Chapter 6

The train was on its way almost to the middle of the country. The 5 passengers ate and slept almost exclusively in their train cabins, staying close by and ready for any problems. The ladies were able to go to the observation car but only if one of the detectives or Absalom and one of the detectives were with them.

They had passed through Missouri and entered Nebraska stopping only to change engines in Omaha. The train continued its course to the Pacific. AS the women looked out of the window, they could see empty prairies with occasional smoke rising from straw stacks that were burned by the farmers as a way to prepare for the spring plowing and planting.

Absalom sat in the observation car but was not observing the sights, rather he was observing Ruth. He had known her but only so far as learning along with her in the deaf school. When he had graduated, he did not really think about her at all. Yet, as he 'observed' her, he realized she was rather quite pleasant to look at. She had wavy brown hair with brown eyes. Her face was very expressive, and he really wanted to learn more about her. At these times in the observation car, he would sit near her and finger spell into her hands in case Molly or someone else would be watching. She would giggle a little and fingerspell back. They had the most wonderful conversations. He found out that she had become a deaf teacher at the school and was considering going to West to open a deaf school in California. Absalom, said, or rather spelled "Seattle?" She did not answer back but smiled a thoughtful smile.

Molly was worried for her husband Richard. She knew he would find out who those people were and also the house had to be rented. She hoped that they would meet at the end in Seattle.

"I don't think you should be too worried, Richard," Said the DA, "after all, perhaps because of the testimony that you present, the gang will be put to rest!"

Richard looked at him. He was a lawyer, the DA was a police officer, both had experiences that neither knew of.

"Richard, I want you to meet one of our most effective police officers. He goes undercover and works in Chinatown. With that, a Chinese man walked in, he was dressed in American style clothing and spoke with a Chinese accent.

"Good day Mr. Cloom! I am pleased to meet you." He held out his hand to Shake Richards hand. Richard blinked a couple of times. The man was older but also, he looked familiar.

"Good Day to you as well, what did you say your last name was?"
"Oh, Pardon me, it is Soon, Lin Soon!"

Richard's eyes widened as he said: "Not the Lin Soon who married Toy Kwan?"

They both looked at each other and started to talk:

"I don't remember you, but…"

"I remember hearing about the story from my Aunt Biddie!"

Both laughed. Then Lin said: "How are the Bolts? Especially Jeremy? Toy named our first son Jeremy. We decided since we were learning American ways, we could name our children different names. He is named Jeremy Lin Soon after both me and Jeremy Bolt."
"I believe everything is fine, Jeremy and Candy married and have two children. I married Candy's sister Molly. We were planning a trip back there when this assault happened."

Lin Soon looked at Richard and then at the DA. He said:

"Mr. O'Herlihy, I would like to accompany Mr. Cloom back to Seattle, if that is possible?

The DA looked at Lin Soon, "Why? You know you have much work to do here!"

"Yes, yes, I do, but my wife and children and I need time to go visit very good friends. Also, I will consider this a 'working vacation' since, I will need to determine if this has come from the Tong or something else!"

The DA looked at his best officer: "Lin Soon, you are the best at finding out who or what has happened. Also, if there is a contract out on Mr. Cloom, you will be able to quell it fairly quickly by legal means! Is that understood! LEGAL MEANS"

Lin Soon looked at the DA and nodded in agreement, "Yes sir."

Mr. O'Herlihy dismissed them.

Richard said: "Everyone is going to be so pleased. When can you be ready to leave, I thought we would take the next train out and then head overland by stage and then travel to Seattle from San Francisco by boat? By my calculations we should get there just ahead of Molly, Ruth, and Absalom.

Lin Soon said: "Yes, that will work, now I must convince Toy Kwan and our children to come with us."
"Is there a problem with that? I thought all Chinese women just did whatever their husbands tell them?"

"Richard, I am sorry to say that the brides especially Miss Candy and Miss Biddie did their best and succeeded in some ways to ruin my wife's Chinese culture! But we shall see, I learned from Jason some interesting things as well. I may be very persuasive, and she will drop everything to come with us!" Lin soon said this with a secretive smile on his face.

Richard finished his packing as well as finding someone to rent the house until he came back. He was thinking how he missed Molly. They had no children, but it was not for lack of trying. He had gone to the doctor and found that because of a childhood injury, he was unable to father any children. He and Molly talked about it and found that Molly was just as happy without children. She was very involved with getting women the right to vote, as well as other political issues of the day. Some women considered her to progressive there in New Bedford.

When Lin Soon went home that afternoon, he found Toy and their children working on a vegetable garden. Toy was very happy to see him.

"You are home early? What happened?" she said as she hastened to make him comfortable in his favorite chair getting his sake and waiting for him to reply?

"Toy, how long has it been since we have been to Seattle?" He asked after a few minutes of reflection.

"Oh, Lin it seems like a long time ago! I miss Candy and Jeremy and Seattle as well. I do not miss falling in the water though!" She laughed at that. She was finally able to make some jokes and they were often the best that Lin Soon heard.

"What do you think if we close everything down and take a trip to Seattle tomorrow?"

Toy Kwan looked shocked; she did not know what to say: "But Lin? Jeremy Lin Soon needs to finish his college education, and Candy Toy Kwan also needs to finish school if she is going to be a teacher! I don't think leaving now is a good idea!" She turned around and did not face him.

He looked at her and thought, 'how would Jason handle this?' Then he said:

"Toy, this is an opportunity for us to learn more about our new country and for our children to learn as well. Do you not want our children to experience what the west has to offer?"

Toy Kwan looked at him this time and thought about it as well. Here were they lived in New Bedford, there was really now opportunity for her children to advance because they were Chinese. Perhaps in Seattle, they would have that opportunity.

She nodded her head sideways at first and then remembering that up and down meant yes, she said: "Lin Soon, I agree. Let's pack!

Richard, Lin Soon and family left on the very next train out of New York and headed towards the West Coast.

Molly had sent a letter to her sister and brother hoping that they would all be able to meet in Seattle. The train whirled past many places, chugging up mountains. Changing Engines and finally made it to California.

When they stopped in San Francisco they were directed to stay at a hotel overnight to catch a boat to Seattle. Molly was excited since they were given a suite. Two bedrooms, one for her and Ruth and one for Absalom and the detectives. After settling in, she asked if Ruth would like to walk around San Francisco with her. Ruth said yes so, they got dressed and decided to take a tour of the town. They did forget one thing, to let Absalom and the Pinkertons know they were going out.

As they were walking around, they saw the entrance to Chinatown. Ruth looked at Molly and signed; "Should we?"

Molly looked remembering their incident in New Bedford, she was about to say no, when two ladies, Chinese ladies stood very close to them and they were told to follow these ladies. Molly saw that they each had a knife, she motioned to Ruth to be ready to run. As she pushed one lady into the other both her and Ruth took off running. However, the ladies just stood and laughed, they had taken a wrong turn and ended in an alley.

Molly taking the knife in her hand that she had grabbed stood with Ruth behind her ready to take on anyone that came at them. The Chinese ladies were laughing, and two Chinese men were coming to get both of them.