Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 7, 1922 — page 161: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

IN POPPYLAND. The possessions the table held charmed his glances. And there came near being more tragedy in the bedroom of O Long Lee after he had sent away his servants and had waddled, with licentious eyes, to lift the head-dress from his purchase. For when he saw the weather-beaten face of Wen Foo grinning with toothless mouth from behind that lifted veil, he seized a huge club of lotus wood and was for braining her on the spot. But he didn’t brain her. Wen Foo was ready for him—with a long fish-knife from out her sleeve. He glared a moment, then let her go with no more damage than a few curses for her ancestors. And being fat, he was philosophical. He lumbered to a seat and consoled himself with the fact that the thousand taels were counterfeit; the three volumes of Confucius not authen- tic sayings of that great one at all, the jade from the throne of Ting Chow but an agate marble dropped by some foreigner’s child in the street, and the gold abacus a thing of wood gilded. So the end was not tragic, after all. The drop of little Sen Toy from her bedroom window into the hamper of laundry on the two-wheeled chow mein had done her no U 307 harm, since it contained nothing but soft shirts. And there were no signs of tragedy on the faces of Chink-A-Ping and her as early next morning they leaned, close side by side, over the rail of a Chinese junk which Chink- A-Ping had purchased the day before from @ junk dealer. The sun was rising over the Celestial Empire from which they were sailing. And how fitting it seemed that, after being only three hours married at the foreigners’ mis- sion, 2 great breeze, incense-laden from the city, should be wafting them onward on this wonderful honeymoon. Yet suddenly Sen Toy shivered and clung even closer than formerly to Chink-A-Ping. ** What is it, beloved?”’ he asked anxious- ly, as he put both his arms around her and pressed a kiss upon her quivering rose petal lips. “ Will not my father and O Long Lee hire highbinders to reach with their tongs for for us even in America?” Chink-A-Ping laughed and gave her a reassuring hug. ‘* There is a place,” said he sagely, “ along an underground railroad leading out from New York where no one can find anybody. There we will live.” U FLOWERS I WOULD BRING FLOWERS I would bring if flowers could make thee fairer, And music, if the Muse were dear to thee— For loving these would make thee love the bearer— But sweetest songs forget their melody, And fairest flowers would but conceal the wearer; A rose I marked and might have plucked; but she Blushed as she bent, imploring me to spare her, Nor spoil her beauty by such rivalry. Aljas! and with what gifts shall I pursue thee, What offering bring, what treasures lay before thee; When earth with all her floral train doth woo thee, And all old poets and old songs adore thee; And Love to thee is naught; from passionate mood Secured by joy’s complacent plenitude! Aubrey Thomas DeVere. comiclbooolx C©