Wichita eagle., 1888-06-21

country. Hearing that all the best people
would be at the school, he Too came to see
what it was like he was immensely
pleased with the exercises. and could
scarcely find words to express his appre-
ciation-
The girls were arrayed IN their most
dazzling garments and jewelry. but Tars
outshone all the rest. for her wedding
robes and jewelry had been kept for this
very occasion, and very pretty she looked,
so tho young chief thought. and as soon
as the exercises were over he came for
ward and asked If be might make the
bright eyed girls acquaintance He was
shyly greeted by the young girl. and il
/ was noticed that they spent q long time
in conversation with each other
The next day the chief made a formal
/ application to the SaMb for Tara's hand,
/ and great was his dismay when he learned
! that she had been married in infancy he
ruled large district. and occupied grand
palace. and was In receipt Of good reve-
nue. from his subjects. He had long been
looking for q wife who could grace his
stately homo, but until this time he had
seen no ono who suited him Tara was
lovely and accomplished. and she could
direct his large retinue Of servants with
becoming dignity; yet because she had
been married a dozen years before to an
obscure lad whom she could not remember.
he was to be forever debarred from wooing
her. Hindoo law Is like the laws of the
Modes and Persians. and the marriage of
an infant is binding for life, unless the
husband chooses to turn her out and
divorce her.
| The Sahib tried to comfort the chief
with the hope that Tara might already be
widow and free to marry him. Nothing
had been heard from Lalu for FIVE years.
and they set themselves to devise q plan
for discovering whether he still lived.
They decided to send proclamation
into every village In Kattiawar. calling
upon Jairam to come forward Though
him they hoped to find Tara's brother.
and then news Of her husband Accord
ingly, printed circular was sent to the
head man of every village. and in a few
days Jaipam was found. Then Lmbaji
the brother. was communicated with. and
he soon came, declaring his intention to
take Tara to her husbands house at once.
The poor girl begged him to spare her.
She had been happy all these years, and
did not wish to go to the stranger whom
she could not remember. But Umbaji
was memorable. 1t was disgrace to the
family that she had been kept from her
husband SO long, and every day she re-
manned only added to the disgrace So
she was torn from her friends at Ahmed
pore, an again they started on their jour
ney to Baroda-
When they reached Lalu's house they
learned that he was In the Mahara jah S
army. and was then fighting rebellious
hill tribe. He had taken another wife,
who was then living with the Sassu
whom Tara so much dreaded in her child
hood
And now commenced hard life for the
poor girl The Sassu and the other wife
were unsparing in their abuse Of her. She
had disgraced the family, and had broken
her caste, and they cried out. "Uncleanl
uncleanl" whenever she approached them
They tossed her food to her like bone
to dog. as she crouched in the darkest
and dampest corner of the house. She
was compelled to do all the household
drudgery-grind the grain and pound out
the rice and carry the water. The few
books she had brought from Ahmedpore
were torn In pieces and scattered to the
four winds, while her knitting and en-
broidery materials were cremated before
her eyes. Her only comfort was an occa-
sionai salaam from the Telugu who had
cared for her In Ahmedpore The chief
had sent this woman to Baroda to give
Tara aid and comfort as often as opportu-
nifty offered But the opportunities were
few. for Tara was sedulously watched by
Sassu, lest she should make her escape.
Sometimes the woman disguised herself
as a bangle seller, and succeeded in Sc
cretly conveying food to the poor girl,
who was made to fast until she was al
most starved She shed bitter tears over
the life she had left behind, and thought
regretfully Of the grand home which the
chief had offered her in the far away
MaratM country.
Why had she been married in infancy?
Why should she not have voice in the
matter of her LIES companion? She asked
herself these questions numberless times,
but no answer came. She had been born
Hindoo, and she must submit to Hindoo
customs.
Time passed drearily enough. until one
day word came that Lalu had been slain
In battle. Then the house was filed with
wailing The mother beat her breast and
clutched her hair, declaring that vile,
polluted Tara was the guilty cause Of all
this. She was thrust into the street, and
told never to darken their doors again.
Now was the Telugu woman's opportu-
nifty. and she came to Tara's rescue, as
the cartman had done years before.
At early dawn they were on their way
to Ahmedpore. There was no travelling
across the country ON foot now, but with
the swiftest speed Of the iron horse; and
in twenty -four hours Tara was in the
midst of her friends in Ahmedpore again,
and the news was flashed to the young
chief in his southern home.
In a few weeks there was grand we'd
ding in Ahmedpore-the grandest since
the time Of the old Mohammedan kings.
The bride was lovely in her white silken
robes and diamonds. and the chief was
handsome In his full durhar costume.
with his jewel hilted sword at his side.
His garments were embroidered with seed
pearls. and the diamonds composing the
sigrette of his turban would have bought
up hundred villages like the one in which
Tara had in childhood listened to the tink-
ling bells of the focks as she lay under the
cottage roof and thought Of the distant
stars from whence she came.-Sarah =.
Norris In Harper's Bazaar.
There Is not a Cross eyed baseball player
in the country. 1t Is general supersti-
ton that a Cross eyed man would ire
trievshiy hoodoo the game.