The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-09
The Story of Norman Howard.

UP the coast, and everything was OF inter
est to me.
At the top of the steps my old frien
| Jack Priestly met me with hearty greet
! ing which reminded me of the old day
we had spent together on the Yorkshir
moors After an hours chat Mrs. Priest
| ly Joined US and we went in 10 dinner.
After dinner we went into the DRAWN
room and Flora Priestly played to Us 70
a while. AS 1 was turning over the leave
OF the music I noticed on the top of III
piano a folding photograph frame Of Rus
| STA leather, and was at once struck by
face of great beauty. which l took 10 b
! that of girl. When Mrs. Priestly hat
| finished playing she took Up the photo
graph frame, and. turning to me, said
Il saw you docking al that face. Ism
| it beautiful, just like the face of a girl
! 1t is a portrait of poor young Howard
who died here some months ago.
| Later on, when Mrs. Priestly had re
! tired. and Jack and l had drawn on
| chairs into the veranda and settled dowl
| to a smoke, I spoke TO him Of the pho
tograph and asked him TO give me tn
| history of It
We'll old fellow, IL you want the story
you shall have 1t, but 1t is not a pleasan
one" 1 made no reply, and he continued
You saw Howard photograph, and were
struck by the beauty of his face; well, i
was only picture Of his character.
He was not more than seventeen wher
he came out, and there were many signs
that his home had not been a happy one
He was as pure-minded and stmple-heart.
ed as young girl. and the chaff of his
fellow overseers was quite harmless
against his strong armor OF utter mex
perience and sincerity.
''Ha a wRii-blIih h0V tall and
straight. with lightIbrown hair and blue
eyes, and complexion all pink and
white.
After he had been on the estate for
a few months, put him in the indentured
wedding gang, and then he met the Md
hooie. She was what I would call beau
tiful girl, having in mind others I have
seen, but she had charm and fascina-
ton far above what mere beauty could
have given her. She was a light-colored
Calcutta girl. about fifteen years old.
rather above the middle height, graceful
and slim seemingly to carry the soft,
rounded outlines Of her womanhood with
a half-wondering self-consciousness which
was inexpressibly charming.
She had made several conquests before
Howard came on the estate, but as they
were all of experienced overseers, who. so
to speak, knew coolie girl by heart,
there had been little harm done.
We'll. Howard met her, and, as might
have been expected, fell into violent
passion for her. She played her cards
well, and finally bound Howard to her by
a maneuvre from which we could hardly
Withhold our admiration.
The gang was working in field A.
north section at the middle-walk side and
a foater was there for the women to cross
the navigation trench in. Howard went
to MS work as usual, and, when he got
into the field. sent his riding mule round
to the side-line side of the field and stood
up for a minute or two in the shade of
the canes. AS he was about to turn and
go into the field he saw Nidhooie coming
up the dam, a cutlass in one hand and
small tin can containing her midday meal
of rice and curry IN the other. Now Md
hooie's walking was a thing to be seen
and rejoiced at-you can conceive nothing
more graceful; it was as pleasant to the
eye as strain of sweet music to the ear.
When she got opposite to Howard she
flung him careless morning no, sahib!
and got into the foater, pushing it off
with one foot, while she balanced herself
with the other. The current caught her,
however, and threatened to carry her
down below the cross-canal before she
could reach the other side so she called
to Howard to hook the floater with shis
stick and haul 1t TO the bank. The bank
Of the trench was steep and slippery and
Howard gave her his hand to help her up.
When she reached the top she stumbled,
purposely, l believe, and in order to pre-
vent herself from falling backwards into
the water, threw herself against Howard
and clasped her arms around him. His
foot slipped, and they fell together The
next insatnt she jumped up and bounded
away, sending up such peal of light
hearted laughter as seemed to fill the
still, steaming silence with the pulsating
joyousness of youth.
Il myself saw this, as was riding past
the field at the time on the other side of
a hedge of lime trees, which grew in the
middle of the dam; and within the next
few days I was astonshed at the change
that had taken place in him. He had
changed from a boy to a man. In his eyes
was a light which had not been there
before, in his step an added firmness-and
all for the sake of little Nidhooie. who
with all her great charm and grace was
SO pitifully unworthy of a real passion
What his plans were I cannot say, but
I believe he would have married her had
she wished it. But the end came before
that. The long grinding had begun and
was put in the factory. Nidhooie
was employed there as a megass-carrier
though truly she only helped by keeping
every one else at the work cheerful and
light-hearted.
THE third night OF the grinding the
blow fell. We were all at dinner, and
Howard was in the factory waiting till
one of US relieved him. Just as we had
finished the soup. Sahadut Kahn, the
came running up stairs. and.
without explanation, told US that Howard
Sahib was dead We started TO our feet
and ran over 10 the factory, and there,
lying on his back on the floor of the triple
loft. lay poor Howard. with a bullet-hole
in the side of his head. He was not dead.
however, and we carried him over 20 the
overseer's house and laid him on his bed.
As we were carrying him away we
heard Nidhooie's clear. ringing laugh rise
pure and sweet above the groanng Of the
canes in the mill, and the dull, heavy
thud Of the tripIe-pump.
Although Howard was conscious, he
refused to tell anything about what had
occurred. Afterwards we found out some
Of the facts Of the case from other
sources. Howard had walked from the
towards the triple and had
seen Nidhooie pass behind the vessels.
AS he came nearer and was about % turn
behind the first vessel he saw Nidhooie
standing UP talking 10 the pan-boile-. and
before he could make his presence known
he saw the man, big ugly negro. take
in his arms. and, evidently with
her own consent, kiss her again and again.
To his overstrung nature this. coming on
top CT his other troubles. seemed TO de-
stroy his balance. and in 4 moment OF
frenzy he drew his revolver and shot him
self
nz----~.------~-@
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