The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-11-16

Easier way down. you KNOW, lot nave
evidently got off the track, somehow,
coming up
Very WELL" replied Lena. Go, by
all means. Mr.. Elverton; and may
every success attend you. shall be
glad If we can get back without pass
ing through that scarlet lantana again;
for, though it is so beautiful, | shall
not soon forget how 1t can scratch
ones face and hands. But don't be
vexed with yourself for bringing me
here l wanted to come just as much
ss you wanted to take me. and though
am just a little tired now, the whole
trip has been delightful so far.
don't believe. moreover. the sunrise
could have possibly been any grander
from the top than from the point we
saw 1t. The view of those waves of
mist rolling off these great peaks was
magnificent. and we'll worth all our
toll: so do not think for a moment /
regret our expedition. Mr.. Elverton,
though In a certain sense 1t has been
n failure"
1T is like you TO say So" respond
ed Tom. era atcfu'ly. "All the same, l
feel l have disgraced myself. / was
| fee! | have disgraccd myself. l was
so cock-Sure | could find the way. I
wouldn't even bring cool!e with US.
II ! had, we should never have got
into this mess. But" continued the
young planter. In a lower tone. as he
arranged Lena's shawl on the rock,
and poked about with his stick to
make sure no hidden snake or venom
Gus spider would share her resting
place. you must remember what a
temptation it was to me to have you
all to myself for a few hours"
Lena Wolmer's cheeks flushed, but
She made no reply; and Tom. after
lingering for a moment or two as If
expecting her TO answer, went off, as
he said" to eXp,ore.'
The young lady watched him disap-
pear round the end OF the next rock.
and then turned to feast her eyes on
the prospect before her Away below
lay Handy. the lovely little mountain
capital Of Ceylon. its white houses
and red-tiled roofs already shining in
the mornings sunbeamS and between
her and them the waters of the lake
cleaned through the sagO-palms and
cocoanut trees: while far away to the
left, she could catch a sparkle here
and there Of the broad Mahawellgan-
"a flowing silently to its ocean home.
past the dark-green coffee estates and
the lighter-tinted paddy-fields. Nearer,
the sun shone on miles OF tea planta-
tons. with here and there the pictur-
esque bungalow Of a planter. or a row
of native huts, which Lena had al
ready learned to call zines" Amongst
Them ALL she easily recognized the
clump of trees in the midst OF which
stood her brothers bungalow, and
her own present home.
Lena was a fresh arrival in Ceylon.
A good many years younger than her
only brother. the clever. long-headed
proprietor Of Duemara estate. she had
spent her orphan girlhood at a Lon
don boarding school, and hardly ever
remembered that she and her brother,
except when his annual letter, contain
ing the draft TO pay her fees, brought
him to her mind. But there We're just
these two left out of their family; he.
the eldest, and she, the youngest; and
when her school days were done. there
seemed nothing else for her TO do but
to go out and JOIN him in his far-ofr
home. Harry Wolmer was not great
ly delighted. He had n poor opinion
Of women generally, and looked for
ward to his sisters arrival as a dis
agreeable event that could not be pre-
vented. However when she came he
was very kind to her. and endured
with wonderful patience the invasion
Of his old bachelor privacy by all the
young fellows round about, who came
like bees TO a sugar-bowl. as soon as
1's,-t ip+ 1r.a,. ha ~,
ter had appeared.
The proprietor of Duemalla had real
ly something to endure: his front YER
anda was besieged by ardent youths,
who came unlimited to breakfast, t.f-
fin and dinner. and hung over
the new mistress of the bun
gallo. listening to her conversa ton
as if she were inspired. accompanying
her songs on their vlollns. or bringing
her the skins Of all sorts Of wild ami
mails which they had shot, and snipe,
which they implorod her to have cook
ed for her dinner; while the back yer-
anda was equally crowded with their
hOrse-keepers, snoring comfortably in
shady corners, or chewing the social
betelnut IN the intervals of discussing
their masters character. However,
Mr.. WOlmer bore IL all with great
good nature, and only inquired now
and then of Lena when the wedding
was 10 be. and which Of all her adorers
was the man Of her choice
Lena on her part enjoyed her posi-
ton immensely. 1t was new thing
10 her to be so courted and admired; (;
and, though she was sorry for the un-
fortunates whom she was constantly
rejecting, her head was perhaps just
a trifie turned by all the admiratio
she received. One very wealthy
Scotchman paid her special attention,
and she had determined to marry him.
When he asked her, she would accept
him. though she liked Tom Elverton
best But Tom was only poor S. D.,
or "Iittle master" as the Tamils say.
In other words, he was simply Mr..
Wo,mer's assistant, and had not a
penny beyond his salary. And Lena.
who had been poor all her life, did
not feel inclined TO go on in poverty,
when luxury and riches were within
her reach So Tom mad been rejected,
like the other ten or eleven adorers
who had offered themselves to Miss