Mr. Wong Rights a Wrong: A Victorian San Francisco Story

By M. Louisa Locke

Annie Fuller, the young boarding house keeper and reluctant clairvoyant, met the kind, older Chinese servant, Mr. Wong, in the midst of her investigations into a mysterious death in Maids of Misfortune, the first book in Locke's Victorian San Francisco Mystery series. In this short story, Annie Fuller turns to Mr. Wong for help in solving a puzzle that could have life or death consequences. Like Madam Sibyl's First Client, Dandy Detects, and The Misses Moffet Mend a Marriage, Locke's other short stories in this series, Mr. Wong Rights a Wrong offers a glimpse into what life was like in late 19th century San Francisco.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M. Louisa Locke
• Release date: Sep 12, 2015
• ISBN: 9781516376414

M. Louisa Locke

M. Louisa Locke, a retired professor of U.S. and Women’s history, has embarked on a new career with her best-selling Victorian San Francisco Mystery series, which is based on Dr. Locke's doctoral research on late 19th century working women. Maids of Misfortune, the first in this series, features domestic service, and Uneasy Spirits, the sequel, explores women and 19th Spiritualism. Her third book, Bloody Lessons, focuses on teachers working in the San Francisco public schools in 1880. She has also written four short stories that are based on characters from the novels, and they can be found in this collection, Victorian San Francisco Stories. Her next book in the series, Deadly Proof, about women in the San Francisco printing industry, will be available early in 2015.Go to http://mlouisalocke.com/ for more about M. Louisa Locke and her work, including information about the historical research behind these books. Word of mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. Therefore, if you enjoyed Maids of Misfortune, please consider writing a review. Dr. Locke is on the Board of Directors for the Historical Fiction Authors Cooperative and an active member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Book preview

Mr. Wong Rights a Wrong

MR. WONG RIGHTS A WRONG

A VICTORIAN SAN FRANCISCO STORY

M. LOUISA LOCKE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Copyright 2014 by Mary Louisa Locke

All rights reserved.

Cover design Copyright 2014 by Michelle Huffaker

All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

Mr. Wong Rights a Wrong

Other Works by Author

About the Author

MR. WONG RIGHTS A WRONG

San Francisco, March 1880

Annie Fuller watched as the horse car she just exited made its way up Stockton Street towards North Beach. Glad her new wool and velvet trimmed basque coat reached her knees, she thrust her gloved hands into its deep square pockets and shivered. March winds could be cruel in San Francisco, and at ten minutes before seven the sun hadn’t yet made it up past Telegraph Hill to warm the morning air. She thought of Nate Dawson who lived with his uncle in a boarding house on Vallejo Street, about six blocks northeast of where she stood. She wondered if he would still be asleep in his cold attic room after working late last night on some legal documents. Or would he be cramming down burnt toast and bitter coffee before going to his uncle’s law firm where he was junior partner. Annie smiled.

Nate often complained about how bad the food was at Mrs. McPherson’s. Last week she had teased him, saying he wanted to marry her just so he could move into the O’Farrell Street boarding house she owned. Beatrice, Annie’s cook and housekeeper, was already talking about how she would fatten up Nate’s tall frame when he married Annie and moved in. Annie smiled again.

When...not if...they married. One simple change of a word made all the difference.

After a fish-laden cart trundled past on its way towards Market Street, she crossed the intersection and began to walk up Washington Street. The address she had been given was 916 Washington, but the letter from Mrs. Greenstock directed Annie to go past the front entrance and around to the door off of Stone Street.