Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-06-25

rdb "a StraH6nn6 SI60 yoaf
sIxyers tscl. 'whosvR - - 70 gst Up
! pnSexAing strong ahout 'iAherent tnr
psolnbihties' and discrepancies Of svi-
aunrs.s He wont have 70 spsak. but it
win make him happy. I'm going to run
this b0ai1ese.-
Ri Asld his tongae. ard the Other
men waited 10 - what weald happen.
IAey trusted Strickland - men trust
Quiet men. when the case came Cd the
court was crowded. Strickland hung
about In the vensnda of the court till he
met the MchAmmedan khitmatgar
Then h. murmured . fAquir's blessing in
his ear. and ashed him how his second
wife did The man spun around, and ~
be looked into the eyes Of "Ektrceken
SaAib" his jaw dropped Ycu must re-
member that befsre Strickland was mar.
riea he was. as have told You alrcSdy,
. power among the natives Strickland
whispered a rather course vernacular
proverb TO the effect that he was abreast
Of all that was going ON. and went into
the court armed with gut trainers
whip
The Mohxmme,ian WAS the first wit
ness, and Strickland beAmed upon him
from the back Of the court The man
moistened his lips with his tongue, and
in his abjec, fear Of "Estrecken Sahib.
the faquir. went back on every detail OF
his evidence-sAid he WAS n poor man
and God WAS his witness that he had for
gotten everything that Bronckhcrst Sahib
bad told him to say. Between his terror
Of Strickland. the judge and Bronck.
horst he collapsed. weeping.
Then began the panic among the wit.
nessesL Janki. the ayah. leering chastely
behind her veil. turned gray. and the
bearer left the court. He said that his
mamma was dying, and that it was not
wholesome for any man to lie unthriftily
in tho presence Of "Estreeken Sahib."
Bel said politely to Bronckhorsti
Your witnesses don't seem to work.
Haven't you any forged letters to pro
ducey' But Bronckhorst was swayins
TO and fro in his chair, and there was a
dead pause after Biel had been called to
order.
Bronckhorst's counsel saw the look on
his clients face, and without more ado
pitched his papers on the little green
baixe table. and mumbled something
about having been misinformed. The
whole court applsuded wildly, like sol
diers at theatre. and the judge began
to say what he thought.
Bel came out Of the place and Strick'
land dropped gut trainers whip ON the
veranda. Ten minutes later Bell was
emitting Bronckhorst into ribbons behind
the old court cells. quietly and without
scandal. What was left Of Bronckhorsi
WAS sent home in carriage, and his wife
wept over 1t and nursed it into mar
again.
Later on. after Biel had managed tt
hush up the counter charge against
Bronckhmst Of fabricating false evi
dsnce, Mrs Bronckhurst, with her faint
| watery smile, said that there had been a
mistake. but it wasn't her Teddy's fault
altogether. She would wait till hel
| Teddy came back to her. Perhaps HI
had grown tired Of her or she had tried
his patience. and perhaps we wouldn't
cut her any more. and perhaps the
mothers would let tlwir children play
with little Teddy" again. He was Sc
lonely. Then the station invited Mrs
Bronckhorst everywhere until Bronck
horst was fit to appear in public, when
he went home and took his wife with
him. According TO the latest advices
her Teddy did come back to her and
they are moderately happy. though Of
course he can never forgive her thu
thrashing that she was the indirect
means OF getting for him.
What Bel wants to know is: "Why
didn't press home the charge against
the Bronckhorst brute and have him run
my'
What Mrs. Strickland wants to know
is: How did my husband bring such 4
lovely. lovely Waller from your station
know all his money affairs. and In
certain he didn't buy it."
What l want to know is: How Dc
women like Mrs Bronckhorst come u
marry men like Bronckhorst:'
And my conundrum is the most unan
swerable of the three.-Rudyard Kip
ling.