?" I echo.

"We', dissa last tem dissa merchan' Jan Han Sun was sheen annibe!"

"Does the highrob follow him and kill him?"

"No one shee any highrob. No one shee any horse-carry-chair-man. No one
shee any Jan. No maw!

"Nex' morning come fadder-mudder-in-'aw to congratchnate dissa
daughter. Said, 'We vay denight, vay gnad, yo' husban' come home. Where
he is dissa morning? Daughter look vay supp'ise.' Said, 'When you shee
my husban' come home?' Parents said: 'Why, my de-ah daughter, yo'
husban' pass by my daw las' night. We hev vay short convisition
beggedder, an' he say bling home glate many go' an' sivver--mek you
habby. Nen left us come shee you.'

"Nen, vay suddenity, dissa daughter say: 'I fink you ki' my husban', so
you can rob! I hev you arres'.'

"An' she go to magistrate an' mek petition. Say her fadder-mudder to
ki' her husban'. Her fadder-mudder bofe vay indignant; but was putta in
jai'.

"Magistrate examine case, assa many quishuns, search bofe dissa
house--but can't fine who mudder dissa merchan'. Fadder-mudder-in'-aw
say, 'We innocent.' Daughter say, 'You liars!' Her parents med
declaration, 'I doan' hed mudder to any person.' Two mont's go by.
Can't fine who mudder. Nen daughter petition to supere court; say dissa
magistrate doan' know how fine who mudder. Supere court send word, 'You
doan' fine who mudder in six mont's--deglade yo' lank.' Dissa China way
to mek law.

"We', dissa magistrate, whatta he do? Doan' like getta deglade; dissa
spoi' his whole life. Say hisse'f: 'I vay detest to get deglade. Mus'
go mek detectif--fine who mudder.' Nex' day left his court, and go mek
long trivvle--ole dress up like a fortune-tayer."

"Like a fortune-teller?"

"Yeh; fortune-tayer. Vay low common in China. Go roun' wif ole kine bad
peoples.

"Magistrate look jussa somma poh fortune-taye. Nen go on load an'
trivvle--trivvle vay far. Eve'y tem shee a man look lika somma bad man,
try mek frien's wif him. But no can fine who mudder. Long tem
trivvle--'way intehuh China; but no can fine anyone knows about dissa
case. Say hisse'f: 'Pitty soon I getta discoulagement. Two mont's maw
getta deglade, getta disglace! I doan' know I ki' hisse'f!'

"One day was stag' 'long load; getta 'mos' exhaus'. Bofe sides load was
high heels, no house. Kep' on, on; semma heels; semma no house; mus'
lie down in load wifout any subber, wifout any dlink. Dissa magistrate
begin getta desplate. Nen he finks, 'I play to Gaw an' my