Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-06-05
THE WHITE FEATHER

i
ano and mirrors and knickknacks and
china up here among the Himalayan foot
hills, couple of hundred miles from any
where, and an old gray bearded planter,
whose nearest neighbor is 30 miles away
and who never hears the rustic Of white
woman's petticoats, seems the last sort OF
man to own them.
The piano isn't up to much. It hasn't
been tuned for the last Is years. and two
years ago the Frazer boys, who had ridden
over from Rajah Hath to eat their Christ
mas dinner here, managed to break most
Of the strings and hammers, larking With
it. The mirrors, too, are all cracked or
hopelessly blotched by the damp of the
rains, but they looked smart enough when
bought them, some Is years ago.
I've got used to the poor fnery, and the
other boys from the plantations, when they
do ride over here, are good natured enough
in their chaff.
It's not once in blue moon that globe
trotter like you comes up this path, for the
temple really is not worth seeing and the
SHOWS are reached with SO much less trou-
BILE by the other road with its well built
dak bungalows. A couple Of years ago VIC
had a commissioner who was u sportsman
and who used to come here for the great
mahseer whose favorite haunt is where
the two rivers-you can hear them roaring
now-meet down deep in the valley, but
the present man Is not keen man and
doesn't come as far as this.
Is there a story attached to these old
sticks?
Well, anywhere but here should think
it would not be called one, but If you
don't mind listening / will tell you the
whole little history.
I'd been out in the country ten years
25 years in all I've put IN in this old India
and I'd worked up to the position Of
manager at the Murrinee estate, which lies
so miles away over that big ridge of hills,
about the direction where you can see the
light of the rising moon. I'd good house
and good income, and like fool l
thought I'd get myself good wife. l
went home, hunted up all my people and
saw as much of society as could-you
wouldn't think it Of me to look at me, but
am connected with some of the smartest
people of London-and before quarter of
my leave was up was head over heels in
love with the most lovely girl had ever
set eyes on. The life I've led here has
ground all sentiment and that sort of foo.-
ishness out of me, but even now when l
think of it there comes back to mo sort
of faint return of the intense nervousness
l felt the day that proposed to her, at q
dance at the Star and Carter standing;
we two, on the terrace, with the sleeping
town In blur Of moonshine at our feet
and the river winding ribbon of silver
through the misty landscape.
She was lovely girl, lovely even among
beautiful women; complexion of rose
tinted ivory large black eyes, black hair,
a contralto voice that spoke as sweetly and
with as many modulations as any singing
and manner SO gentle and soft that she
twisted one round her little finger with
out ones knowing that the process was 60
ing on. She had a sad story, too-poverty,
hateful stepmother and no choice except
between marriage and becoming a govern
ess. We spent most of the time during our
engagement in shopping. l had plenty of
ready money, and she had the ideas Of a
princess as to how she should be housed
These faded brocade curtains we bought
ono windy October night at Gillow's; that
rickety old piano was one OF Broadwood's
chef '9uvres, and those little figures on the
mantel are good dresden. l said goodby
to her on board p. and o. at Southamp-
ton and came out here to get all our pref
ty things into tho house and to arrange for
proper reception of my coming princess
Two months ! lived in u lovers dream
o,,I T %> x1,, &.~- hon
What happened is, know, comedy
that is played dozen times each season,
but it makes it none the less bitter to the
victim that others have suffered before him
She met me as soon as set foot on deck
and told me that she could never marry
me-that she had altered her mind
There was no hope for me, she said
none whatever. There was another
man, and If cared for her-if cared
for her, my God-I would make it all
as little painful as could be helped
and 60. She was very, very sorry, but
must CO.
went back to my curtains and glasses
and pretty things in the bungalow on the
hillside, cursing God and all creation in
my heart. took a great deal of that, too,
then. BY the way, you're not helping
yourself. The whiskys good. You needn't
be afraid Of it. got it out direct from
Speyside, and somehow or another re.
port against me got home, and as one Of
the directors wanted berth for his broth
or was turned out and sent to this small
estate, where live, seeing no one but the
coolies, the Babu, who lives mile down
below in the village, and old Aflz Kahn,
the grim old Afridi who waited on us and
who has been my body servant for the
last 20 years.
When / moved, took all my fnery with
me 1t was foolish hess, but was q fool
then, and couldn' bear to part with any
thing that was in any way connected with
her. was as desperately in love as ever,
and though l saw in the paper her mar
riage announced to q man with couple
of estates tackled on to the end Of his name
and knew that she had been bought by a
higher bidder than was still, being q
fool, l loved her all the same.
All people, and they are few enough,
who come up this road are sent on here to
me and spend the night. We, on the very
outside ring Of civilization, welcome q
white face or newspaper as delightful
sight, and we give our visitors Of our best.
One night ID years ago--it was after the
rains and glorious weather. was told that
o sahb and mem sahib were coming up
the road. Such an event as q lady coming
up this path had never been known be-
fore, and Afiz Kahn and myself hustled
about, lighting lamps and getting the
place into order for her reception. The
cook and other servants who live In tho
village bazaar were sent for. and we made
THE NEW MEXICAN.