The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-10-20
Marrying Off His
Daughters
By MORRIS SCHULTZ

The four Lee Girls held pc
cilliar position in Honolulu. Their
father was a Chiraman; their moth
err nad been an American school
Teacher who had converted him and
married him. Lee was one OF the
richest men IN the islands He
had brought up his daughters with
every luxury.
The Lee house, almost q palace,
was the resort OF many a young
man Of wealth and POSITION. FIX
cept for slight obIiqneness Of their
flashing, black eyes anil a dead
whiteness OF skin, the Lee girls
could not have been distinguished
from any other wealthy and we'll
bred American young women.
There was Dora, May, Mildred and
EsteiIe. Each Of them had her
lover. Each hoped to marry, and
marry we'll.
And there was old yellow Lee,
crawling from his house to his Of
fce and back, wearing carpet slip
pers at home, eating with chop
sticks-but he ate his heather
meals In his own room. The girls
adored their father, but
Hes so out OF things,' sighed
Dora. Hes never learned to ad-
Just himself, and he doesn't care.
What was going On behind those
fnscrutable Mongolian eyes? Lee
was thinking; he was the shrewd-
est man in the islands.
One day he announced a dinner
party. Lees announcement amount
ed to command. The four young
men were asked-nobodS else
There was Claim, the young naval
officer: Hershfield, whose father
owned several hundred acres Of
pineapple plantation; Jackson, q
thriving young business man. and
Howard Of the civil service. The
Lee girls had good sense, and dis
eliminated in the selection Of their
admirers.
1t was n Chlnese-American ban
quet, and the wine-Lee always
had good wine-was excellent. The
party grew merry. Old Lees black
eyes wrinkled up In amusement and
pride as he surveyed the gathering.
What q change from the paddy
fields in which he had walked, q
barefooted boy, long years before
After the banquet q visitor was
announced. It was Mr.. Gregson. q
local lawyer who had charge OF
Lees affairs. Lee stood up. He
had hitherto spoken, pldgln English
1t had been 50 hard for his
daughters to get into communlca.
ton with him. But now sort OF
mask seemed to have fallen from
him, and his accents were as mel.
lifluous as those Of Harvard man.
That was what shocked every.
body into silence.
"Well, gentlemen" Lee began,
"you have come here at my invita-.
ton tonight, and we have had q
good time together. I now propose
that each Of you sign marriage
contract which Is being drawn up.
Upon your marrying my daughters,
n settlement of two hundred thou.
sand dollars Is made upon each of
you. My daughters are similarly
provided for. If any Of you gen.
tlemen wishes to draw back"
mo. moi" they shouted.
The contract was drawn up and
signed. Another. visitor was an
nounced. It proved to be clergy.
man.
Gentlemen" said Lee, marriage
licenses have already been pro-
cured. The marriages will now be
solemnixed."
Twenty minutes later the four
Lee girls looked blushingly into
the faces of their four astounded
and delighted young men.
"Gcntlemen." said Lee, "my home
Is yours for your honeymoon. All
arrangements have been made. I
have to 60 away on 4 short busi.
ness trip. When I return, II there
Is anything to be discussed. Il shalt
be discussed"
He kissed each Of his daughters.
who hung about his neck. shook
hands with his sons-in.law, and was
gone before anything more could be
said.
Two minutes later i Chinese
coolie, atttred Ia nlthy cotton
blouse wan sllnking toward the
wharf.
Three months later an aged
Chinaman and his aged wife stood
together on the edge Of the paddy
nelds near Canton,
Heaven has not blessed me with
much wealth." he said, hut Il has
brought me back In my old age
with enough money 10 render thy
future safe and that Of our six chill.
dren aud their descendants"
70 Learned One, It II well to re.
turn to lay your homes In your own
land AFTER - long an exile"
Truly, Heaven eAs smiled Npoa
an" replied the old man. $50 our
, hast days shall be peaceab,s to-
Eetheh surrounded BY the SOM and
Il ~