The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-03-09
THE MARK Oh VISHNU.
By PERCY RUSSELL.
fcopyrisht. 1900. by tho Aushor.I
CHAPTER I.

II was q strange and ~singularly inn
p~ressive scene. All the houses of the
very ancient Drayidian village were IL
Eliminated more or less by eartben YES
sells containing oil and wick. Not only
did these lights bring out into relief
against the growing darkness the out
lines of the various buildings, but they
had been placed, with that patient,
painstakinR and indifference to individ-
ual labor peculiar to Asia, in the clefts \
Of trees. They lighted up the great ban
yam tree, the special pride Of this Tamil
or Drav;dian region, for it was q tree
of more than 1000 trunks, sent down
from tho enormous branches, covering
acres and forming u sort of natural syl-
van temple, and they were to be seen
glowing amid the fragrant flowers Of
its tamarinds that shaded the bungalow
of Sahib Karney, the indigo planter,
and some of these lamps were even shin
ing out starlike from the distant hill
tops and shedding a ftful light over tho
dull blush green and pale red flowers
of his indigo plantation. Far ON the
right. too, the lamps brought into strong
relief the stately gopurams, or towers,
Mt the entrance of a temple, all covered
( with strange and grotesque figures, and
presently came n burst Of fireworks, fol
lowed by another and another, which
for all instant brought us the whole
landscape into clear view, showing here
and there natives in thoir picturesque
white dresses, and then fading abruptly
into gloom, lighted only by the many
twinkling starlike lamps. In q word, it
was tho depavali, or feast Of light,
and it had brought many strangers into
T~irunamalli, which, though but an in
/, significant speck on even the trigono-
metrical survey of India, was in its
W estimation n place of infinite i'm
portance, boasting some of the grandest
and holiest Of temples and tho most de-
vout worshipers in all southern India.
In the veranda, smoking and reolin-
ing on low a sofalike chairs, were
two Europeans-Charles Karney and
David Ross, his partner.
"Do you know, Ross" said the for
mer. "1'm sorry I let my sister go ON
this foolish errand. I had no idea this
feast was due or that it would bring in
such a swarm Of fanatics"
The speaker was a man of about 80,
with a narrow, upright forehead, q
straight lined mouth and a general as.
poet Of arithmetic and business in every
lineament.
"Foolish errandl' replied his part
ner. would you be quite prepared to
say as much to Miss Lillian berselfp''
Ross was n great contrast to his COM
panion, with his broad, open, genial
c~ountenance, warm, expressive eyes,
and good tempered mouth and chin.
II don't know" rejoined Karney,
smiling coldly, "but it's foolish all the
same. Here am I toiling in this beastly
climate, to say nothing of the visitation
to the boiler house, where we beat up
the indigo, while she dispcnses the
product among some Of the biggest ras-
Gals II greatest wretches in tho uni
verse;"
"Somo Of the PRODUCTS corrected
the other. "Don't ~exaggerate, whatever
you do"
'"Too much, anyhow" was the reply.
And Karney went IL ct can't divine
how all this folly began. Why should
not Lillian be like other young ladies in
this place? What are tho people to her
or she to them?"
Ross smoked on without replying. He
looked rather fiXedlY at his friend and
partner, but said nothing. After awhile,
however, he asked, "Of course, she did
not 20 %alone?"
"Oh, no. Nasiban went with her."
Ross struck the table at his elbow
and made tho glasses on it ratio, and
then i'll an ordinary tone asked, "And
where is it, pray, and for how long?"
"Oh, it's only to that horrible bud hi
beyond the hill-there, where you see
those three COMPOUNDED hoathen lights.
She's been making a fuss about want.
ing to see her ustardin's face-her
teacher, you know-and sent q message
that she could not die happy unless the
mem sahib went up. Why, my dear fell
low, what's the matter with you to-
night? There's nothing to make O both
er about. When Lillian is here, she does
nothing but fuss about grace and prayer
and doctrines until I'm sick Of the very
name Of religion"
ut were well if you and I had o lit.
tie CT her goodness. But haven't you
heard the news YETI"
"What news?''
"Why, simply this: Some Of the lead
ing Hindoos have held what they call a
dhar in Solar and rave been discussing
how they can bost get rid Of all this
obnoxious teaching. Haven't you heard
that one had boldly said that no matter
WIN happens 6ney must get rid OF the
mem sahib, and that if q man was hang
cd in such n cause-are you listening,
Charles Karney?-he would be but O
martyr. Do you know that your sister
believes that one of her converts, Soft
hjanadhan, has been poisoned, and yet
good God-in the face Of all this you
let your sister go up to that old woman
on tho hill with no one to protect her
better thai Nasiban. Charles Karney,
I'm ashamed of you'll And Ross sprang
up, knocking down tho table, and paced
the veranda in n state Of great excite
ment.
Karney seemed to take this very cool
ly. He started n little when the other
rose up SO abruptly, but now he only
smiled softly, showing a beautiful set
OF white teeth, and murmured: "My
dear fellow, don't play the royal Ben
gal tiger, pray. Don't lash up your no.
Bile age nna quarrel with your prosaic
and practical partner. What can / 60
with such q sister? Am I to pauper: f,
myself and rob you Of your share al. |
place myself within the pale Of the orimi-
Z nal law because I happen to rave q ro-
mantle, beautiful, fascinating sister,
who iDsistsson carrying out literally the