A SHORT STORY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 221, 24 September 1910, Page 3

A SHORT STORY.

THECOAT OF THE MANDARIN

(By James Keen.) "Wong Lee sat at the window of his Doycrs Street room and gazed apprehensively at the motley throng

bolow. . , i . -UBow Sing clung tightly _to him with her eyes wide and staring, too, for she disliked the strange crowds, the adours, and the dirty, flowerless 1 streets. America might he the place I to'make money, and. New \ork the i best place in America, but Bow bing shrank from it all and wished herseii 1 back in Hong Kong again. Wong Lee's thoughts were difterent. Be was nervous and tired atter the long trip across the continent, and still feared that he and Bow bmg .might yet be found out and sent> back as "smuggled goods/ but he enjoyed the excitement of being in a .strange land, and imagined he coulcl hear already the clink of the American gold he was destined to get. Fortune had so far favored Wong Lee. He and his pretty child-wife, Bow Sing, had come to New York by way of Mexico, had slipped over the border easily, and had landed among ■ good friends. Sam Lee, the richest merchant in Chinatown, had been the best friend of Wong Lee's father, and when, the latter felt he was about to die, Sam Lee had written, saying he would care for the youth. , True, Sam Lee had known nothing of Bow Sing, and when she arrived with. Wong, Sam Lee's eyes opened wide and he frowned a little. A woman to Sam Lee meant trouble, especially when her cheeks reflected roses and. her feet were no bigger than a doll's. Wives like Bow Sing were scarce in America, and were much to be desired. But when Wong had told his story, Sam Lee patted his cheeks and told him he had done right to bring Bow Sing along. Wong Lee's father had left but little money. It had been the dream'of hiSj life to see hfe son and Bow Sing united before he died. And lie had had his wish. Bow Sing's dowry had not be.en big, but with what Wong' Lee obtained through his. father's death, it had been • enough to bring them to America, with, something left for the business into which Wong was going. Sam Lee had promised ■ Wong , a .place in his Mott Street tea store, with a prospect of getting a partnership in the years to come. Truly, the future looked bright for Wong Lee and his pretty child-wife, Bow Sing. They had been in the Doyers btreet room 'one day. Already Bow Sing had shown how useful a wife could be, as ,the walls with their pretty decorations proved. Carefully spread over the couch was something that had caused Sam Lee's eyes to open even wider than when at first he beheld the beauty of Bow Sing. It was the only thing of his father's belongings that Wong Lee had not sold before leaving for America. This he must not sell, for ib was his father's mandarin coat, handed down from many generations, something to be handled tenderly and gazed at with awe, for the time had long gone past when coats such as that could be made by man.' At first glance the coat seemed to be one blaze of color, with n<> definite pattern or scheme to the "work upon it.- But if one looked Jong and searchingly a wonderful array of things spread out into view. It became plain that hundreds upon hundreds of dragons were embroidered in amazing array upon the blue silk background. Then, if one kept- on looking, the faces, of the dragons stood out more plainly, and took on a fearsome aspect. From every dragon's head darted a tongue, long, red, and forked. The eyes of ■the dragons gleamed red and green and seemed to be' alive. And the longer one looked the more terrible did the , appearance of the dragons seem to get, until one was glad to put the coat down and turn away from its mysteries. . Wong Lee well remembered his father's words , when the . coat was given to him. "Lead an upright life,. and these dragons will guard you from harm,' he had said; "but should you■ bring dishonor to your name .they will destroy you. J would.that the coat might be given into some other's hands, but there is a legend attached to it which says it will follow our household until all are dead. Therefore, you cannot, hope to dispose of it." This warning had sounded very terrible to Wong Lee at that time, but he had almost forgotten it now, and, in fact; after getting over his first fear of the thing, decided his father had taken that meanss to give him some good advice. One night Wong Lee had a caller.. Moy Chow the visitor gave as his name, and he beamed on Wong as he related his mission. He had learned of Wong as a newcomer, and had been delegated to ask him to join a club. The fees were small, the en-, joyments many, and besides, all those in Chinatown who amounted to anything were members. Wong and Moy Chow talked long and earnestly, while Bow Sing listened behind the kitchen door with, fear gripping her heart. She almost gave a little moan when she heard Wong say he would join, and after.the visitor had gone she threw herself into Wong's arms weeping. After a while, when Wong had talked to her and told her all about it, Bow Sing felt a little bit ashamed. He would only be at the club two nights a week, and, even though Bow Sing was the light of his life and he would rather talk to her than anyone in the Avorld, still a man should ! have some friends of his own kind. So in a few minutes everything was all right again, and Bow Sing smiled bravely two nights later when Wong went out into the narrow street for I his first club meeting.

But tE© two nights a week soon grew into three, and three into four, and so on until it was seldom that Bow Sing saw Wong until many hours of weary watching every night at the window. And then at times appeared, so stupid and dull and listless, although his eyes seemed bright. But his voice would be thick and his walk unsteady, so that pretty Bow Sing was puzzled and worried, for she feared Wong was ill. Then Sam Lee called one lonely night and told her. He had noticed the change in Wong, and had made inquires. ,It was Said wine that brightened Wong's eyes, but it was opium that dulled his senses, and. Wong also was gambling. Bow Sing cried a little after Sam Lee had gone. When Wong tottered into the room that night she told him what she knew and then sat silent. ' "It is true," replied Wong, "but it is too late to turn back." "Too late, too late!" What did he mean? asked Bow Sing. Wasn't

Sam Lee ready to help them ; w.asn't she with him? Coijldn't he leave the club and come back, to her ? "No," said Wong, and he told her why. He had begun, as all others had witli opium, to smoke a little. This had. been pleasant, and there was no reaction. But as the habit grew so did the after-effects, 'until liow the. dreaded ' t 'yen-sen," tho pain that racks brain and body until the lungs are filled with smoke, had him in its grip and Jie was a fiend. During the next month Wong installed a layout in the room, and often had his friends up to smoke with him. Wong was not so particular about keeping Bow Sing out of sight now, and ho often dragged her into the room before his admiring fellows. Moy Chow was a frequent caller, and his gaze Avas often centred on Bow Sing in a manner that caused her blood to freeze and leave her snaking with ague. Then came the final blow. Wong had been away for two days and nights when Sam Lee called and broke the news to Bow Sing. Wong had made her the stake in the fan tan game of the nights before., and Moy Chow had Avon her. Boav Sing listened in silence" this time, and then did a very queer thing. While Sam Lee grovelled on the floor and groaned as he saAV her resolve, she cut a piece of red flannel into< a strip, and- iicd it around her throat. Then she sat doAvn quietly and Avaited, Avhile Sam Lee rushed into the street, moaning and searching for Wong. Wong's senses Avere not so dulled that he could not comprehend the full meaning of what Sam Lee told him. The "Badge of Death" that Boav Sing had tied around her throat could not be recalled with honor. Within fortjj-eight hours Boav Sing would die by her oaa'ii hand, and' he, Wong, had driven her to it. Wong tore at his hair and begged and pleaded Avitb her to break the resolve" that he kneAv in his heart she would not, could not, with honor, break. i : ■ 4 And as he pleaded the door Avas thrown-open'and Moy Clioav entered. Then Boav Sing arose and threw back her head and laughed as Moy Chow, ■staggered"'-..back aghast as l.c* read the message on the. fair throat of the prize lie had coveted.r Boav Sing's red lips parted in a little, smile as she gazed around the room tor a. moment.: Then, as Moy Chow's snarl of rage.Avarned her that he might attempt to take her after all, she ran quickly to the AvindoAv and plunged head first to the stonepaved street. As the- door closed upon Moy ChoAv's shaking form, Wong sank back on the couch with.terror widening his eyes. The pain that he had often felt of late was returning, .but this time a thousandfold worse. He reached for the opium box, but it was empty, and, Avith his temple* hammering into his ears, he fell back on his knees at the side of the'couch.

It was queer that his face should have reached on an exact level with the top of the couch.where the mandarin coat lay, but that is exactly AA'hat happened. And it AA^as strange, too; it seemed to Wong that the dragons' eyes gleamed so. Surely they Averen't moving ? Of course not. That was"-simply his imagination. But the pain—the pain! Why Avas it that his .whole..head felt as if it would burst, and as'if the tongues of the dragons were shooting out at him?

They Avere moving! They Avere grOAving larger! They were filling the room! Their breath was on him,

their. mouths • open and their tongues^— , "After that Chinese girl jumped out of that window in Doyers Street/ said Patolman Sheeh&n to the lieutenant in the Elizabeth Street station, "Aye found the room she had lived in Avas On fire. After it AA Tas put out Aye found a Chink in there burned to death. He had tipped over the lamp of an opium layout. His body Avas lying on this coat. It must have been a peach., eh ? Take a look at it." •

"Same class to that Chink," replied the lieutenant, handing back the scorched mandarin coat. "Send it along .with.'-the-two bodies to the coroner."