an find them.
Everything is snarled up like puzzle
picture. They can move them girls
ten feet, an anybody huntin' them
will be as far off as they would in
New York, so far as findin' them goes.
Oh, it's a sweet game!
"Of course we have dug some OF
them out, but God knows how many
we missed! Still we kin try. That's
why they sent me. know Chinatown
their lingo. / spend lot of time up
there, an most folks think I'm just a
professional guide. That's my lay.
an l amt been uncovered yet. So if
you'll take my advice, I'd say, let's
cover the town, an maybe we can
fasten on this Salt Lake agent.
He reached into pocket, drew out
the badge of Chinatown guide and
pinned it on the breast of his coat
81 quite agree with you, Mr. Nc
Kabe," Dual assented. I'm keeping
with your suggestion I would advise
that we go as a party. seemingly, of
tourists under your leadership. Miss
Foote must go along, at all events, to
identify the woman when we meet
her, and Colonel Sheldon and Mr..
Reich know the girl
McKabe rose.
you're runnin' the show" he re-
marked. 1--WE may as well set out"
"And I suppose" sneered Reich,
chat you think this woman you're
hunting is going to walk up and let us
see her. Do you?" He turned to
Dual.
"That is exactly what I do sup
pose" Semi replied. "As to her Volt
ton in the matter. that is different
affair. At present, however, she has
no reason to believe that we are in
the city, and will feel no special need
for keeping concealed. Now / think
we are ready. Comet"
He moved toward the door.
We left the hotel, and McKabe led
us through Union Square, where the
tall shaft holds the flying victory
aloft. 1t came to me in that moment
that to one superstitious 1t might
seem like an augury of fortune to us
who were setting out under a fos-
streaked sky to fight battle for the
freedom of a human victim.
Late as it was more than one per-
son still sat on the benches OF the
little park as we passed. They glanced
up and probably judged us as party
of sightseers we seemed. One of them
% no rnnniUn6 a
nod in turn.
Our guide turned at Stockton and
Suffer and led us down to Grant,
turned again and led us straight along
the latter up gradually rising course
toward our destination.
1t was nearly ten, with a sky over
cast and hidden by the streamers OF
fog, through which the moon sought
to shine and only succeeded in throw
ing a sort of silver sheen.
The very air seemed damp, as
though full of an impalpable mist, so
that the sidewalks glistened with a
faint moisture as we advanced up the
hill. After'a time we came to the top
and the edge of Chinatown itself.
1t stretched before us with its
strange appeal of something hybrid
a strange blending of East and West,
with a thousand foreign noises and
thousand unaccustomed smells.
Electric arcs and incandescents
threw their light over its garish night
life Painted lanterns bloomed like
dream peoples before the doors of
some of its shops and restaurants,
and the facades of joss-house swing
ing blobs of color in the night breeze.
Painted ideographs Haunted on GRIM
son banners from balcony, half
hazed by the streamers of fog.
Stretches of plate glass in some mo-
dern pagoda rooted and lowered bust
ness emporium gave glimpses of dis
plays of beauty, things of wondrous
workmanship, toiled out with what
must have been indescribable pa
thence by fingers of other lands.
Sandwiched beside them murky
lights of swinging incandescents gave
views of dimly lighted squalor, and
round Oriental faces, stolid, world