Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-16

In DURANGO
90 D MAN will ever know the exact truth
I'M OF this story. though women may some
IAN ttmss whisper it to one another after a
OSp dance. when they are putting up their
W hair for the night and comparing lists
OF victims man. Of course, cannot assist at
these functions. SO the tale must be told from
the outside-in the dark-sll wrong.
Never praise a sister to a sister in the hope
Of your compliments reaching the proper ears
and 80 preparing the way for you later on
Sisters are women first and sisters afterward,
and you will find that you do yourself harm.
ssumarez knew this when he made up his
mind 10 propose to the elder Miss Copleigh
Saumarez was a strange man, with few merits,
far a men could see, though he was popu-
lar with women, and carried enough conceit
to stock viceroy's council and leave q
little over for the commander -in-chiefs
Stan. He was civilian. Very many
women took an interest in Saumarez,
perhaps because his manner to them
was offensive. If you hit a pony over
the nose at the outset of your Acquaintance, he
may not love you. but he will take deep in
terest in your movements ever afterward The
elder Miss Copleigh was very nice, plump, win
ming and pretty. The younger was not so
pretty. and from men disregarding the hint set
forth above her style was repellant and unat-
uactive. Both girls had practically the same
figure. and there was a strong likeness between
them in look and voice; though no one could
doubt for an instant which was the nicer of the
two.
Saumarez made up his mind as soon as they
came into the station from Behar to marry the
elder one. At least we alsmade sure that he
would, which comes TO the same thing. She
Wa twenty-five and he was thirty-three. with
pay and allowances of nearly 1.4OO rupees a
month. So the match, we arranged IL. was
in every way good one. Saumarez was his
name and summary was his nature, man
once said. Having drafted his resolution he
formed select committee of one to
sit upon it. and resolved to take
his time In our unpleasant slang the Cop
leigh girls hunted in couples" That is to
say, you could do nothing with one without the
other. They were very loving sisters. but their
mutual affection was sometimes Inconvenient
Saumarez held the balance hair true between
them and none but himself could have said to
which side his heart Inclined though every one
guessed. He rode with them good deal and
danced with them. but he never succeeded in
detsching them from each other for any length
of time
As the hot weather drew nearer and Sau-
Earez made no sign, women SAID that you
could see their trouble IN the eyes of the girls
that they were looking strained. anxious and
irritable. Men are quite blind in these mat
tiers unless they have more OF the woman than
the man in their composition, IN which case ii
does not matter what they say or think. i
maintain it was the hot April days that took
the color out OF the Copleigh girls cheeks
They should have been sent to the hills early.
No one man or woman. feels angel when
the hot weather is approaching. The younger
sister grew more cynical. not to saw acid. in
her ways; and the Willingness of the elder wore
thin. There was more effort in it.
Now the station wherein all these things hap
pened was, though not little one, OFF the line
of rail- and suffered through want of attention.
10,
worth speaking Of and it was nearly days
journey to come into Lahore for dance. Peo-
pie were grateful for small things to interest
them.
About the beginning of May, and Just before
the final exodus OF hill-goers. when the weather
very hot and there were not more than
twenty-five people in the station. Saumarez
gave moonlight riding picnic at an old tomb
six miles away, near the bed Of the river. Ii
was ''Noah's Ark" picnic. and there was to be
the usual arrangements Of quarter-miIe inter-
walls between each couple account of the
dust Six couples came altogether, in
Gliding chaperones. Moonlight picnics are
useful just at the very end Of the season.
before all the girls go away TO the hills. They
lead TO understandings. and should be encour-
aged by chaperones; especially those whose
girls look sweetest In riding habits. knew a
case once. But that is another story. That
picnic was called the Great Pop Picnic" be-
cause every one knew Saumarez would propose
then to the eldest Miss Coplelgh. and besides
his affair there wss another which might pos
sibly come to happiness. The social atmos-
phere was heavily charged and wanted clearing
We met at the parade ground at 10; the night
was fearfully hot. The horses sweated even at
walking pace, but anything better than
sitting still in our own dark houses. When we
moved of under the full moon We were four
couples, one trIplet and Mr.. Saumarez rode
with the Copleigh girls. and loitered at the
tail OF the procession, wondering with whom
Saumarez would ride home. Livery one was
happy and contented. but We all felt that
things were going to happen. We rode slowly.
and it was nearly midnight before We reached
the old tomb. facing the ruined tank, in the
decayed gardens where we were going to eat
and drink. L was late in coming up. and. be-
fore went into the garden, i saw that the
horizon TO the north carried faint, dun-col-
ored feather But no one would have thanked
me for spelling so well-managed an entertain
ment As this picnic-and dust storm. more or
less. does no great harm.
We gathered by the tank Some one had
brought bauj o-which ID a most sentimental
instrument-and three or four of US sang. You
must not laugh at this. Our smusements in
out-of-the-way stations very few indeed
Then We talked in groups or together. lying
under the trees with the sun-baked roses
dropping their petals on our feet until supper
was ready. 1t was a beautiful supper, as cold
and as iced as you could wish, and We stayed
long over II.
l had felt that the air was growing hotter
and hotter; but nobody seemed to notice it
until the moon went out and burning hot
Wind began flashing the orange trees with a
sound like the noise of the sea- Before We
knew where we were the dust storm was on u.s.
aud everything was roaring, whirling darkness
The supper table was blown bodily INTO the
tank We were afraid Of staying anywhere
near the old tomb for fear il might be blown
down So we felt our way to the orange trees
where the horses were picketed. and waited
for the storm to blow over. Then the little
hight that was left vanished and you could not
see your hand before your face.
The air was heavy with dus. and sand from
the bed OF the river. that filed boots and pock-
cts and drifted down necks aud coated eve-
brovs and mustaches. IL was one of the worst
dust storms of the year. We were all huddled
together close to the trembling horses, with
the thunder chatterIng overhead and the light
ming squirting like water from q sluice. all WAYS
~ once. There was no danger. of course. un-
less the horses broke loose. was standing with
my head downward and my hands over my
mouth. hearing the trees thrashing each other.
i could not see who was next me till the flashes
came. Then / found that / was packed
near Saumarez and the eldest Miss Copleigh
with my own horse just in front of me. |
recognized the eldest Miss Coplegh. because
she had pagri round her helmet and the
younger had not All the electricity in the
air had gone into nv body, aud was quiver-
ing and tingling from head to foot-exactly as
corn shoots and tingles before rain. 1t was
grand storm. The wind seemed TO be pitch
il q lee ward in baapa md ~ h.