San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-04


man, who must have crawled into the army
by mistake He was three inches taller
than his sword but not half so strong.
And the sword was a fifty-shilling, tailor
made one. Nobody liked him, and l sup
pose it was his wizenedness and worthless
ness that made him fall so hopelessly in
love with Miss Hollis, who was good and
sweet and five foot seven in her tennis
shoes. He was not content with falling in
love quietly, but brought all the strength
of his miserable little nature into the bust
ness.
If he had not been so Objectionable, one
might have pitied him He vapored and
fretted and fumed, and trotted up and
down, and tried to make himself pleasing
in Miss Hollis big, quiet, gray eyes, and
failed. 1t was one of the cases that you
sometimes meet even in this country
where we marry by code, of really blind
attachment all on one side, without the
faintest possibility of return. Miss Hollis
looked on Pack as some sort of vermip run
ming about the road. He had no prospects
beyond captains pay, and no wits to help
that out by one anna. In large sized man
love like his would have been touching In
a good man it would have been grand. He
being what he was, it was only nuisance.
You will believe this much. What you
will not believe is what follows: Churton
aud The Man Who Knew what the Bisara
was were lunching ut the Simla club to-
gether. Churton was complaining of life
in general. His best mare had rolled out
of stable down the hill and had broken her
back; his decisions were being reversed by
the upper courts more than an assistant
commissioner of eight years standing has
right to expect; he knew liver and fever,
and for weeks past had felt out of sorts.
Altogether he was Disguised and disheart-
ened. .... .. --.
Simla club dining room is built, as all
the world knows, in two sections, with an
arch arrangement dividing them. Come
in, turn to your left, take the table under
the window, and you cannot see any one
who has come in, turned to the right and
taken table on the right side of the arch
obviously enough, every word that you
say can be heard not only by the other
diner, but by the servants beyond the
screen through which they bring dinner.
This is worth knowing An echoing room
is trap to be forewarned against
Half in fun and half hoping to be be-
lieved, The Man Who Knew told Churton
the story of the Bisara of Pooree at rather
greater length than 1 have told it TO you
in this place; winding up with sugges-
ton that Churton might as well throw the
little box down The hill and see whether
all his troubles would go with il. In ordi-
nary ears, English ears, the tale was only
an interesting bit of folk lore. Churton
laughed, said that he felt better for his
tiffin, and went out Pack had been tiffin-
ing by himself to the right of the arch, and
had heard everything. He was nearly mad
with his absurd infatuation for Miss Hol
lis, that all Simla had been laughing about.
1t is curious thing that when man
hates or loves beyond reason he is ready to
go beyond reason to crafty his feelings,
which he would not do for money or power
merely. Depend upon it, Solomon would
never have built affairs to Ashtaroth and
all those ladies with queer names if there
had not been trouble of some kind in his
zenana, and nowhere else. But this is be-
side the story The facts of the case are
these: Pack called on Churton next day
when Churton was out, left his card and
stole the Bisara of Pooree from its place
under the clock on the mantelpiecel Stole
it like the thief he was by nature. Three
days later all Simla was electrified by the
news that Miss Hollis had accepted Pack
the shrivelled rat, Pack Do you desire
clearer evidence than this? The Bisara of
Pooree had been stolen, and it worked as
it had always done when won by foul
means.
There are three or four times in a mans
life when he is justified in meddling with
other peoples affairs to play Providence.
The Man Who Knew felt that he was JUS
titled; but believing and acting on belief
are. quite different things. The insolent
satisfaction of Pack as he ambled by the
side of Miss Hollis, and Churton's striking
release from liver as soon as the Bisara of
Pooree had gone, decided the Man. He
explained to Churton, and Churton laugh
ed because he was not brought up to be-
lieve that men on the government house
list steal-at least little things But the
miraculous acceptance by Miss Hollis of
that little tailor Pack decided him to take
steps on suspicion. He vowed that he only
wanted to find out where his ruby studded
silver box had vanished to. You cannot
accuse a man on the government house
list of stealing. And if you rifle his room
you are a thief yourself. Churton, prompt
ed by the Man Who Knew, decided on bur-
glary If he found nothing in Packs
room-but it is not nice to think of what
would have happened in that case.
Pack went to a dance at Benmore-Ben-
more was Kenmore in those days. and not
an oflice-and danced fifteen waltzes out of
twenty-five with Miss Hollis. Churton
and the Man took all the keys that they
could lay hands on, and went TO Packs
room in the hotel, certain that his servants
would be away. Pack was cheap soul. |
He had not purchased decent cash box to
keep his papers in, but one of those native !,