The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-19


@Baf they have done more than talk
they have wriffen-written TO nay hubby
/ I'm sure Of ii - said the Mans Wife, and
she pulled letter from her husband o5it
OF her saddle-pocket and gave II 70 the
Tertium QGid-
IL was an honest letter, written by an
honest man, then stewing in the plains on
| so rupees month flor he allowed his
wife $50. and in silk bantam and cotton
trousers. 1t is said that, perhaps, she had
not thought Of the unwisdon OF allowing
| her name 70 be so generally coupled With
the Tertium Guilds; that she was too
much Of a child 20 understand the dangers
| Of that sort Of thing; that he, her husband,
was the last man in the world 70 interfere
| jealouSiy with her little amusemeufs and
interests, but that il would be better were
she TO drop the Tertium Quid qtIiesly and
/ for her husbands sake. The letter was
sweetened with many pretty little pet
names, and it amused the Tertiurn Qtiid
considerably He and She laughed over
it, so that you, nifty yards away, could see
their shoulders shaking while their horses
siouched along side by aide.
Their conversation was not worth re-
porting. The upshot Of it was that, next
day, no one saw the Mans Wife and the
TertiGm Qaid together. They had both
gone down 10 the cemetery. which, ~
rule, is only visited officially by the in-
habitants of Slnlla.
A simla funeral with the clergyman rid
ing, the mourneTs riding. and the coffin
creaking as il swings between the bearers,
is one of the most depressing things on
this earth, particularly when the process
sion passes under the wet. dank dip be-
meath the RoekcIiffe hotel, where the sun
is shut out, and all the hill streams are
wailing and weeping together as they go
down the valleys
Occasionally folk tend the graves, but we
IN India shift aud are transferred so often
that ct the end of the second year the
Dead have no frIends-only acquaintance
who are far too busy amusing themselves
up the hill 70 attend TO old partners. The
idea OF using a cemetery as . render
voas is distinctly feminine one A man
would have said simply: Let people
talk. Wen 90 down the Mall" A woman
IS made differently, especially if she be
such woman as the Mans Wife. She
and the Tertium Guild enjoyed each others
society among the graves of men and
women that they had known and danced
with aforetime.
They used to take a big horse-bIanket
and sit on the grass a little to the left of
the lower end, where there is a dip in the
ground, and where the occupied graves die
out and the ready-made ones are not
ready. Any self-respeeting Indian eeme-
terry keeps half dozen graves permanently
open for contingencies and incidental wear
and tear. In the hills these are more usu-
ally bahy's size, because children who
come up weakened and sick from the
plains often sueeumb TO the effects of the
rains IN the hills, or get pneumonia from
their ayahs taking them through damp
pine woods after the sun has set. In can
comments, of course, the mans size is more
IN request, these arrangements varying
with the climate and population.
ftgNsa II. ia -
Tertium Quid had just arrived in the GEM
etery they saw some coolies breaking
ground They had marked out a full-six9
grave, and the Tertium Quid asked them
whether any sahib was sick. They said
that they did not know: but Is was IN
order that they should dig sahib's grave.
Work away" said the Tertium Quid,
''and let's see how it's DONE
The coolies worked away. and the Mans
Wife and the Tertium Quid watched and
talked for q couple Of hours while the
grave was being deepened. Then a eoolie,
taking the earth IN baskets as il was
thrown up, jumped over the grave.
That's queer" said the Tertium Quid-
where's my ulster?p
Whats queer" said the Mans Wife.
II have got chill down my back
just as il goose had walked over my
grave"
why do you look at the horror then? ?"
said the Mans Wife. ''Let Us co."
The Tertiuma Guild stood at the head of
the grave and stared without answering
for q space. Then he said, dropping
pebble down; at is nasty-and cold hor-
ribly cold. don't think shall come TO
the cemetery any more. don't think
graye-digging is cheerful"
The two talked and agreed that the
cemetery was depressing They also ar
ranged for ride next day out from the
cemetery through the Mashobra tunnel up
TO Fsgoo and back, because all the world
was going TO . garden-party at Viceregal
lodge. and al the people Of Mashobra
would go, too.
Coming up the cemetery road the Ter.
tium Guilds horse tried 10 bolt uphill,
| being tired with standing so long, and
managed 10 strain back sinew
Il shall have TO take the mare tomor-
row." said the Tertiurn Quid, land she
| will stand nothing heavier than snafie"
They made their arrangements to meet
| IN the cemetery, after allowing all the
| Mashohra people time TO pass into SiInIa.
| That night ii rained heavily, and next dav
| when the Tertium Quid came to the tryst-
| ing place, he saw that the new grave had a
| foot of water In it, the ground being u
| tough and sour clay.
"Jove! That looks beastIy,f said the
| Tertium Quid. Fancy being boarded up
/ and dropped into that welll"
/ Z
I playing with the snaffie and picking her
/ way as though she were shod with satin,
/ aud the sun shining divinely. The road
| below Mashohra TO Fagoo IS officially
| styled the Himalayan-Thibet road but in
| spite Of its name il is not much more than
I six feet wide in most places, and the drop
| into the valley below may be anything be-
1 tween 1000 and 900 feet
Now we're going 20 Tibet" said the
| Mans Wife meTrily as the horses drew
near 70 FaSoo. She was riding on the cliff
! side
Into Thibet," said the TertIun1 Oflid.
| lever so far from people who say horrid
/ things and hubbys who write stupid let
| ters- With you--to the end of the world 20
\ coolie Carrying a log of wood came
| round corner and the mare went wide 10
/ avoid him-fore-feet in and launches out,
| as sensible mare should GO.
ITO the worlds end y said the Mans
| Wife, and looked unspeakable things over
/ her near shoulder at the Tertium Quid.
He was smiling. but, while she looked
/ the smile froxe stiff as it were on his face,
/ and changed 90 4 nervous grin-the sort of
/ grin men wear when they are not quite
/ easy n their saddles. The mare seemed
| ID De sinking by the stern, ard her nostriIs
/ cracked while she was trying 70 realize
| what was happening. The rain OF the
I previous night had rotted the drop-side OF
/ the Himalaya hibet road. and IL was
giving vay under her. What are YOU
1 doings' said the Mans Wife The IertlUm
/ Quid gave no answer. he grinDed nerv-
/ oUsly and set his spurs into the mare, who
l raped with her fore-feet on the road. and
! the struggle hegan The Mans Wife