teresting one to her. I did so hope it was. The indescribably droll little grimace with which she made her answer, The very least interesting subject in the whole wide world," dispelled this hope, and I sighed as we descended to the sunset, which we had so nearly missed, and would have missed twice over rather than not have met the little lady whom we left.

Much to our delight I found after tea, that my feeling of unsteadiness had wholly disappeared and we proceeded much refreshed to the west entrance of the Observatory where every one had gathered to view the sun retire. Any description of such a sunset would require a poet's pen, so I omit it altogether, preferring to default, rather than to deface.

We were among the first lot who looked through the big telescope that evening, to do which they let us down into telescopic precincts in squads of ten. Through this mammoth instrument, we looked at the third largest star in our firmament,-what did they call it ?-Arcturus? The name is a trifle misty, but the star, was very, very bright.

Through another telescope, in quite a different quarter of the building, which involved a considerable "wander upstairs and downstairs to the turret-chamber," we took a peep at Saturn, whose rings had the appearance of a pole protruding through its center, and very nicely adjusted, as the ends seemed exactly the same in length. Here we rested a bit, for this instrument was to be turned upon the moon, by and by, when all who wished had had a peep at Saturn.

As I stood upon a step-ladder, gazing at what the astronomer asserted was a portion of the moon, I tried to be vastly edified by the sight, and his remarks thereon, but my mind would wander from his subject to his wife. I felt so thankful that they had a baby, and that the baby was a girl, whom she could teach to sew, and to do crochet-work, while a boy would be straying off to his father's work, and telling her all about "the least interesting things in the whole wide world," of which I was suspicious that she heard a trifle too

much already. And if this little giri should develop a taste for astronomy, I hoped there would be yet other children, and so long as they remained upon Mount Hamilton always one too young to talk astronomy. Perhaps these thoughts, at such a time, would seem to require an apology, but why hold me responsible, if a portion of the moon, which, seen through a telescope, exactly resembled a piece of cheese, proved less interesting than the people outside the somber building, where this same moon in its entirety was shining out in a resplendent glory that needed no telescope to discern?

Floods of soft light enveloped the mountain as we descended, and the drive I had so dreaded, proved the most enjoyable, the most beautiful, and the best remembered, of any it has been my fortune to undertake. We had started down early, and excepting a party of ten or twelve ladies and gentlemen on horseback whom we met near the summit, we had the road entirely to ourselves. These drew into single file to pass, and their gay laughter as they cantered up the steep seemed the one note needed to perfect our day. phantom coach had vanished, the rapidity of movement through the August evening air was exhilarating; our horse seemed quite fresh, and in all probability, keenly anxious to reach oats, made light work of the down-grade stretch, reaching the little hotel before we had enjoyed half enough of this moonlit mountain drive.

The

Remembering that over four hundred persons had registered at the Observatory that evening, we whirled by without troubling "mine host," and finally found lodgings at one of the relay stations, with an old couple who had come from "Injiany" full thirty years before, and whose content and thankfulness for safe deliverance from swamps, and "ager" would require reams of paper to recite. Sunday morning found us with a third of our ur return trip still before us, so we again enjoyed the Santa Clara Valley in miniature, the pretty bit of water which was everywhere, and the tree-bordered drive into San José.

I

N THE light of night, on the detached rocks near the Cliff House, the sealions are clambering and growling; the waters of the Pacific are foaming around them, and their young, in the clefts of the rookeries, are drifting into dreamland on lullabies sung by the waves.

Mark that great fellow ensconced on a rocky pedestal. Why does he roar so restlessly and complainingly? I wonder, if he could speak, if he would tell where Leih Tseih and Ku Yum lie. I almost fancy that he sees the lovers quiet and still under the waters.

Ku Yum leant over the balcony of the big lodging-house on Dupont Street. She was very tired, for she was a delicate little thing and her tiny hands and feet were kept moving all day; her mistress had a heart like a razor and a tongue to match. Underneath the balcony there passed a young man, and as he went by, some spirit whispered in Ku Yum's ear, "Let fall a Chinese lily."

Ku Yum obeyed the spirit, and the young man, whose name was Leih Tseih, raised his eyes, and seeing Ku Yum, loved her. The Chinese lily he lifted from the ground and carried it away in his sleeve. Thereafter every day, going backward and forward to his work, Leih Tseih passed under the balcony where he had first seen Ku Yum, but the maiden no longer leaned over the railing. She had grown shy, and contented herself with peeping out of the door of the upper room. At last Leih Tseih, who was beside himself with love, threw her a note wrapped around a stone. Ku Yum caught and demurely retired with it; but just as she was placing it in the sole of her shoe her mistress came behind her and twisted it out of her fingers.

fit company for me," she cried. "But he who wrote me that is a superior man."

At that her mistress fell to beating her with a little switch. Ku Yum screamed; but instead of receiving help, her mistress's husband appeared and relieved his wife as switcher, having a stronger arm.

There lived on the floor just below the Lee Chus, the owners of Ku Yum, a woman who had compassion on the slavegirl. She too had seen Leih Tseih pass and the tossing up of the note, and had said to herself, "Now, there are a finelooking young man and a pearl of a girl becoming acquainted. May they be happy!"

So when Ku Yum's screams rent the air, her heart swelled big with pity, and though she dared not interfere between mistress and maid, she resolved to watch for Leih Tseih and tell him what she knew concerning Ku Yum.

When Leih Tseih learned what had befallen the girl of his heart for his sake, the blood rushed to his head, and he would have leapt up the stairs and carried Ku Yum away by force, but A-Chuen, the woman, restrained him, saying: Be discreet, and I will assist you; be rash, and you will lose all.”

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"But." demurred Leih Tseih, "if a man will not enter a tiger's lair, how can he obtain her whelps?

"By coaxing them out," replied AChuen.

Then the woman and the young man conferred together, and it came to pass that when the stars were in the sky, Ku Yum, in a peach-colored blouse, a present from a cousin in China, stood with downcast eyes in A-Chuen's sitting-room and listened to words from her lover. could not be induced to look at Leih Tsein, but he caught the shine of her eyes underneath the lids, and thought her as sweet as a li-chee.

She

"Dear child," said A-Chuen, "do not tremble so; you are with friends."

Then Leih Tseih told how he had planned to remove her from the people

who had treated her so cruelly. A-Chuen, who had an old husband who loved her well enough to do all that she wished, would leave the house on Dupont Street and take a small house for herself. There Ku Yum should safely abide. Meanwhile, A-Chuen with amiable and flattering words would induce the Lee Chus to allow Ku Yum to come to A-Chuen's room to work some embroidery on garments for her husband's store, thereby preventing Ku Yum from being abused.

You are very good and very kind," responded Ku Yum. "But unless I am bought from the Lee Chus, I cannot leave them. I have heard them talking of an offer that Lum Choy has made for me. It is dollars and dollars, and before many moons go by I fear I shall be obliged to be his."

"Who is Lum Choy?" asked Leih Tseih, his face white with anger and surprise.

"He is a very ugly man," said Ku Yum, and there is a scar right across his forehead. But he has made money, they say, in more ways that the way of labor."

"And you wish to be sold to him?" queried Leih Tseih jealously.

"That I did not say," replied Ku Yum, "but this I do say: I am only a slave, but still a Chinese maiden. He is a man who, wishing to curry favor with the white people, wears American clothes, and when it suits his convenience passes for a Jap

anese.

Shame on him!" cried A-Chuen. "Kind friend," said Leih Tseih to A-Chuen," if you so please, I would speak to Ku Yum alone."

A-Chuen left the room, and Leih Tseih, seating himself beside Ku Yum said, “I would like to tell you of myself."

"What you like to tell, I like to hear," replied Ku Yum.

Then, listen," said Leih Tseih. "I am the son of a high mandarin, but being possessed of a turbulent and unruly spirit I ran away from home in my eighteenth year and through the agency of the Six Companies came to San Francisco. Here I obtained work, but the Gambling Cash Tiger had all of my thoughts, and it came to pass in the heat of a game, when I saw my adversary, the very Lum Choy you

speak of, playing me false, that I struck at him with a knife and left him lying wounded. I escaped punishment and foi lowed a seafaring-man's life for several years. Then came shipwreck and drifting for days alone upon the mighty waters, and my soul at last was humbled; and one solemn night, when naught could be heard save the washing of the waves against the side of my small boat, I acknowledged with sorrow to the Parent of All that I had indeed wandered far from the path of virtue, and vowed, if my life were spared, to foilow my conscience, for I had indeed been the bad man your mistress called me."

"Good or bad," cried little Ku Yum, you are you and I am I." And she patted his hand shyly to show that what she had heard had not changed her feelings. Then she added, " And now I vow I will never be Lum Choy's, but ever yours, who have the grace of the well-born."

Leih Tseih smiled and exclaimed, "What a woman!" and declared that he loved every inch of her skin and the spirit that dwelt behind her eyes.

"I was picked up by a sailing-vessel bound for San Francisco," continued Leih Tseih, "and since returning to this city, I have conformed to virtue in every respect. I sought work and I obtained it. I have saved money-almost sufficient to pay to the Six Companies the amount of my indebtedness. It was with the object of relieving myself of that obligation that I saved. But now, my Ku Yum, that sum will take you and me together far away from here to another city on the other side of this world. What do you say?

Little Ku Yum shook her head.

"I told my mistress," said she, "that you were a superior man."

"So be it," returned Leih Tseih, rebuked, “I will take the punishment I deserve, and after my debt has been paid will wait for you until I have made money enough to buy you.”

"No; when you have paid your debt and are able to take me away, I will fly with you wherever and whenever you wish.'

"Even though I steal you."

That I will consider a righteous theft. Besides, the sooner you are out of this city