The Kevin review., 1926-11-11
By Achr1ed Abdullah

wanted to "weave my honorable affection
Ior You In a flower chain and tie it gently
| around your wrists"
Honorable affection? HeIls bellsl She
knew, all Pell street knew, that he was q
married man.
cut it outr' she cried.
! II beg your pardon he murmured hum
| bly,, and was silent once more
He drove on; then slowed down; turned
IN his seat. He pointed at a shadowy out
! line pierced with lemon where lights
cleaned behind windows.
This is my wretched and insignificant
house." he said. "Win you honor small and
unimpOrtant me by"
No Swing her round I'm goin' home -
He stopped the car altogether He stared
at her, with an infinite appeal in his eyes.
Please, please, Plum Blossom" Z" he said
There is something / want to tell you-to
ask of you 1t is so hard to put into words
But-perhaps-ins there-T can
show you what"
"Ye hold me the foist time! Nothin'
doin'"
Please, please, please" he implored
again, rather helplessly; and, suddenly she
reconsidered.
Why did she reconsider7
moot point.
Perhaps it was mere feminine curiosity
Perhaps on the other hand, she felt some
thing like curious, illogical affection for
toughened young soul. Poor, fat Chink
she thought. Maybe he was married to some
nagging old Cantonese witch. All right
she'd let him down easy.
"Well,' she said. Lead on. I'll come with
ye"
He started the automobile again. A |
minute later he pulled up at the gate. They
stepped out of the car He opened the door, !
bowed and said tremendously:
please deign to enter my worthless resi-
denceI'
He showed her into a large room.
Fretted with shifting lights, it lay in dim,
cool, scented splendOr. Underfo0t stretched
light summer rugs of Pekingese silk, in
tawny orange and taupe picked out with
wood furniture faded into the corners |
where the shadows troOped and coiled
Here and there, on table and taboret were
priceless pieces of Chinese porcelain blue
and white Ming and Kang he beakers in
aubergine and oxen blood, peachblow celia
don, and fong-hoang emblems in ash gray
and apple gray.
Susie sucked in her breath. Gee Wasn't
She followed the direction of the mans
pointing finger, imagining he was going to
show her something especially precious
She heard his low voice: "Plum Blossom,
his is my wife,"
And she saw, sitting on a high Chinese
hair in a corner, small figure, erect,
notionless like golden statue.
Susie was embarrassed. II
ler She felt not exactly frightened, but
erribly uneasy. Again she stared. Tsai
JUS wife was very small very old, with a
my, wien face and lack-luSter, perfectly
eyes. Susie turned to Tsai
lu, a question trembling on her lips.
He inclined his head. He walked over to
lis wife, caressing her hair with his yellow,
'udgy fingers. {
'Pium Blossom" he said. slowly, sit has
LEASED the Excellent Lord Buddha-
raised be his name Ito bereave my hon.
rable wife of her reason. For last year
reat grief came to her-and to unimport-
mt me-"
He paused; went on:
my dssghter-my little daughter
"she-died?" came susie's raucous query. :
"Yes Her exquisite soul leaped the
Dragon Gate. A little plum blossom she q
ras. Small. So small. And soft-and deli &
ious-very much like yourself. My honor I
bile wife had tied all her love and affection
0 the little plum blossoms jeweled ear
ines. The earrings broke. Broke her heart,
er soul, her brain. And-o-" he kept on ]
aressing the old woman's face, sitting 1
here, silent expressionless-"I left Cali t
)rnia. I came her. / thought-a change Of q
And then" he continued 81 saw you. And
thought that, if you would graciously a
,nsent to share this worthless dwelling v
ith us: perhaps, seeing your exquisite and :
face, perhaps the blessed light +,
reason might return to my honorable II
Quite suddenly he broke down and cried, n
ith queer cracked high pitched sObs, as III
m iii
"Sure." she said. "surel It's all right III
ire I'll live with ye." iii
ats life," he mumbled-"life! One must Ill
.pect the worst in life-always the worst. III
"Sayr' exclaimed Susie. "Ye make me nj
ckl Wot's bitin' ye? You gotta expect the u
.st-not the woist If you expect the best, ri
II happen to ye-sooner or later Amt We III
Ut no sense?' iii
And she sat down by the side of the old III
oman; and she spoke to her, small, Groom iii
z words, as she might to a baby; words iii
that gliding sing-sOng Chinese which Ill
Dt of Pell street. iii
"Ah!'' she crooned. Glove will return to Ill
u-love and life-like little ghosts of = =
aytime riffling the river of hearts de- =
re-"
Copyright: 1926: by Achmed Abdullah.)
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