The morning call., 1893-08-06

some dying victim utter Hood'
what mani Defy she eevfl. consider 21sbi mes an
enemy TO Insnktnd.-It9etfl' H'y"''
Put The bed there-tnere" l said.
pointing with NY finger to the exact spot
In the vsranda where wished 1t to be.
The servants. led by tie old ayah. hesi-
tated.
cot here" and ] walked forward 10 the
only airv corner Of the bungalow.
They did not move. To Try my temper
still, more The NO men who carried the cot
set il down aad deliberately stood at ease.
The AVA. woman who had been with
me for wears. and who had nursed me and
my babies With Infinite tenderness, came
toward me.
What is the meaning of all this ?"
asked with impatenes Why don't you
make tae men DO as tell them?"
The woman's face assumed an anxious
look, and her eyes sought mine in mute APP
peal. laid my band ca her shoulder and
gave her gentle shake.
Bring that cot here"
"Missus i-Diease, missusl not here! Not
good for the children. This air bad air.
Mjssus sleep in the house."
Il tell you | won't. It is hot ana close IN
the house, aud there isn't single punkah
in the place. Look at tne root; II has no
ceiling cloths and must be full OF SNAKES
aud rats. | WON'T sleep in the house. Bring
the beds here and put up the mosquito
nets"
With the exasperatng mulish obstinacy
of native servant. she stood as siohd as
rock under my orders
@.,II hon go e-af n
side of the bungalow. % he exclaimed sud
denly, Frightening ap as the new solution
Of the difficulty pFesen Cd tseh 10 her
mind.
, what. All among the Pots and pans,
the coolies and the oulncE carts? Mo-,
am not going to sleep taefe. Aysh, L
said very seriously, ''you Gou't generally
disobev me IN This way Tell me what
YOU mean by il. Way I'm / not TO sleep
here"
She was silent: 5nt compelled by the al
most fierce gaze under which 1 held her
she whispered:
That tree 0aG tree,
She turned frightened glance on the
magnificent banvan tbat stretched its
long smooth, snage-like branches against
the fiery sunset sky. lis many stems
formed small grove By the SIDE OF the
bungalow and its broad gliSteulng leaves
spread q network Of foliage above. II was
a tent built by natures own hand and ht
for king. | was surprised to notice that
j. was uuaporopriated by the drivers of
my carts and their baliocks. Usually they
gladly ayaiIed themselves or Sach noble
forest shelter. 10 the present Instance
they preferred, with oat exception, the
bare open space on the opposite side OF
the bungalow.
A little eddy of wind brushed through
the twisted gray stems as We stood there.
carving with ii whit OF dry. cracking
leaves. The ayah shuddered and muir
INJURED "Swam ~ belaw her breath.
What is the matter with the tree!
demanded.
She approached yet nearer and whis-
pered very low in my ear-so low that
could scarcely catch the words:
Devil n the tree"
dr. back in absolute wrath.
You idiotI You. Christian woman,
well as l do that there is no such thing as
piShashaS."
She was abashed at my words and began
to look ashamed OF herself. She alluded
10 more to tile deviI in Ehe tree, but harped
back to her first objection.
Not good : .ehj dfen to sleep here
Wind bloWinL TIN ignt' bring fever
dysentoTy."
"At this time of the yearl Nonsense,
The tree will keep of the dew ana shade
us from the moon Nov. cofIs. waste No
more tinh in sech foolish saik. Bring tie
cots-mine and the children's at once.''
Very sullenly she obeyed me. The nien
men who carried the be; Wy old teakw God
bedsteads out OF the bungalow turned fear
full glances on the tree; they also looked
curiouslv at he English woman y 10 dared
TO brave the anger Of the devil
The bungalow was one bsionging 70 the
forest officers Of the Tinneveliy district in
South India. |, the wife Of enc of the
senior men, was moving by easy stages
across country to the sea coast for q
change OF air. Nv husband did not &C.
company me. Duty called htm else where.
| was perfectly safe in the lands Of bis
people and we'll supplied with fowls,
milk and bread at each stage. | might
have travelled faster had | chosen 10 make
longer journeys, but with two small chill
dren | decided that short stages were best,
hence | found myself at this bungalow
which was seldom used a new one had
been built at a new station only six miles
further on. Six miles meant two hours
more on the road. and in the increasing
heat of the day l had not cared to DO It,
L brought my own servants with ne and
was, therefore, independent to great ex-
tent Of dak bungalows. All | needed was
some sort If roof over NY head to protect
ME from the sun in the day and cots TO
chairs | carried with NE, besides camp
crnckery and cooking utensils.
More than once during the ten days Of
travel | had slept with my chldre in the
open air, under the sbelterng foliage q
the tamarind or banyan. Tonight did
net pro ose to have the beds carried cut
under the tree, but only asked 20 have
them placed al the corner OF 70 Onen
wide veranda next the tree.
Ny orders were at last obeyef and thu
beds put into position. The eldar chill
was 10 occupy the inner one, anal, Will
ny baby OF nearly 9 years old. was {,
sleep in that nearest the tree.
The children had their supper a! d wert
put to bed
The heat of the day was giving ace e
the cool night wind. which blew iuF lf tbt
sea, distant about thirty miles. IF ncied
! could smell the salt water and L ssea
weed already. My spirits revived ,ahil
NE as | thought of the pleasant cha ge IL
store for us all. Fresh fish every day
fresh oysters ana prawns; fresh breeze:
and saltwater baths TO put little strength
into the pallid, fiabby limbs Of my little
ones
l put on an easy tea gown, hunted up Tho
third volume of an interesting novel, and
ga. down 20 dinner. | read as l ate, and
the story helped me to forget that. in spite
Of the rather imposing menu, | was swat.
lowing in each dish the everlasting chicken
first in cack-a-eekie soup, secondly IN
" hite fricassee, thirdly ID riSsOles, f0urthI.
In roast fovl filthy in currv A dish ~