Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-04-03

when, having regained my sanity.
slllAI conquer again. And after hav
conquered Il I shall remember VII,
are my triends-and who my enemies
he gave to the last word the EN-
1tlaSis OF a suddenly lowered voice
ne paused. He stared at the other
Win eyes that were intent and mock.
ing; obserVant. reflective eyes. ter.
Tidy hard in the patience Of theh
49, Tonight. at nine O'Clock" he added
shall be in the back room OF Mar
1ong FANS restaurant. There I ex.
pect 70 meet my friends. VIII YOU
pass the message through Chinatown
The answer was whispered in unison,
indeed. o wise and elder brother
He walked along Pen Street. Half
/ way down the block was the laundrv
Shop OF Ho Tin who. so long ago. had
! accompanied Ia Chen to America
and had been his trusted clerk ia the
Gays OF his prosperity. A coolie he was.
snort, squat, flat-nosed, dark of skin
and long Of arm, who had sunk his his
personality in that OF the family which
his forefathers had been serving for
generations; who had never considered
MS own honor or interest OF his
masters clan that represented TO him
the whole OF China; who loved Ia Chen
with. love stronger and purer than
the love Of a woman.
He stood on the threshold. Almost
decade had passed since he had
seen the other. His eyes were misty
with tears. But there was no emotion
III ms ceremoniolS greeting:
Ten thousand years."
Ten thousand times ten thousand
years." was the courteous reply.
DO Tin bowed deeply, with hands
clasped across his broad chest. He
uShered the other into the back mari
OF his small establishment where he
lived in q couple of dingy rooms. He
had prepared the larger of the two
Tor Ia Chen's coming: had spread the
latters belongingS-th few left him
after trial, conviction and bankruptcy
on the table; some outmoded wear
ing apparel, a bamboo opium pipe.
2 classic Chinese tome or two and.
framed in silver, the photograph of |
q woman.
Il did not throw Il away" Ho Tin |
remarked rather querulously, pointing
To remind me of my folly, I sup
Yes" was the brusque admission.
'Folly-because Of beauty. No folly
It all Ia Chen smiled. You see-I
ldore beauty"
He picked up the photograph and
ooked at 1t. He saw, not the picture.
,ut the woman herself-as he had
cen her first years earlier.
From California she had come.
rought to New York by Susie Wong.
be old crone who dealt in living wares;
mo had sent out a broadcast, pro-
tanning to the wealthy merchants of
ell Street that Gwendolyn Kang HI
7as a flawless emerald Of exquisite
neen. a blending OF poppy and Jade,
carved crystal of coquetry, q mirror
I perfection and delightful fan
zciting, then cooling, then again eX-
ting the seven desires of man Nor
0uld Susie Wong have been accused
over advertising; at least, not the
IRIS outer shell-with her short, high
ridged nose, her complexion like
velvet, her small ears
oSe TO the head, her large. almond
laped eyes seemed even larger than
ley were through the curved frame
her black eyebrows and the heavy
wer lids, lids which had that sIls-
c1on Of cOarseneSs speaking OF passion
I'd the trained knowledge of passion.
But Susie Wong did not mention
Id, being after all a business woman.
ny SnOu1u she haYeY-thaG Gwen
'lyn Kang Hi had the treacherous
ndictive temper and general dispo-
ion OF wildcat, no morals to speak
and tough raucous soul; as tough
ID raucous as the slangy gutter Eng
b which she used in preference to
since she was
tive product OF San FranciSco's Bar
~ Coast
It was debatable point If Ia Chen
" through her from the outset.
lances are he did. For he looked
life with polished, pessimistic Ori-
tai irony; and once, shortly after
2 had come to live with him, when
Tin commented on her in crudely
complimentary language and spoke
rnings of what the future might
Id in store, he replied In his round
1ut and slightly didactic manner:
Love Is the sunshine which is near.
Is also the warm, blessed rain which
near. do not trouble about the
lpeSt that shivers tine roof of a far
soda, nor about the icy sleet that
shes down on q distant lotus pool"
)h yesl he loved her; loved her
dly. So he bought her-for forty
usarlds dollars outbidding all rivals.
he idea of marriage never entered
head. Had somebady suggested 1t,