Chapter 7

As the two Chinese men approached, someone jumped from a wall and landed in front of them. Molly looked astonished at who it was!

"Hey Molly, how are you doing? Roland said, producing another knife.

"Well at the moment, not too well! How are you?" Molly said.

"Well, faring better than you at the moment, would you like a little help?"

"Sure, what's the plan?"

"My dad is on his way with police. In fact, I think I hear them now. Are you ready to rush them?"

She looked at Ruth signing for her to stay put until things were settled. Then she nodded at Roland and they ran at the men, which surprised them and Roland and Molly both had them tied down and ready when Josh made his way to them while the police had the ladies in custody.

"Hi uncle Josh," Molly said with a smile and a bit of sign language to Ruth to let her know everything was all right.

"Hello, fancy meeting you here, I thought it would be another month before we saw you and Richard. By the way where is he?"

"Richard stayed behind to close up the house and finish some things back home."

Joshua and Roland finished getting things cleaned up. And invited the girls to dinner.

"Josh, there is something else we have to tell you. Absalom is with us as well as two Pinkerton detectives…"
"What do you mean Pinkerton Detectives?" Josh asked concerned.

"Well, you see Josh, something happened before we were to leave New Bedford and we were attacked."
Roland was about to say something when Absalom, and the Pinkertons came upon them. Absalom shook hands with Josh and also with Roland.

"As I was about to say," Molly spoke up, "we were attacked the night before we left. It seems that some Chinese person whom my husband was to testify against did not want him to win. Ruth was used to try to kill me, but we found out they had given her some opium with laudanum, and she wasn't herself. That is why she is with us. She is deaf like Absalom, but she wants to open a school for deaf children. Ruth, this is My Uncle Joshua and My cousin Roland."

Ruth looked at both of them, she liked the blonde hair or what was left of it now that it was turning grey, but Roland swept her off her feet. She looked at him and saw the brown eyes, and brown hair, and a smile that melted her heart. Carefully, without letting anyone know her feelings, she smiled and shyly said:

"Hello, pleased to meet you." The men bowed and took her hand. When Roland took her hand, it was all she could do not to swoon. She hoped that no one had noticed, but Molly did and would talk to her later.

The police officer went over to the group and asked Molly and Josh and Absalom to go to the station with him.

"I am a little afraid of leaving Ruth alone, Absalom, will you stay with her. In fact, why don't you stay as well Roland?"

They both nodded and with the two Pinkertons went to the suite at the hotel they were staying at. The ship was not due to leave for a couple of days so they could rest for a while.

It had been at least a week but Richard, and Lin Soon and family made it to San Francisco about two days later so that they would be able to join Molly and Ruth and Absalom.

Lin Soon talked to Richard about what he would do to help find out who the Chinese gang was and why. He did not like so much the abuse of women nor did he like anyone who had been forced to take a drug they did not want take.

When they left the train, they headed for the hotel where they would stay. They did not know which hotel Molly would be in, but Richard had passage on the same ship that the rest of them had and he would soon connect with her and the rest.

Toy Kwan had the children pack their things, she still treated them as her babies and often would pack or help them when they could do things themselves. Lin Soon was always telling her, "They have to learn to do things for themselves, otherwise they will not be able to live well here in America!" She would just sigh and still do some things for them.

They went to the nearest hotel and found that Molly indeed had taken up residence there. They got a suite for Lin Soon but before they could sign, there was a problem, one of the patrons was very upset that there were Chinese in 'his' hotel. He insisted that they leave immediately and find somewhere else to stay.

Richard, turned into perfect courtroom lawyer and said: "This is a very famous Chinese couple. They are under my guardianship. I am their lawyer, and they will stay in this hotel and no other place!"

The disgruntled customer, looked at the proprietor and said: "I have been to this hotel every year for the convention and other occasions, I am a loyal customer, now if you want my business then you will kick these 'chinks and their lawyer friend out on the street, or I will leave and tell the whole city that your hotel is filled with rats!"

The proprietor looked at the man, looked at the family and the lawyer and weighed his options. He asked that the family and lawyer go out for a minute while he took care of the other customer. They complied and waited outside. All of a sudden there was a crash of glass and the 'customer' came flying out the window. The proprietor opened the door and invited them in. giving them the suite that they would need which was nearby the suite that Molly and the rest occupied.

"There is no need to thank me, Mr. Cloom, Mr. and Mrs. Soon. I have been waiting to do that for a very long time. He will not be back!"
"Thank you any way. We will let others know of your kindness!" Lin Soon said and bowed as he said this.

"I too want to thank you sir. If you had not stepped in, they would have called my bluff…" Richard stopped as another voice chimed in:

"But from now on, the Bolt family will stay in this hotel whenever we come for business."

Richard smiled; it was Joshua. He had always liked Joshua and gave him a great hug and handshake. Lin Soon and family ran over to Joshua as well.

"Jeremy Lin Soon and Candy Lin Soon" Lin Soon pointed to both his almost grown children. And of course; "Toy" Both Lin and Toy bowed to Joshua and gave Josh and Molly great big hugs.