Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-01-02

woman WOULD 90, IL ne were sure nc ioVeet
her. Treiago swore that he loved her more
than any one else in the world. Which
was true.
After Il month of this folly the exigen-
cies of his other life compelled Trejago to
be especially attentive to lady of his &C
quaintance. You may take it for fact
that anything of this kind is not only no.
ticed and discussed by a mans own race
but by some hundred and fifty natives as
well. Trejago had to walk with this lady
and talk to her at the band stand, and
once or twice to drive with her, never for
an instant dreaming that this would affect
his Gearer out-of-the-way life. But the
news few in the usual mysterious fash
ion from mouth to mouth, till Bisesa's
duenna heard of it and told Bisesa. The
child was SO troubled that she did the
household work evilly, and was beaten by
Durga Charan's wife in consequence.
A week later Bisesa taxed Trejago with
the Irritation. She understood no grada-
tons and spoke openly. Trejago laughed
and Bisesa stamped her little feet-h tie
feet, light as narigold flowers, that could
lie in the palm of a mans one hand
Much that is written about oriental
passion and impulsiveness'' is exaggerated
and compiled at second hand, but little
III ~ ID uiuC, anu W hOil uu
finds that little it is quite as startling as
any passion in his own proper life. Bisesa
ragged and stormed, and finally threatened
to Kill herself if Trejago did not at once
drop the alien Memsahib who had come
between them. Trejago tried to explain,
and to show her that she did not under
stand these things from a western stand
point. Bisesa drew herself up and said
simply:
81 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. am only black grip
she was fairer than bar gold in the mint
land the widow of a black man."
Then she sobbed and said: But on my
soul and my mothers soul, love you.
There shall no harm come to you, what
ever happens to me-"
Trejage argued with the child, and tried
to soothe her, but she seemed quite unreal
sonably disturbed. Nothing would satisfy
her save that all relations between 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 Bsesa Trejago,
long enough, went down to Amir Mathis
gully for the fifth time in the three weeks,
hoping That rs l;ssp ct the sill of the shift
ing grating would be answered He was
not disappointed.
There was young moon, and one stream
of light fell down into Amir Mathis gully
and struck the grating which was drawn
away as he knocked. From the black dark
Bisesa held out her arms into the moon
light. Both hands had been cut off at the
wrists, and the stumps were nearly healed.
Then, as Bisesa bowed her head between
her arms and sobbed, some one in the room
grunted like wild beast, and something
sharp-knife, sword or spear-thrust at
Trejago in his boorka. The stroke missed
his body, but cut into one of the muscles
of the groin, and he limped slightly from
the wound for the rest of his days.
The. grating went into it's place. There
was no sign whatever from inside the
house-nothing but the moonlight strip on
the high wall and the blackness of Amir
Mathis gully behind.
The next thing Trejago remembers, after
raging and shouting like mailman be-
tween those pitiless walls, is that he found
himself near the river as the dawn was
breaking, threw away his boorka and went
home bareheaded.
What the tragedy was-whether Bisesa
bad in fit of causeless despair told
everything, or the intrigue had been dis
covered and she tortured to tell; whether
Durga Charan knew his name and what
became of Bisesa-Trejago does not know
to this day. Something horrible had hap
pened, and the thought of what it must
have been comes upon Trejago in the night
now and again, and keeps him company
till the morning. One special feature of the
case is that he does not know where lies
the front of Durga Charan's house. 1t
may open on to court yard common to
two or more houses, or it may lie behind
any one of the gates of Jitha Megjis bus.
tee. Trejago cannot tell. He cannot get
Bisesa-poor little Bisesa-back again He
has lost her in the city where each mans
house is as guarded and as unknowable as
the grave; and the grating that opens into
Amir Mathis gully has been walled up.
But Trejago pays his calls regularly, and
is reckond a very decent sort of man.
There is nothing peculiar about him ex-
cept slight stiffness, caused by riding
strain, in the right leg.-Rudyard Kipling.