The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-06

tary Of the government, stopped hlm on
I'm sffaid-T'm very mach afraid-thas
ron viii have to drop your Leave and 50
back 70 Girdhauri. You 80 Keyte's dead,
and and We have no one else . send ex-
cent yourself The rosters . very short
one this season, and you look mnch better
than when you came mp. OF course III
do all I can TO spare ron, but I'm afraid
I'm very much affaid-that y0u viii have
to 90 down."
The goverpmeat, on the other hand, was
tam that Hayden must So down. He was
in moderately good health, and enjoyed
nearly months holiday. and the needs
of the state were urgent Let him, they
said, return to his work ct Girdhauri. He
must forego his leave. but some time, In
the year TO come. tho government might
repay him the lost months, if it were not
too short-handed. In the meantime he
would return to duty.
The assistants in the hara-kira Of Japan
are all intimate friends of the man who
must die. They like him immensely. and
they bring him the news of his doom with
polite sorrow But he must die, for that
Is required Of him.
Hamerton would have spared Hayden
had it been possible. but, indeed, he was
knew las the district sn You viii 20 down to-
morrow" said Hamerton. 1.-The regular
notification viii appear in the Gdsette
later on. We can't stand on forms this
year"
Hayden said nothing, because those who
govern India obey the law. He looked-it
was evening-at the line of sun-nushed
SHOWS forty miles to the east, and the pal
to the west, and his heart sank. He wished
to stay in Simla to continue his wooing,
and he knew too well the torments that
were in store for him in Girdhauri.
His nerve was broken. The cool
ness. the dances, the dinners that
were to come, the scent of the
Simla pines and the wood smoke. the
turned his heart to water. He could have
wept passionately, like little child, for
his lost holiday and his lost love, and like
a little child baked Of its play, he became
filled with cheap spite that can
only hurt the owner. The men
at the club were sorry for
him, but he did not want to be condoled
with. He was angry and afraid. Though
he recognized the necessity of the injustice
that it could all be put right by yet
another injustice, and then-and then
somebody else would have to do his work,
for he would be out of il forever.
He reflected on this while he was hurry
ing down the hillsides, after last inter-
view with the pretty girl, 70 whom he
had said nothing that was not COM
failure made him more angry with
himself, and the spite and rage
increased. The air grew warmer and
warmer a. the cart ratified down the
mountain road, till at last the
hot, stale stiffness of the plains closed over
his head like heated oil, and he gasped for
breath among the dry date palms of Kalka.
Then came the long level ride into Um-
baila; the stencil of dust which breeds
despair; the lime-washed walls of Um-
balla station, hot to the hand though it
was II ct night; the greasy, rancid
meal served by the sweating serv-
ants; the badly trimmed lamps in
the oven-like waiting-room; and the whin-
ing of innumerable mosquitoes. That
night, he remembered, there would be
That night Hamerton sat 1t work till
late in the old Simla foreign Office, which
was q rambling collection of match boxes
packed away in dark by-path under the
pines. One of the wandering storms that run
before the regular breaking of the monsoon
hap wrapped Simla in white mist. The
rain was roaring on the shingled, tin
patched roof, and thunder rolled to and
AAO oAAAOnH VIC ualc, &c q snip KOil8 tn6
seaways. Hamerton called for Q lamp and
q fire to drive out the smell Of mould and
forest underground that crept in from the
woods. The clerks and secretaries had left
the Office two hours ago and there remained
only one native orderly, who set the lamp
and went away. Hamerton returned to
his papers, and the voice Of the rain rose
crunching of 'rickshaw wheels and the clat-
ter of horses feet going to the dance at the
viceroy's. They ceased at last, and the
rain with them. The thunder drew off.
muttering, toward the plains, and all the
dripping pine trees sighed with relief.
Orderly" said Hamerton. He fancied
that he heard somebody moving about the
rooms. There was no answer, except q
deep-drawn breath ut the door. It might
come from q panther prowling about the
verandas in search of q pet dog, but pam
theirs generally snuffed in a deeper KEY.
This was q thick, gasping breath, as of one
who had been running swiftly, or Law in
deadly pain. Hamerton listened again.
There certainly was somebody moving
about the foreign Office. He could hear
boards creaking in far-off rooms, and I'M
Since the clock marked close upon mid
night no one had Alright to be in the office.
Hamerton had picked up the lamp and
was going to make a search, when the
steps and heavy breathing came to the
door agasn and stayed.
who's there?" said Hamerton. Come
inn
Again the heavy breathing, and thick,
short cough.
"Who relieves Hayden" said a voice
outside. "Haydonl Hayden! Dying at
Umballa. He can't go till he is relieved.
Who relieves Haydon?"
Hamerton dashed to the door and
opened it, to find stolid messenger from
the telegraph office, breathing through his
nose, after the manner of natives. The
man held out telegram. II could not
find the room at first" he said. us there
an answeren
The telegram was from the station-mas-
ter at Umballa, and said: ''Englishman
killed, up mail ~; slipped from platform.
Dying. Hayden. Civilian. Inform gov
eminent"
There is no answer" said Hamerton;
and the man went away. But the futter-
ing whisper at the door continued.
Hayden! Haydonl Who relieves Hay
dong He must not go till he is relieved.
Haydonl Haydonl Dying at Umballa.
For PHYS sake, be quick!n
Hamerton thought for a minute of the
pitifuliy short roster of men available. and
Then, and not till then, did the hair begin
to rise on his head; and Hamerton, secre-
tary to government, neglecting the lamp
and the papers, went out very quickly
from the foreign Office into the cool, wet
night. His ears were tingling with the
sound of dry deathrattle, and he was
afraid to continue his work.
Now only the gods know by whose de-
sign and intention Hayden had slipped
from the dimly lighted Umballa platform
under the wheels of the mail that was 10
take him back to his district; but since
they lifted the pestilence on his death. We