MADERA   MERCURY Madera, Madera County, California Tuesday, July 24, 1906 SHORTY'S LOVE _________ It Leads to Trouble Among the Chinese _________ Scheming Widow Attempts to Sell Daughter Twice, Len Fat's Tale of Woe _________     "A Rag, a bone and a hank of hair," in the shape of a bit of Chinese femininity who goes under the euphonious name of Ah Moy, if the cause of a choice bit of gossip among the slant-eyed celestials in Madera's Chinatown, and threatens to bring trouble to Mrs. Yee Chung , relict of Yee Chung, a former orchardist who died several years ago.     Len Fat, alias Lam Hing, alias "Shorty, the slop man," is the hero in a little Chinese love drama that is being enacted here.     When Yee Chung died and left his wife with a half-dozen children to support, "Shorty" came to her rescue and furnished food and money to the widow, who in turn promised to give the swill gatherer little Ah Moy for a wife when she was old enough.  "Shorty" gathered swill on which he fattened his hogs and made much money, part of which he gave to the widow.  At night the Chink burned punks and offered sweetmeats to his favorite joss and sought his favor in his love-making.  Little Ah Moy grew fat and pretty, and Len Fat smiled as he looked upon her.  He praised the joss and burnt more punk sticks before him.     But alas for Len Fat, his dreams of love were dispelled, for he learned a few days ago that the charming girl was about to be sold to a rich merchant of Coulterville, whose clothes did not reek of the pig pen and whose money looked better to Mrs. Chung.  In order words, "Shorty" discovered that the widow whose family he had been feeding these many years, was about to give him the double-cross and was negotiating the sale of Ah Moy to the Coulterville merchant for $800.  As she owed "Shorty" $510, she saw a good chance to get $800 in money and Len Fat could stay with his pigs.  The discovery dazed Len Fat, and he was loath to believe such treachery on the part of the widow, whose friend he had taken.  He hastened to her and received from her own lips confirmation of the story.  "Shorty" demanded his money.  The widow grabbed a poker and started to tattoo a dragon on his scalp with it, but "Shorty's" feet saved him and he got out of danger.  The knowledge that little Ah Moy was not to be his made his headache and he sat down and cried.  Then anger took the place of love, and he tore home and hurled denunciations at the head of his joss.  He threw the punk sticks out of doors and fed sweetmeats to his hogs.     He has no more love for Ah Moy and will have none of her, but he wants his money.     He told his story to the men of this tong, and a meeting was held at the joss house last night.  Mrs. Yee Chung was not present.  Another meeting will be held in a day or two, at which it is expected that "Shorty," the widow and the rich suitor from Coulterville will be present.  If Mrs. Yee Chung does not give "Shorty" his money, the sale will be declared off.  For so sayeth the heads of the tongs in Chinatown. _________