The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-20

with two exceptions. His was face to
dream about, and try to carve on pipe
head afterward. His name was Saggott
Barr Saggott-Anthony Barr-Saggott
and six letters to follow. Department
ally he was one of the best men the gov
eminent of India owned; socially he
was like blandishing gorilla.
When he turned his attentions to Miss
Beighton 1 believe that Mrs. Beighton
wept with delight at the reward Provi-
dence had sent her in her old age.
Mr.. Beighton held his tongue. He was
an easy going man.
Now commissioner is very rich. His
pay is beyond the dreams of avarice-is
so enormous that he can afford to save
and scrape in way that would almost
discredit a member of council. Most
commissioners are mean, but Barr-Sag-
| gott was an exception. He entertained
royalty, he horsed himself well, he gave
dances, he was power in the land, and
he behaved as such.
Consider that everything I am writ
ing of took place in an almost pre-his-
toric era in the history of British India
Some folk may remember the years be-
fore lawn tennis was born, when we all
played croquet. There were seasons be-
fore that, if you will believe me, when
even croquet had Tot been invented, and
archery, which was revived in England
in 1874, was as great pest as lawn ten
mis- is now. People talked learnedly
about holding and CLOSING" "steles,"
''refexed bows" "56-pound bows"
backed" or ''self-yew bows" as we talk
about rallies" ''volleys," 'smashes,"
''returns," and "16-ounce rackets."
Miss Beighton shot divinely over
ladies' distance-sixty yards, that is
and was acknowledged the best lady
archer in Simla. Men called her Diana
of Tara-Devi."
Barr-Saggott paid her great attention;
and, as have said, the heart of her
mother was uplifted in consequence.
Kitty Beighton took matters more calm
ly. 1t was pleasant to be singled out by
a commissioner with letters after his
name, and to fill the hearts of other girls
with bad feelings. But there was no de-
nying the fact that Barr-Saggott was
phenomenally ugly, and all his attempts
to adorn himself only made him more
grotesque.
He was not christened "The Langur"
which means gray ape-for nothing.
1t was pleasant, Kitty thought, to have
him at her feet, but it was better
to escape from him and ride with the
graceless Cubbon-the man in a dragoon
regiment at Umballa-the boy with
handsome face and no prospects. Kitty
liked Cubbon more than little. He
never pretended for moment that he
was anything less than head over heels
in love with her; for he was an honest
boy. So Kitty fled now and again from
the stately wooings of Rarr-Saggott to
the company of young Cubbon, and was
scolded by her mamma in consequence.
But, mother" she said, "Mr. Saggott
is such-such ais so fearfully ugly, you
know"
My DEAR" said Mrs. Beighton pious-
", Eve cannot be other than an all
ruling Providence has made us. Be-
sides, you viii take precedence Of
your own mother, you know. Think of
that and be reasonable"
Then Kitty put up her little chin, and
said irreverent things about precedence
and commissioners and matrimony. Mr..
Beighton rubbed the top of his head, for
he was an easy going man.
Late in the season, when he judged
that the time was ripe, Barr-Saggott de-
veloped a plan which did great credit to
his administrative powers. He arranged
an archery tournament for ladies, with a
most sumptuous diamond studded brace
let as prize. He drew up his terms skill
fully, and every one saw that the brace
let was a gift TO Miss Beighton, the &C
ceptance carrying with 1t the hand and
the heart of Commissioner BarT-Saggott.
The terms We're st. Leonard's round
thirty-six shots at sixty yards under
the rules Of the Simla ToxophIlite society.
All Sinla was invited. There were
beautifully arranged tea tables under
the deodarS at Annandale, where the
grand stand is now; and alone in its
glory, winkiog in the sun, sat the dia-
mond bracelet in blue velvet case.
Miss Beighton was anxiouS-almost too
anxious to compete. On the appointed
afternoon all Simla rode down to An
Mandate 10 witness the Judgment Of
Paris turned upside down Kitty rode
with young Cubbon, and it was easy to
see that the boy was troubled in his
mind. He must be held innocent of ev-
erything that followed. Kitty was pale
and nervous, and looked long at the
bracelet. Barr-Saggott was gorgeously
dressed, even more nervous than Kitty,
and more hideous than ever.
Mrs. Beighton smiled condescendingly,
as beftted the mother of a potential
and the shooting be-
gan, all the world standing a semicircle
as the ladies came out one after the
other.
Nothing is so tedious as an archery |
They shot, and they shot, |
and they kept on shooting till the sun |
left the valley and little breezes got up
in the deodars, and people waited for |
Miss Beighton to shoot and win. Cub |
bon was at one horn Of the semicircle 1
round the shooters, and Barr-Saggott at
the other. Miss Beighton was last on
the list. The scoring had been weak,
and the bracelet, plus Commissioner 1
Barr-Saggott, was hers to certainty.
The commissioner strung her bow with
his own sacred hands. She stepped for
ward, looked at the bracelet, and her
first arrow went true to a hair-full
into the heart of the "gold"-countin9