Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1890-11-27
Below my feet the still bazaar is laid;
Far, far below the weary cameis ne
The camels and the captives OF my raio'

NV bread is sorrow and my drink is tears,
Come back to me, beloved OF uie-
AS the song stopped, Trejago stepped
ND under the grating and whispered; Il
am here"
Bisesa was good to look upon.a
That night was the beginning OF many
strange things, and of double lie SO
wild that Trejago to-day sometimes won
ders if it were not all dream. Blsesa or
her old handmaiden who had thrown the
object letter had detached the heavy
grating from the brick-work OF the wall,
so that the window slid inside, leaving
only a square of raw masonry into which
an active man might climb.
In the daytime Trejago drove through
his routine of office-work, or put on his
calling-clothes and called on the ladies
of the station; wondering how long they
would know him if they knew OF poor
little Bsesa. At night, when all the
city was still, came the walk under the
evil-slnelling boorka, the patrol through
Jitha Megji's buste, and quick turn into
Amir Mathis Gully between the sleeping
cattle and the dead walls, and then, last
of ALL Bisesa, and the deep, even breath
ing of the old woman who slept outside
the bare little room that Durga Charan
allotted to his sisters daughter. Who or
what Durga Charan was, Trejago never
inquired; and why in the world he was
! not discovered and knitted never occurred
to him till his madness was over, and
Bisesa, this comes later.
Bisesa was an endless delight to Treja-
60. She was as ignorant as bird; and
her distorted versions of the rumors from
the outside world that had reached her
in her room, amused Trejago almost as
much as her lisping attempts to pro-
nounce his name-"Christopher." The
first syllable was always more than she
could manage, and she made funny lit
tie gestures with her roseleaf hands, as
one throwing the name away, and then
kneeling before Trejago asked him ex-
actly as an English woman would do, If
he were sure he loved her. Trejago
swore he loved her more than any one
else in the world. Which was true.
After month of this folly, the exigen-
cies of his other life compelled Trejago to
be especially attentive to another lady OF
his acquaintance. You may take it for a
fact that anything OF this kind is not
only noticed and discussed by mans
own race but by some hundr ed and fifty
natives as well.
Trejago had to walk with his lady and
talk with her at the band st and, and once
or twice to drive with her; never for an
instant dreaming that this would affect
his dearer out-of-the-way life. But the
news flew in the usual mystic rious fash
ion, from mouth to mouth, till Bisesa's
duenna heard Of it and told Bisesa. The
child was so troubled that she did her
household work evilly, and was beaten
by Durga Churan's wife in consequence.
A week later, Bisesa taxed Trejago
with the filtration. She understood no
gradations and spoke openly. Treiago
laughed and Bisesa stamped her little
feet-little feet, light as marigold flowers,
that could lie in the palm Of mans one
hand.
Much that is written about Oriental
passion and impulsiveness is exagger-
ated and compiled at second hand, but a
little of it is true; and when an English
man finds that little, it is quite as start
ling as any passion in his own proper
life. Bisesa ragged and stormed, and
stamped, and finally threatened to kill
herself if Trejago did not at once drop
alien Memsahib who had come between
them. Trejago tried to explain, and to
show her that she did not understand
these things from western standpoint.
Bisesa drew herself up and said simply:
IT do not. know only this-it is not
good that should have made you dearer
than my own heart to me, Sahib. You
are an Englishman. I am only =
black girl" she was fairer than bar gold
in the mint-"and the widow of black
man."
Then she sobbed and said: "But on
my soul and my mothers soul, love
you. There shall no harm come to you,
whatever happens to me-"
Trejago argued with the child and
tried to soothe her, but she seemed quite
unreasonably disturbed. Nothing would
satisfy her save that all relations be-
tween them should end. He was to go
away at once. And he went. As he
dropped out at the window she kissed
his forehead twice, and he walked home
wondering.
A week, and then three weeks passed
without sign from Bisesa. Trejago
thinking that the rupture had lasted
quite long enough, went down to Amir
Mathis G,1t1Vy for tho 9Th time -, fl~on