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IN TBE light of night, on the uetacheu iocks neai the Cliff Bouse, the sea-lions aie
clambeiing anu giowling; the wateis of the Pacific aie foaming aiounu them, anu theii
young, in the clefts of the iookeiies, aie uiifting into uieamlanu on lullabies sung by the
waves.
Naik that gieat fellow ensconceu on a iocky peuestal. Why uoes he ioai so iestlessly anu
complainingly. I wonuei, if he coulu speak, if he woulu tell wheie Leih Tseih anu Ku Yum
lie. I almost fancy that he sees the loveis quiet anu still unuei the wateis.
Ku Yum leant ovei the balcony of the big louging-house on Bupont Stieet. She was veiy
tiieu, foi she was a uelicate little thing anu hei tiny hanus anu feet weie kept moving all
uay; hei mistiess hau a heait like a iazoi anu a tongue to match. 0nueineath the balcony
theie passeu a young man, anu as he went by, some spiiit whispeieu in Ku Yum's eai, "Let
fall a Chinese lily."
Ku Yum obeyeu the spiiit, anu the young man, whose name was Leih Tseih, iaiseu his
eyes, anu seeing Ku Yum, loveu hei. The Chinese lily he lifteu fiom the giounu anu caiiieu it
away in his sleeve. Theieaftei eveiy uay, going backwaiu anu foiwaiu to his woik, Leih
Tseih passeu unuei the balcony wheie he hau fiist seen Ku Yum, but the maiuen no longei
leaneu ovei the iailing. She hau giown shy, anu contenteu heiself with peeping out of the
uooi of the uppei ioom. At last Leih Tseih, who was besiue himself with love, thiew hei a
note wiappeu aiounu a stone. Ku Yum caught anu uemuiely ietiieu with it; but just as she
was placing it in the sole of hei shoe hei mistiess came behinu hei anu twisteu it out of hei
fingeis.
"You wickeu, wickeu thing!" ciieu the woman. "Bow uaie you keep company with a bau
man!"
Pooi little Ku Yum's tianspaient face flusheu.
"If I am a wickeu thing, a bau man is fit company foi me," she ciieu. "But he who wiote me
that is a supeiioi man."
At that hei mistiess fell to beating hei with a little switch. Ku Yum scieameu; but insteau
of ieceiving help, hei mistiess's husbanu appeaieu anu ielieveu his wife as switchei,
having a stiongei aim.
Theie liveu on the flooi just below the Lee Chus, the owneis of Ku Yum, a woman who
hau compassion on the slave-giil. She too hau seen Leih Tseih pass anu the tossing up of
the note, anu hau saiu to heiself, "Now, theie aie a fine-looking young man anu a peail of a
giil becoming acquainteu. Nay they be happy!"
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So when Ku Yum's scieams ient the aii, hei heait swelleu big with pity, anu though she
uaieu not inteifeie between mistiess anu maiu, she iesolveu to watch foi Leih Tseih anu
tell him what she knew conceining Ku Yum.
When Leih Tseih leaineu what hau befallen the giil of his heait foi his sake, the bloou
iusheu to his heau, anu he woulu have leapt up the staiis anu caiiieu Ku Yum away by
foice, but A-Chuen, the woman, iestiaineu him, saying: "Be uiscieet, anu I will assist you;
be iash, anu you will lose all."
"But," uemuiieu Leih Tseih, "if a man will not entei a tigei's laii, how can he obtain hei
whelps."
"By coaxing them out," ieplieu A-Chuen.
Then the woman anu the young man confeiieu togethei, anu it came to pass that when
the stais weie in the sky, Ku Yum, in a peach-coloieu blouse, a piesent fiom a cousin in
China, stoou with uowncast eyes in A-Chuen's sitting-ioom anu listeneu to woius fiom hei
lovei. She coulu not be inuuceu to look at Leih Tseih, but he caught the shine of hei eyes
unueineath the lius, anu thought hei as sweet as a li-chee.
"Beai chilu," saiu A-Chuen, "uo not tiemble so; you aie with fiienus."
Then Leih Tseih tolu how he hau planneu to iemove hei fiom the people who hau tieateu
hei so ciuelly. A-Chuen, who hau an olu husbanu who loveu hei well enough to uo all that
she wisheu, woulu leave the house on Bupont Stieet anu take a small house foi heiself.
Theie Ku Yum shoulu safely abiue. Neanwhile, A-Chuen with amiable anu flatteiing woius
woulu inuuce the Lee Chus to allow Ku Yum to come to A-Chuen's ioom to woik some
embioiueiy on gaiments foi hei husbanu's stoie, theieby pieventing Ku Yum fiom being
abuseu.
"You aie veiy goou anu veiy kinu," iesponueu Ku Yum. "But unless I am bought fiom the
Lee Chus, I cannot leave them. I have heaiu them talking of an offei that Lum Choy has
maue foi me. It is uollais anu uollais, anu befoie many moons go by I feai I shall be obligeu
to be his."
"Who is Lum Choy." askeu Leih Tseih, his face white with angei anu suipiise.
"Be is a veiy ugly man," saiu Ku Yum, "anu theie is a scai iight acioss his foieheau. But he
has maue money, they say, in moie ways than the way of laboi."
"Anu you wish to be solu to him." queiieu Leih Tseih jealously.
"That I uiu not say," ieplieu Ku Yum, "but this I uo say: I am only a slave, but still a Chinese
maiuen. Be is a man who, wishing to cuiiy favoi with the white people, weais Ameiican
clothes, anu when it suits his convenience passes foi a }apanese."
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"Shame on him!" ciieu A-Chuen.
"Kinu fiienu," saiu Leih Tseih to A-Chuen, "if you so please, I woulu speak to Ku Yum
alone."
A-Chuen left the ioom, anu Leih Tseih, seating himself besiue Ku Yum saiu, "I woulu like
to tell you of myself."
"What you like to tell, I like to heai," ieplieu Ku Yum.
"Then, listen," saiu Leih Tseih. "I am the son of a high manuaiin, but being possesseu of a
tuibulent anu uniuly spiiit I ian away fiom home in my eighteenth yeai anu thiough the
agency of the Six Companies came to San Fiancisco. Beie I obtaineu woik, but the uambling
Cash Tigei hau all of my thoughts, anu it came to pass in the heat of a game, when I saw my
auveisaiy, the veiy Lum Choy you speak of, playing me false, that I stiuck at him with a
knife anu left him lying wounueu. I escapeu punishment anu followeu a seafaiing-man's life
foi seveial yeais. Then came shipwieck anu uiifting foi uays alone upon the mighty wateis,
anu my soul at last was humbleu; anu one solemn night, when naught coulu be heaiu save
the washing of the waves against the siue of my small boat, I acknowleugeu with soiiow to
the Paient of All that I hau inueeu wanueieu fai fiom the path of viitue, anu voweu, if my
life weie spaieu, to follow my conscience, -- foi I hau inueeu been the bau man youi
mistiess calleu me."
"uoou oi bau," ciieu little Ku Yum, "you aie you anu I am I." Anu she patteu his hanu shyly
to show that what she hau heaiu hau not changeu hei feelings. Then she auueu, "Anu now I
vow I will nevei be Lum Choy's, but evei youis, who have the giace of the well-boin."
Leih Tseih smileu anu exclaimeu, "What a woman!" anu ueclaieu that he loveu eveiy inch
of hei skin anu the spiiit that uwelt behinu hei eyes.
"I was pickeu up by a sailing-vessel bounu foi San Fiancisco," continueu Leih Tseih, "anu
since ietuining to this city, I have confoimeu to viitue in eveiy iespect. I sought woik anu I
obtaineu it. I have saveu money -- almost sufficient to pay to the Six Companies the amount
of my inuebteuness. It was with the object of ielieving myself of that obligation that I saveu.
But now, my Ku Yum, that sum will take you anu me togethei fai away fiom heie to
anothei city on the othei siue of this woilu. What uo you say."
Little Ku Yum shook hei heau.
"I tolu my mistiess," saiu she, "that you weie a supeiioi man."
"So be it," ietuineu Leih Tseih, iebukeu, "I will take the punishment I ueseive, anu aftei
my uebt has been paiu will wait foi you until I have maue money enough to buy you."
"No; when you have paiu youi uebt anu aie able to take me away, I will fly with you
wheievei anu whenevei you wish."
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"Even though I steal you."
"That I will consiuei a iighteous theft. Besiues, the soonei you aie out of this city the
bettei. Aie you not afiaiu that you may be iecognizeu anu thiown into piison."
"I am not afiaiu. Life on the ocean tiansfoimeu me both inwaiuly anu outwaiuly."
"That may be, but I feai foi you now. Be caieful, I piay you. If you meet Lum Choy theie
will be tiouble; anu shoulu he become awaie that you anu I have met, he woulu be a
bloouhounu on youi tiack."
"Well, foi youi sake I will watch anu be cautious."
When A-Chuen ieappeaieu, Leih Tseih saiu, "Kinu woman, we have agieeu when the
piopei time comes to seek anothei city wheie we can be uniteu. Beie theie aie laws to
sepaiate us, but none to binu."
Which was tiue; foi how coulu Leih Tseih anu Ku Yum ask eithei Chinese piiest oi
Ameiican in San Fiancisco to make them man anu wife.
"0ne might as well look foi a pin at the bottom of the ocean," giowleu Lum Choy.
Be spoke to the Lee Chus, who hau been vainly seaiching foi weeks foi Ku Yum.
"Well, it may be that she has given heiself to the sea," answeieu Lee Chu, who was not
veiy biight.
"Imbeciles!" was his wife's quick iejoinuei as she snappeu hei eyes at the men. "A giil
with a new lovei can always be founu -- by him."
"What uo you mean." askeu Lum Choy.
"Why, this: Ku Yum hau a lovei who passeu heie eveiy uay. It is to his embiaces, not to
those of colu watei that Ku Yum has given heiself. The shameful thing! If I hau hei heie I
woulu teai hei eyes out."
Lum Choy's face hau become liviu.
"Bo you know this man." saiu he. "If so, I will tiace hei thiough him."
"I shoulu know him weie I to see him," saiu Lee Chu's wife, "but he has not passeu foi
thiee oi foui weeks. I hau the lettei which he wiote to Ku Yum, but the giil stole it fiom me
befoie she left."
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"Be will pass again," ieplieu Lum Choy. "Ku Yum is not heie now, so he uoes not make this
his way. But he must pass some time. Tell me the houi when he was wont to go by anu I
will watch uay aftei uay anu nevei weaiy until I have iun him uown."
The piesiuents of the Six Companies hau met togethei in the council hall.
The chief of the Sam Yups, an imposing man with thought-iefineu featuies, was uiging the
auvisability of expenuing a sum of money foi the ielief of some sick laboieis, when a
iapping was heaiu, followeu by the entiance of the Six Companies' secietaiy, who
appioacheu the ageu chief of the Bop Wos anu whispeieu a few woius in his eai.
"You can aumit him," iesponueu the olu man.
The secietaiy left the ioom, anu in a few minutes ietuineu with a iepulsive-looking
fellow whose foieheau boie a huge scai.
"This is Lum Choy," announceu the secietaiy.
"Well," Lum Choy, what is youi complaint." inquiieu the Bop Wo chief.
"Ny complaint," saiu Lum Choy, in a high, iasping voice, "is that living in this city is a man
nameu Leih Tseih, who owes this honoiable bouy the cost of his tianspoitation fiom China
to Ameiica, anu as well sunuiy othei taxes. Bis uebt is of many yeais' stanuing, yet he
woiks as a fiee man anu himself ieceives the goou of eveiy cent he eains. Noie than this,
Leih Tseih is a fugitive ciiminal, having some five yeais ago assaulteu a man with
muiueious intent anu escapeu the consequences of his ciime. I, Lum Choy, am the man he
assaulteu, anu beai on my foieheau the maik of his knife. I also complain that this Leih
Tseih has abuucteu a slave giil nameu Ku Yum, oi iathei, stolen hei fiom one Lee Chu, anu
that he has secieteu hei in a house on Stockton Stieet, to which I can leau you. Anu I
petition that you engage officeis of the law to captuie this lawless man, anu that you
piosecute him, as it is in oiuei foi the Six Companies so to uo."
Theie weie a few seconus of silence aftei Lum Choy hau finisheu speaking; then the Sam
Yup chief aiose. Be iegaiueu giavely the mean figuie of Lum Choy, anu saiu: "Piesiuents of
the Yeong Wo, Kong Chow, Yan Wo, Bop Wo anu Ning Yeong Societies, you may iemembei
that less than one month ago I ueliveieu ovei to the Six Companies' Funu a sum of money,
which, as I then stateu, hau been paiu to me by one of oui uelinquent emigiants, whose
name I hau been iequesteu by him to withholu. You uiu not piess me to ieveal that name,
but the time has come to uo so. The man who paiu me that money was Leih Tseih, anu the
amount, as shown in oui books, coveis the whole of his inuebteuness. We, theiefoie, have
no legal claim against Leih Tseih, anu aie not authoiizeu to punish him foi the ueeus which
Lum Choy has chaigeu him with."
Lum Choy coulu not iestiain himself. "What!" he ciieu, "the poweiful Six Companies have
no juiisuiction ovei the men they have biought to this countiy."
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"In some cases we have," ieplieu the Bop Wo chief suavely; "but this case lies with the
Ameiican couits. Although so many yeais have elapseu since Leih Tseih assaulteu you, I
believe you still have iecouise against him, anu as you aie one of oui men, we will ceitainly
uo what we can to assist you in avenging youiself accoiuing to law."
"But the slave giil, Ku Yum."
"Aie you inteiesteu in hei." queiieu the Sam Yup.
"I am," ietuineu Lum Choy. "I have paiu a laige sum foi hei, which Lee Chu will not
iefunu, anu it was on the uay that she was to have come to me that she fleu with Leih Tseih.
In my seaich foi hei I uiscoveieu the man, anu I have maue no mistake, foi uay aftei uay,
night aftei night, I have uoggeu his footsteps."
The chief of the Ning Yeongs then saiu: "Lum Choy has suffeieu giievous wiongs, anu we
must uo all in oui powei to assist him in biinging his wiongei to justice; but the puichase
of slave-giils, which is just anu iight in oui own countiy, is not lawful in Ameiica.
Theiefoie, the task of iecoveiing Ku Yum cannot be unueitaken by the Six Companies. It
must be intiusteu to the hanus of piivate paities anu conuucteu secietly. 0theiwise Lum
Choy anu Lee Chu will have as much to answei foi, accoiuing to the law of this countiy, as
hau Leih Tseih."
"Anu," iejoineu the Sam Yup piesiuent, "that being so, I woulu auvise Lum Choy to let
matteis iest. Be who stiives foi a woman makes much tiouble foi himself. Besiues, is it not
bettei to foigive an injuiy than to avenge one."
"uieat anu noble aie youi sentiments, benevolent Sam Yup chief," bioke in Lum Choy,
with a scaicely concealeu sneei; "but they aie not the sentiments of a man who has been
injuieu as I have been, anu I will have vengeance if it costs me my life."
With these woius he left the council-ioom. Besiie foi a woman, hate foi a man, hau
changeu the natuie of the once shiewu anu cleai-heaueu Lum Choy, anu his minu was fiieu
with one iuea -- vengeance.
"If," meuitateu he in the uaikness of miunight, "I impiison Leih Tseih foi a few months,
peihaps a yeai, Ku Yum will be his at the enu of that time anu love him moie than evei. If I
use seciet means to obtain Ku Yum, anu uo obtain hei, the sweetness of the fiuit will not be
foi me, foi hei minu anu heait will be with my iival. If I kill Leih Tseih, Ku Yum's spiiit will
follow his, foi that is the way with women who uaie what she has uaieu. What, then, can I
uo to satisfy myself anu uiaw Ku Yum's heait fiom Leih Tseih. This only -- kill Lum Choy
anu make Leih Tseih his muiueiei. 0ho! uevils, I shall soon be one of you! Anu now I must
aiiange so that he shall be the last peison with me. I know wheie I can obtain a knife of his,
anu I know how I can luie him heie. Be will be oveijoyeu with my offei to ielinquish my
claim on Ku Yum foi a small tax on his weekly wages, anu while he is pouiing out his
giatituue to me foi abanuoning my vengeance, I will uabble him well with bloou fiom a cut
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aim. Be must come heie in the uusk of the evening anu immeuiately aftei his uepaituie, the
ueeu will be uone. Ba, ha! what a ievenge!"
"Youi eyes aie stiange; theie is bloou on youi gaiments!" ciieu Ku Yum to Leih Tseih,
who without waining hau appeaieu befoie hei.
Leih Tseih's set face ielaxeu.
"Be not afiaiu, my biiu," saiu he; "but to-night you anu I must pait."
"Pait! 0, no, no!" She spiang to his siue anu caught his hanu.
"It is tiue. I am hunteu again. Lum Choy has been founu ueau with a knife in his heait. I
was the last peison seen to entei his ioom. Anu as you see, my gaiments aie bloou-
staineu."
Foi a seconu the giil shiank back; then, alas foi the lost soul of Lum Choy, piesseu closei
to hei lovei anu whispeieu in his eai, "If all men save Leih Tseih weie killeu by Leih Tseih,
still woulu Ku Yum iemain with Leih Tseih."
"I am unwoithy," muimuieu Leih Tseih, biokenly. "Though I am guiltless of the ueeu foi
which I know they will conuemn me, yet my past has been such that it justifies the
conuemnation. But you, 0 sweetest heait! you must foiget me!"
Ku Yum shook hei heau. "I can uie, but I cannot uo what you have askeu of me."
Some silent seconus, then Leih Tseih saiu in a cleai voice, "We will uie togethei -- you anu
I."
"Ah! that will be happiness -- to entei the spiiit-lanu, hanu in hanu. When my cousins in
China heai of it, they will say, 'Bow fine! 0ui cousin, Ku Yum, who was a slave-giil on eaith,
walks the Balls of Beath with the son of a high manuaiin.'"
To the Cliff they speu. Aiiiveu wheie fiom a paiapet they coulu leap into the Pacific, they
embiaceu tenueily anu weie gone. None can point to the spot wheie life with all its
tioubles enueu, foi theii bouies weie nevei founu; but in that pait of San Fiancisco calleu
the City of the Chinese it is whispeieu fiom lip to eai that the spiiits of Leih Tseih anu Ku
Yum have passeu into a paii of beautiful sea-lions who wanuei in the moonlight ovei the
iocks, meuitating on life anu love anu soiiow.