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Show - 59 - and accepted the fact that she was in another time. When they came to the little bridge the ghost crossed over and waited on the other side for the girl to catch up. Penny could not help but notice that the bridge was newer and less shakey than when she last saw it. Claudine held herfthger up to her lips signifying silence, and went up one of the paths leading to the old pagoda roofed house that she and Vickey had wondered about on that afternoon. She remembered what Tom had told them about not venturing too close to the truck gardens. Even in the dark, she noticed that the house was different; much plainer and not as old looking. She could feel the excitement stirring within her and quickly caught up with the ghost who had gone around the back of the house and was standing near a basement window where a light was dimly visible within. "Look in and see what is happening, but be very quiet," she said. Penny kneeled on the ground and peered in. The entire building was one huge room. She could see that these were the living quarters of the coolies who tended the gardens. During the early 1-900's many Chinese had emigrated to the United States. To pay for their passage to this country, a great number of them were in bondage to the wealthy and influential Oriental families who Owned the gardens. They worked long and arduous hours for meager wages and were almost slaves to the owners. Tom had related to the girls how the coolies loaded the vegetables on to the%ragons and transported them to Chinatown where the market was located._ The wagon crossed over the bridge and up the path, which was much wider in those days, and passed Gaven House. The driver always stopped and gave Claudine and Dirk a special sweetmeat consisting of coconuts and almonds. The children looked forward to these times with great anticipation. All that had been changed now. Instead of wagons, trucks were used to carry the vegetables via the big highway that had been constructed a few years hackv |
