The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-03-18

| the cleaning arms Of tho little company
pressing around Ross and asked what
this outrage meant "It MEANS" said
Ross sternly, "that you must give up
instantly and uninjured the Mem Sahib
harney. Sho was to be found" he add
cd, lin tho hall Of idols at tho foot of
Vishnu."
Prohrada heard him to tho end with
sarcastic look, and it was impossible
TO tell from his demeancr how startled
he was at tho exactitude of Ross infor.
mation' who finished by saying, ere
tuse ana you will be ruined, and your
temple too"
Tho Brahman paused for breath for
two or three seconds and looked intent
~ on the ground. Then he raised his
mead proudly. "You shall see" ho said
haughtily, chow you wrong us. Wait
here minute. Ross signed to his fol.
lowers, and all crowded in, whilo tho
Brahman, without deigning to look be.
hind him, Immediately disappeared.
hoss felt somewhat uncertain what to
do. Flo did not wish to involve himsolf
and his follewors in IN attack on the
templo If ho could possibly holp it, al
though to tho Brahman his attitude had
boon ono Of the utmost resolution. But
minute or SO passed. orc they saw Prob.
rnda returning, loading Lillian by tho
hand. Sho was still evidently insensiblo.
| A fow of tho flowors TINT clung still to
her skirts showed that she had bcen
raised from the couch by tho idol. Her
eyes were closed, and she moved stiffly
i'll obedience to tho priests guiding
hands, as al automaton might be OK
pected to do. Tho trident mark Of Wish
nu was on hor forehead still.
'Seol" said tho Brahman. "The Nom
! sahib bears Vishnu q mark. She strayed
into our temple, entered tho hall of idols
and lay down ut tho foot Of Vishnu.
What could we do? If you must have
her, take her." And his eyes added as
his tongue stopped abruptly, "Take my
| deadliest curse with her too.'
Ross did not choose to arguo or in
quiro into details. Lillian was his Mt
last, and, closing round, they gently
bore her, still in II somnambulistic con-
dition, to tho bungalow.
1t WAS u long while before Lillian
could DO mado to understand all that
had happened, and it was plain that
her nervous system was terribly shaken.
'ollc SnuudcrCu at tno SlEnt OF Il natlNC
and tremblcd at hearing the native Ian
guagc She was haunted with Il fearful
| idea Of being again irrcsistibly impelled
to cntor II Hindoo temple and became
utterly incapable of continuing her mis-
sionary work.
Ross dissolved his partnership with
| Karncy, and, having persuaded Lillian
to give him the right to protect her
night and day, they were married, and
it did not require much further pprsua-
sion on tho part of Ross to induce his
wife to leave India and her brother, for
whom she felt tho same contempt us her
husband. Lillian could not explain how
sho was irrcsistibly impcllcd to walk in
her sleep into the temple, but it was
! long before she could Danish from her
mental vision the cobralikc eyes of Prob
rada, the Brahman, and, truth to tell,
naturally human RS he was, Ross could
not resist uttCrimg an exclamation of
profound satisfaction when, II fow years
later, he read in newspaper that Prob
rada had been ignominiously hanged fol
his share in one of tho fell massacres q
tho Indian mutiny.
THE END