The Portland daily press., 1894-11-10

olu, nesltablng and Ill at ease.
"Well, what is it?" asked Helen, some
what impatiently. ''Tell me what you
wish
Nothing, missy. Ayah wish for moth
ing, but ayah wish to say something to
missy-wish very much"
As no familiarity is attempted by these
servants of the tropics, it was with great
difficulty the woman begged for the inter
view. Helen saw the trepidation and pit
led her
'My good ayah, tell me what it is you
desire. Do you need money, or are you
weary of the jungle life and wish to re-
turn to Madras2''
"Ah, no, 1nemesahib, - expostulated tho
Indian. "Ayah wishes no greater happi-
ness than to be near you. No money ayah
requires, nor her heart longs for the beau
tiful city. 1t is one little story she wishes
to tell you," and her richly tinted skin
flushed, and her gentle eyes looked trou-
bled. do you love the captain, dear
lady?"
How daro you ask such a question:"
cried Helen Indignantly ''You displease
me greatly, ayah."
as, kneeling, she put her forehead to the
hem of her mistress gown.
Helen's was sympathetic and tender
heart, and, seeing the utter abasement of
the Indian, she relented, and, putting her
hand softly on the ayah's bead she said,
II will hear your little story"
1t was vivid glowing picture that the
candles in the queer twisted eastern can
dlesticks lighted up. Helen, in loose
white wrap, was seated before a mirror,
her eyes fastened on the woman's reflec-
ton. The latter had risen from the floor,
her plant form swaying to and fro as she
brushed her mistress hair She looked
like some seeress about to utter prophecy
or incarnation as she began her little tale,
speaking now in broken English and now
in Tamil her native dialect.
'sAyah has in her heart a great love for
her dear lady-a love like the waters that
separate missy from her home, deep and
strong. 1t is not one easy thing for ayah
to speak, but her heart say tell, her love
say speak. She knows that missy like
the captain very much, and he loves you,
but while missy gives him her whole heart
he cannot give her his whole love, for that
is divided-part to missy and part to an
other"
Helen listened, growing sense of dam
ger and apprehension that she could not
i fathom making her dumb, while the ayah
went on, her voice taking a dreary mono
tone. a:3sgea
In Madras there is q dark woman,
beautiful, but not like the missy. One day
the captain he sees this native, and she
gives him a drink that she makes from
toneiherb, ana it causes him to love herr A
VISA rigid grip seemed c1utcR1ng at Helen's
throat and heart, She PIT her hands forth
(, vaguely to tear it away. q She tried to
speak, but her tongue was palsied, and
the Indian, divining nothing, continued
in her singsong minor tone.
HThe captain gives this Maya-for that
is her name-much money silks and jew
els for her hair, but Maya never loves him,
and she only gets his love by always
sprinkling the potion about his house and
in his wine When he is away from her,
he hates himself and her, and his heart is
all for missy, but when he goes back to
Maya he will love her again"
Helen had drunk the bitter cup in all
it's strength, for she could not doubt a
word of the narrative. Her first great
trouble had found her alone, and she must
meet it single handed, for what comfort
could this poor child of darkness, with her
mystical religion, bring to her?
Moments passed; the ayah had thrown
herself prone to the floor. Helen, pale and
shivering, gazed on the prostrate figure as
If it were something polluted that had
been cast at her feet by some receding tide
She tried to stand, but her sound young
limbs lacked power
Then the distressed soul whose love was
unquestioning seemed to feel rather than
see the sorrow she had wrought, and
shuffing to her feet, she took Helen like
ababe ingher arms and laid hsrsen couch,
trying slineffec ITO. sopthe1 BY softly
!, stroking heryfaee and head. Finally as q
pal iatiye she began to speak in an aps,
speaSlng, grooming voice, as one would 1ull
CHI ito orestsfs Listen, dear missy, to
what ayah tells She knows, one medicine
man, "a native. From him she will get a
8potions and with it she will GO to the cap
tain's house, and the native butler, who
knows her well, will let her in to see the
house. Then it is she will secretly sprin-
kle the floors and walls. Then, when the
poor captain shall come home he sees Maya
at once in her true self, and he shall SEND
her from the house. Then he come back
to missy, and his whole heart will be for
her."
These words seemed to rouse Helen from
her apathy. Stop" she commanded
sternly.
''Oh, missy" said the eastern woman
meekly, but earnestly, II cannot work the
charm without your permission. viii
dear missy CONSENT"
"Oh, T" answered Helen drearily, for she
realized the utter impossibility of reason
ing with this child of mystery, ''there is
no need of charms or potions or my con-
sent, for 1 do not love this man. And now
you may go. But watt as sudden
thought came to her mind, II wish TIC
send u note to Captain Gartshore. And
with trembling, cold fingers that could
scarcely do her will she wrote these words;
CAPTAIN GARTsHoRE-I cannot ride with
you tomorrow. HELEN ARUNDEL.
go now," said Helen solemnly, her
face like that of some accusing spirit, ''go
and pray to your God for peace"
Long after the ayah had softly closed
the door Helen sat immovable, hopeless
and alone, the drawn lines of her mouth
Indicative of her hearts pain and struggle.
Hour after hour went by. They seemed
years to Helen and when at last the sig
mol of Cap4oi, Go have Tho or1oot cry,