The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-31

would never have built affairs to Ashtaroth
and all those ladies with queer names, II
there had not been trouble OF some kind IN
his zenana and nowhere else. But this Is
beside 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 Poree from its place
under the clock on the mantleplece! stole
il 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
Poree had been stolen, and it worked as
it had always done when won by foul
means.
There are three or four times in q mans
life when he is justified in meddling in
other peoples affairs to play Providence.
The Man Who Knew felt that he was
justified; but believing and acting on be.
lief are quite different things. The inso-
lent 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
Churron laughed. because he was not
brought up TO believe that men on the
Government House list steal-at least
little things. But the miraculous accept
ance OF Miss Hollis OF that 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 q man
on the Government House list of steal
ing, and if you rifle his room you are q
thief yourself Churton, prompted by The
Man Who Knew, decided on burglary. If
he found nothing in Packs room !.
but it is not nice to think of what woud
have happened in that case.
Pack went down to dance at Kenmore
Kenmore was Kenmore in those days, and
not an office-and danced fifteen waltZes
out of twenty-five with Miss Hollis. Chur-
ton 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 q cheap soul.
He had not purchased decent cash-box to
keep his papers in. but one of those native
limitations that you buy for 10 rupees. 1t
opened to any sort of key, and there at the
bottom, under Packs insurance policy, lay
the Bisaree of Pooree!
Churton called Pack names. put the BIZ
sara of Pooree in his pocket. and went to
the dance with The Man. At least he came
in time for supper and saw the beginning
of the end in Miss Hollis's eyes. She was
hysterical after supper and was taken
away by her mamma.
At the dance with the abominable Bisara
in his pocket Churton twisted his foot on
one of the steps leading to the old Rink
and had to be sent home in a rickshaw,
grumbling. He did not believe in the BIZ
sara of Pooree any the more for this mani
festation, but he sought out Pack and
called him some ugly names; and "thief !"
was the mildest of them. Pack took the
names with the nervous smile of little
man who wa nts both soul and body to re-
sent an insult, and went his way. There
was no public scandal.
A week later Pack got his definite dis
missal from Miss Hollis. There had been
a mistake in the placing of her affections,
she said. So he went away to Madras,
where he can do no great harm even if he
live to be colonel.
Churton insisted upon The Man Who
Knew taking the Bisara of Pooree as a
gift. The man took it, went down to the
cart-road at once, found an ekka-pony
with a blue bead necklace, fastened the
Bisara of Pooree inside the necklace with
piece of shoe string and thanked heaven
that he was rid of a danger. Remember,
in case you ever find it, that you
must not destroy the Bisara of
Pooree. have not time to explain why
just now, but the power lies in the little
wooden fish. Mr.. Gubernatis or Max Null
Ter could tell you more about it than /.
You will say that all this story is made
up. Very well. If ever you come across
little, silver, ruby-studded box, seven
eighths of an inch long by three-quarters
wide, with dark-brown wooden fish
wrapped in gold cloth inside it, keep it.
Keep it for three years and then you will
discover for yourself whether my story is
true or false.
Better still, steal it as Pack did, and you
will be sorry that you had not killed your
self in the beginning.
RUDYARD KIPLING,