The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1894-01-26

there at the first pillar speaking to General
! Monckton. Isn't this the loveliest fete
imaginable?'
81 was duly presented to Miss Howe.
"To make a long story short, called on
her, fell in love with her, proposed to and
married her.
"Her father was an Englishman, a
judge of one of the middle districts Her
mother, some said, was a Spaniard, others
said she was an Italian, and some whis-
pered that she was an Ii AN Begun. Lit
tie cared / what the mother was-I loved
her as my very soul.
1.-The first month of my married life
was passed in unalloyed happiness. All
the hours were golden hours. The para
disc lost to old father Adam seemed
restored to me. But by and by cloud
no bigger. than a mans hand appeared on
the horny. l was cognizant of change
in Nadia. She was alternately very quiet
and very restless. She was nervous and
out of trim. She would start and shivcr
when the clock chimed or murmur blank
ly and shudder if door slammed.
What is it, Naida" asked one day
you are not yourself. What is the mat
ter with you''
"She glanced YEARLY at me. Il hardly
know. am afraid l am little homesick
think l want Gurgah.'
"'Who is Gurgah2'
MY ayah.'
You shall have Gurgah. Why didn't
you speak of her before2'
"The next day found a small, dark
woman in snowy garment, with grave
countenance enlivened by nose ring and
ear plates, squatting on the floor beside
Naida's hammock. 1t was the ayah. Days
of sunshine followed. My wife chartered
and laughed like paroquet. Poor child!
She was homesick.
"Iwas waiting in my gharry one evening
for friend who was to drive with me to an
outpost few miles from the station ASH
entered his compound l noticed bevy of
ladies at Chotah-hazree on the veranda. Not
in a mood to join them, drew up under a
tree and sent my boy to the house. was
sufficiently near to hear their voices, and
the conversation was distinctly audible
above the CHATTER of silver and cl ma. AS
matter of fact, uninterested Benedict,
paid no attention to their chatter until
heard voice, rendered shrill by surprise,
eXclaim:
Nadia Howe married. Great heav-
ems! Who is the unfortunate man? He
must have been either stranger or a lu-
matte. What did you all mean by permit
til = him to marry herr Was no one kind
enc Ugh to warn the poor fellow?'
"What the devil did the woman mean?
/ strained my ears to catch the reply:
g "A warning would have done him no
good. He was the most infatuated man /
ever saw. Love wrapped him as with
garment. And besides it never does to
burn ones f. gers with other peoples fires.
dare say they will get along Nadia is
very peculiar, but she is a very sweet
girl
'Peculiarr should say so. Heaven
deliver At that moment Kirk came out,
and we drove away. All the evening the
echo of those dreadful words rang in my
ears. Great God, what did it all mean?
81 reached home with strange fore
boding of evil. | felt heavy and oppressed.
The lusters sparkled in faint CLEANS that
filled the anteroom with languorous
light. 1t was SO still you might have fan
cied that death filled the place BY the
shining panes on the wall hard by the
bay window caught sight of jeweled
hand toying with the folds of the curtain.
The red CLINT of the gems sparkled on the
dusky skin. l called her nRme softly,
'Naidar
'Ahr
"She arose and pushed the curtain aside
and came languidly toward me. There
was peculiar expression in her eyes. She
stared at me for second of time, and then
before l cou say a word glided from the
room. Her handkerchief had fallen. Irais-
ed it from the floor. A faint, subtle odor
emanated from its folds. | cast it from
mel can't tell why-and crossed over to
the window. A pale moonlight lay on the
lawn, and the shadows of the shrubbery
lay in deep contrast to the silvery sheen.
The punka boy was asleep on the grass,
with my Irish setter beside him. / was
about to call and arouse him, when out
into the moonlight from the black shade
of clump of calidiums sprang the slight,
graceful form Of an animal. 1t streaked
across the ground in sinuous track. The
moon showed its tawny, yellow hide spot
ted with brown. 1t was chetah.
Alarmed for the boy, I jumped through
the window, and catching him by the
shoulder dragged him to his feet. His
teeth chartered, and his dark face grew
livid.
"'The chetah, sahib! That chetah has
been running about the bungalow nearly
all week. Gurgah say chetah hurt nobody,
but no trust him..
81 sent Immediately for the men serv-
ants of the establishment and set them as
guard over the bungalow. Then went to
seek Nadia.
81 called her name softly, not wishing
to alarm her, but no answer came to my
tender call. opened the door. A pale
blue light burned in a silver sconce that
hung on the wall. The moonbeams fell
in through the open window and mingled
with the light of the lamp. A faint white
smoke hung over the farther corner of the
room. looked at the couch. 1t was emp
ty. / glanced about the room. No one
was there. Where were they-Naida and
her nurse? Could they be out on the lawn
Already fancied the murderous teeth and
talons of the chetah tearing the delicate
flesh of my darling. Perhaps at that mo-
ment he was sucking her lifeblood. l
rushed out Of the bungalow, shouting her
name, Nadia, MAZDA, Naidap
"Followed by a half dozen natives,
hurried over the compound, but we saw
neither wife nor ayah. Nearly frantic l
vas returning to the house. In front Of
the bungalow l saw white object. 1t
was the nurse.
"'Where is your missy9' cried, grasp
ing her arm.