The Somerset reporter., 1889-03-28

|
duced to address u, we put on wrong
ed and indignant air-as rule, we don
answer: if we do we make the man who
has thus daringly addressed us under
stand his mistake. 1t is thus we assert
our superiority Perhaps this is why WI
have the reputation Of being cliquey.
WHY it was do not know. There is
no other VOID for tive "chummed,
literally chummed at once We had boil
served in the same presidency, we hac
met the same people, but Major Fowler
was senior to me. He had been through
the mutiny, | had not. 1t was a rather
CHASTITY affair, ami | cannot see why h'
should have conhded it to me. At any
rate, this is what he told me
| was only a lieutenant then-a lieuten
ant in the-th Bengal native infantry
The mutiny had already broken out II
our presidency, but our regiment was sup
posed to be particularly well affected
kerimabad was wretched place; i
was one of the dullest and hotties
stations in the presidency. We were very
hard up for European officers; some were
on leaye-of course, they were hhrrylit
| back as fast as the =. \ o. boats conl'
carry them; some were ON detachlheh
duty. Others away on special employment
| but the bulk of them were on the sick lis
for kerimabad was an unhealthy hole, al
| though its strategic Importance was toe
great to allow of its being unoccupied
and to our regiment had fallen the duty OF
| occupying it, From the circumstances
have mentioned Major Cross, who was II
command and myself were the only tw'
men on the effective list. Cross was
| martinez; he had risen from the ranks
and was extremely religious. We natur
ally saw a great deal of each other.
Major Cross was married, and his wlf'
was the only white woman on tie station
Not six months before. Major Cross re
turned from furlough with his bride. u
course we all fell in love with her. WA
she could have seen in Cross l canno
make out; why she married him, teavei
knows Cross, thought most deserving
officers, was perhaps hardly what would b'
called Il gentleman; but his wlle was
! lady and very beautiful. She must haV'
been in her DIST year then. she wa
blonde and petite, with dreamy Diue eye
and masses of curling hair, winch gave hel
an air of recklessness which was nut ~
additional charm. Her greatest dellsh
/ was horses exercise. AL carry ihorhlht
Mrs. Cross was certain to be IN the SAD
die in the afternoon, as soon as ever INT
sun was low enough, the majors VIE
might have been seen on her dappie gray
Golf Arab flying across the country at
tended by one or more OF her husband :
subordinatcs.
Jack, she said to me unfortunately
we were Jack and Rosa now 81 shant BIT
able TO bear it much longer. The MAJ
was in again this morning; all my friends
are urging me to go down to Calcutta al
once, don't think Its fair OF the mayor
10 make poor little woman I'VE WIN mel
heart always in her mouth. o Jack :! She
sobbed, aud the tears run down her lace
Il am so afraid Of the nasty blacks.
Now, this particular remark WAS pa:tlc'
| ularly irritating TO Major Cross. Com
manding MS he did native regiment 1T
naturally disliked the expression. So an
grv had he become that Rosa never dared
| to use her favorite exposition in her hus-
| Dai DIS presence.
"Of course it's very rough on you, but
don't see any way out of it, You are the
only European in the station, Cross and
are the only two men here; we can't leave
the place. But you shouldn't let it worry
Won; the regiment is well affected
enough.
had been in love with her from the
first but am not an eXcitable man, and
perhaps it wasn't genuine love, after all.
/ know that there was not the faintesl
shadow of improperly in the love. II we
must call it 80, that felt for the maj lr :
wife. True, was her willing slave, heI
constant cavalier. Perhaps | pitied the
girl married to man twice her age, a
man with but two ideas in his head-drll
and diciplne. They say that pity l.
akin to love-perhaps it Is; hut had not
| the least idea of running away witt Rosa
| Cross. not the remotest; my affection FOL
he was purely platouic-at least 1t was
till the fatal afternoon when he rode out
together for the last time at herilhaOaa
Our horses were walking, their brides
on their ueCks, our native grooms some
fifty wards behind us on the sandy PLAIN
"Jts not true Jack? Only this morning
my husband told me that the regiment Is
on the point of mutiny'
The brute! No doubt he had told heI
Then he was fool for his paint!
replied.
ITS very hard sobbed the girl; for she
was but girl. though she was my COM
mandng officers wife.
Perhaps remembered the first fact and
forgot the second when took her mana
and, looking into her eyes, swure That
would look after her and that there was
no danger.
She returned the pressure; she was but
acting, as | found out afterward. All
women are actresses | suppose; but DID
not dream that the pressure OF her hnger
tips, the trusting. loving glance which she
flung upon me through her tears, was the
cursed bait which was to lure me TO my
destruction.
"Ah, if he would only let me CO. she
said, by morning should be out OF dan
ger. am too young to die here, Jack
and to die as | should have to die! she
added. with shudder.
There was great deal in what she
said. The major trusted her Just AS lar
as you could swing tiger by the tail
and never let her out of his sight, save
when he took her out riding as l was
d ping now; he was but selfish rul'ian
after all. 1t didn't much matter II he
and were hacked to pieces, or worse, by
the Sepoys 1t was In ordinary way OF
business, and would doubtless by duly
mentioned in dispatches. But poor little
Rosa, not six months wife, to be butch
cred in this lonely furnace to CRAFTY a
madmans whim-it was hard.
Jack" she said, as she leaned over her
her pommel, her face almost touching
mine. "you can save NE. Jack
In that instant duty, honor, esprit de
corpe loyalty to my senior officer and ALL
vanished. As felt her warm cheek
against my own, my sympathy, my ad-
miration for Rosa became in an Instant
converted into fierce, unreasonable love.
NV arm was around her waist In
moment and one sweet, sinful kiss sealed
the compact between me and the devil
who masqueraded as the guiltless and
timorous young bride
Jack" she said, I'VE must be careful.
There Is no time to loose, Who can tell
whether the grooms that follows us may
not have seen that kiss?'
She was cool. calculating and reasoned
| admirably. A for me the blood rushed