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Old Santa Fé, christened by the early Franciscan Friars, "City of the Blessed Faith," but in reality a fair wanton, a veritable Sodom and Gomorrha of iniquity with her corridos, her cock-pits and dance and gambling-halls, threw wide her gates and bade the stranger welcome; and if he did not receive the worth of his gold in pleasure and substance, surely it was no fault of Santa Fé's.
It was just like the Hen, being so good-hearted, and thinking so much of Hill, to fire up like that about Santa Fé's pool on when he'd get his medicine; and all the boys knowed that beside the address she was making to the whole congregation Santa Fé was going to get another, and a worse one, when she had him off where she could play out to him a lone hand.
Tretherick; but not a muscle of his immobile face changed, nor did his slant eyes lighten as he met her own placidly. She evidently did not recognize him as she began to count the clothes. But the child, curiously examining him, suddenly uttered a short, glad cry. "Why, it's John, Mamma! It's our old John what we had in Fiddletown." For an instant Ah Fe's eyes and teeth electrically lightened.
The result was that, at a later meeting of the music committee, Mrs. Tretherick's voice was declared inadequate to the size of the building and she was invited to resign. She did so. She had been out of a situation for two months, and her scant means were almost exhausted, when Ah Fe's unexpected treasure was tossed into her lap.
"Take him to the calabozo!" he ordered sharply. The building that was then being used as Santa Fe's prison was constructed of adobe with tremendously thick walls and no windows. The only place light and air could enter the sinister building was through a grating the size of a man's hand in the huge, rusty iron door. Kid Wolf was marched to the prison by his sextet of guards.
"No good," said Ah Fe stolidly. "Hop Li, he givee this" he indicated the envelope in his sleeve "to next Chinaman. HE no go. S'pose you go with me, Hop Li you no makee nothing allee same, makee foolee!" "I know; but you just take me there. The young girl was irresistible. Ah Fe's face relaxed. "Allee litee!" he said, with a resigned smile. "You wait here a moment," said Cissy, brightening.
"But I left no money on the top of the bureau, John," said Mrs. Tretherick earnestly. "There must be some mistake. It belongs to some other person. Take it back, John." Ah Fe's brow darkened. He drew away from Mrs. Tretherick's extended hand, and began hastily to gather up his basket. "Me no takee it back. No, no! Bimeby pleesman he catchee me.
"But I left no money on the top of the bureau, John," said Mrs. Tretherick earnestly. "There must be some mistake. It belongs to some other person. Take it back, John." Ah Fe's brow darkened. He drew away from Mrs. Tretherick's extended hand, and began hastily to gather up his basket. "Me no takee it back. No, no! Bimeby pleesman he catchee me.
All the boys was jammed in there Nosey Green with his face tied up like he had a toothache, so it didn't show who he was waiting to see what more was coming; and they was about busting with the laughs they had inside 'em, and ready to play close up to Santa Fé's hand.
With a recollection of past pain, and an obscure suspicion of impending danger, she asked him when he had left Fiddletown. "Longee time. No likee Fiddletown, no likee Tlevelick. Likee San Flisco. Likee washee. Likee Tally." Ah Fe's laconics pleased Mrs. Tretherick. She did not stop to consider how much an imperfect knowledge of English added to his curt directness and sincerity.
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