Evening star., 1935-12-08
December s, 1885

house." Fang Mok answered. "In this colony
of our people. she is the most beautiful
daughter of the Central Glory. AS you know,
have three other women in my house. They
are not my wives They would be your
daughters servants. Ten - thousand - dol
lars"
To himself, "One moment of life can hold
thousand years of sonow," Sing Yut re-
flected. To Fang Mok, "She would be better
dead than mistress of your house"
Fang Mok smiled thinly and then, striking
with the venom of cobra, "Where did you
get the money that you just now lost across
the gaming table2 Shall its source be ad-
vertised?"
Sing Yut bowed his head "In the River of
Life" he whispered no man can swim up
stream. There is last step to every journey.
will give you my daughter in marriage"
The lovely eyes of Ruby Sing burned with
the tears of tragedy while she told her I'm
happy story to the man she loved. my father
sold me to Fang Mok and even now that gross
beast is arranging for the marriage feast. My
Marriage with Fang Mok is death"
First of all, in the mad and gratifying
Western manner, Lee Joe kissed the sorowing
girl Then, Cut it out, darling" he ordered,
deliberate in his brutality. Take good deep
breath. I've got that fat brute licked. Trust
me Pull yourself together. You've got to
play the game and the game begins right
now. don't want to crab the filial piety stuff,
but your dad went haywire six months ago.
It's lucky thing he came to me when his foot
slipped. One false move from Chinese pawn
broker, and it's just another autograph on
death certificate"
Ruby Sing dabbed her eyes. Poor dad"
she said. "He never r"
ITO heck with dad" Lee Joe interrupted.
HE had his fun He nearly wrecked the show
for you. This is what you've got to do"
I'm listening" the girl whispered
Before Lee Joe had finished outlining his
orders for the campaign the girl was smiling
forlornly through her tears. "I1l do - just
exactly - as you say, she declared brokenly.
That's good soldier That's my bravest
darling Give me kiss. Close your eyes, -.
There. Feel better2'
1t appeared that Ruby Sing felt better.
That evening, preparing her father dinner,
she sang gay little song of two lovers who
were far away from danger safe in the White
Jade Palace on the summit of Love Mountain.
In brazen contradiction to Fang Moks
pledge to Sing Yut that no outsider should
know of the sale of the pawn shop an an
noncement set forth the fact that Fang Mok,
illustrious son of splendid parentage had re-
placed the man whose anatomy had suddenly
become enfeebled by crew of demons which
included rheumatism, lumbago liver COM
plant and weevils of the intellect.
Avermilion poster inscribed with seventeen
rows of classic Wenli characters affixed upon
the entrance door of the Benevolent Friend
Pawn Shop announced that Fang Mok would
thenceforth function as the earthly lieutenant
of the compassionate goddess, Kwan Yin.
Chinatown frowned at this. Stores and banks
and less industries might employ questionable
personnel, but the Chinese colony on Grant
Avenue demanded that its pawn shops be
founded on the eternal substance of Chen,
the great turtle on whose back lay the weight
of this world. Fang Mok was gambler, and
Chinatown knew that he was borrowing face
from this new enterprise. "A pirate wearing
the robe of priest!'
A favorable price on asparagus brought
1t