The Opelousas courier., 1898-11-26
AFTER THIRTY YEARS,

nj 1ulA llllli1 luAllUs
1t was a summer night in Cawnpor,
in the year 1857. Two lovers stoo.
within the convenient shade of a We
randa saying a long farewell-till tn
morrow. The stars were shining will
that radiance which makes the pecu
liar glory of an Indian night, and thu
air was heavy with the scent of til,
champak blossom.
Good night, my darling! 1 mus.
go. and each moment only makes il
harder to leave you"
"Go then. Who is keeping your"
"You! You witch! How well yor
know your power. Haven't you kept
me ten whole minutes when l ough,
to have started on my rounds ages
ago.
Il have kept you! How dare you
imply such a thing? l have been
longing for your departure. II am
very sleepy" with a carefully simu-
lated yawn and wide open mischiey.
Gus eyes.
"Well, I am going. Really, this
time. By-the-by, you know l cannot
come till late tomorrow evening.
wish to goodness I were not adjutant.
What's the use of a few extra rupees
when it takes up all my time so that
never see you now"
oh! what a story and what q
frown! can see it quite plainly"
You cannot! 1 can only just see
your white frock and the lines of your
fair and that scarlet thing on your
head, and-your eyes. 1 see them
wherever l am. When the Colonel
gives me an order, l stare straight
over his head, till I know he thinks
| have gone crazy, and I see, there
In the air-two dark brown eyes,
sparkling with wickedness and shin
ing like the stars above us now
and" .
The remainder Of the speech was ar
rested by a little hand which was laid
lightly upon his lips, and which natur-
ally met the fate it deserved. There
was complete silence in the shadow
OF the veranda, only broken by her
soft and hurried breathing, and &
slight stir as she nestled into his arms
and was clasped for an instant to his
breast. The syce native groom), who
crouching near beside his mast
ers waiting horse, raised his drowsy
head and wondered if they had gone
into the house again. But just then
the farewell was finally accomplished,
and he listened c%uriously to their part
ing words.
Good night, Dick. Be as early as
you can"
"Good night. OF course I'll be early.
1t will be years before 1 see you
BE sure you recognize me then!
You silly! Good night"
Master and servant turned at the
gate Of the garden and looked back.
She had stepped out of the shadow,
and it was bright enough for them to
see every detail of her white muslin
dress, founced to the waist, and to
catch the CLEAN Of her uncovered neck
and arms. Dick Manners even mag
ined that he could distinguish The
curve Of her dark head outlined
against the scarlet bow and see the
Star-like shining Of her eyes. He
as he rode away. It was so
hard to leave her even for a few
hours; and the heavy, clinging scent
OF the champak blossom oppressed
him and seemed to lie as a weight
his heart.
1t was in May, 1887, when a party
English men and women rode
through the streets of the native city
Lucknow. They were going to visit
the shops Of the famous gold and sill
yer workers, and were accompanied
BY an escort of native police for their
guidance, and, though the ladies Of
the party scoffed at the idea, for their
as well. The bazaar AT
has too bad a name for any
to care to take his wo-
mankind there without a show of
force.
The streets are very narrow, and the
houses have, in many cases. over
hanging balconies to the upper stories.
creating a feeling Of oppression even
N riders, who are raised above the
masses of many shaded humanity with
which the countless lanes and alleys
are filed. The crowd was rather q
n at that time-7 in the morn
ing. There were cries, indeed, from
unclothed children, who fought
each other, and shrill reproofs from
their mothers, who, returning from
he wells with brass pots balanced on
heir heads, had nc hands with which
punish their mischievous offspring.
Besides the lower, caste M whose
garments were of the scantiest de-
scriDtion, there were women of the
higher class. with yelled faces and
shrinking forms, who. gliding along in
he shadow thrown by the overhang-
ng roofs attracted the attention of the
English ladies, and they had to have
he whole system of 'tpurdah'' ey-
to them. Mrs. and Miss VII |
ars were ostensibly travelling through
india, but excepting for a fortnight n
Bombay. and a hurried visit to Gavin
pore, they had spent all their time III
lucknow. AT first Mrs. Yillars used
9 speak about once a week Of the ne
Of their seeing Delhi anl
Benares and Agra and everything"
'ut lately she had become silent on