Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-03-17

sweet cotton frocks,
AZ - when the social air buzz.
~ es with cricket and
yachting talk, and men
" began to feel their govt
and say they must go to Homburg.
Up in the Himalayas, where the little
collection of chalets dotted about the
precipices among the lick and the
rhododendrons form what is called a
hill station, the monsoon was at its
height. Drip, drip, drip-hammer,
hammer, hammer-for sometimes a
day and a night at q stretch, down
upon the corrugated iron roofs of the
bungalows, came the rain. The frogs
and the leeches and fungi and the ferns
grew and multiplied but it was enough
to damp the cheeriest, giddiest nature
that ever reveled in the ceaseless
round OF frivolity and fooling that
goes on at Murree.
Ten o clock at night. A wood fire
made of damp logs that declined to
burn brightly. The wind bowling
among the deodars, the rain pelting,
the shivering servants rolled up in
rugs asleep in their own log huts-not
soul stirring in the draughty little
bungalow but herself. 1t was most
depressing; the kind OF evening when
every error, everything you would
rather not have said assumes mag
nitied proportions and haunts you.
So ii was with Queenie Vayle,
though a more unlikel ylooking subject
for the horrors OF remorse and de-
preston did not exist. Such golden
hair-the true dark gold coor-such
appealing brown eyes and nose Just
the least bit retrousse to give piquancy
to the face, and only one-and-twenty.
They had considered themselves Ell
gagged ever since Queenie was in short
frocks with a pigtall OF gold-brown
hair, and the hideous uniform Of the
Royal Military College, Sandhurst,
did its best, though unsuccessfully, to
take off from Reggy Vayle's good
looks and well-set-up manly figure.
Then, in order to prevent the posi-
bility of their ever changing their
minds or coming across any one they
liked better than themselves, they
were married at the end of Queenie's
first season and prepared to make the
acquaintance of the world together.
1t was tempting the gods and the
usual result followed.
Two years later Vayles regiment
was ordered to India. Queenie's baby
died-the young mother and the ayah
together muddled it to death; she got
fever and the doctor packed her off to
the hills. Reggy could get no leave.
To the Mayo Hotel at Simree that
season, sent up to recover himself in
the cool from a polo accident, lame
and interesting, came Cis Lorrimer,
the ugliest fellow in the Crimson CUR
assiers, and the most popular and the
most fascinating. He found himself
sitting at the table d'hote next Mrs.
Vayle, aud he forthwith took her I'M
der his charge. She was so new to
India-to life in general, and such a
refreshing change from most of Ciss
female friends. Queenie's silly head
was soon perfectly turned by the at
tentions OF a hero such as she had
never met before; q man who, when
his foot was upon his native Piccadil-
ly, was one of a set royalty affected,
and whose every nod and word were
accepted with effusion by the elite OF
Simree society. In India, where the
table of precedence is ruled by the
number of rupees drawn, alittle flavor
of real aristocracy goes long way.
Under the influence OF Lorrimer.
Queenie Vayle developed wonderfully.
She had come to Simree simple child;
before many weeks were out she was
a wcman-and a woman devouteG
with the great passion OF her life The
glamour OF Lorrimer was over her;
Reggy became more and more COM
monplace and uninteresting because
so familiar; her letters to him fewer
and fewer.
At last, however he got one, the
penning OF which was OF all the foolish
things Queenie had done in her silly
little life the most foolish. She wrote
and told him that she no longer loved
him as real love goes. but having met
the one man in the world for her she
was off on trip into Cashmere with
him. She was very sorry but she
couldn't help it, and hoped he would
forgive her, or words to that effect.
Resgy Vayle, an honest, straightfor-
ward and very young Englishman,
grilling away at Punkahpore, did not
prove of the ordinary type OF patient,
acquiescent Anglo Indian husband,
who calls his wife's "bow-wow'
by his Christian name and
takssa care to give few days
notice before he runs up to the hill
station on leave.
There was fearful scandal. Soci-
etv i'll India winks at good deal, but
the law makes up forit by severity: The
Cashmere trip had to be cut short;
the case came on in the High Court,
and Cts Lorrimer had to sacrifice
everything and make a bolt OF it to
somewhere-Japan or Australia.
The court gave him two years and
mulcted him handsomely. He was
absent without leave, and after the
usual interval the Gazette recorded
that Her Majesty had no further need
of his services.
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