Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-12-22
The Dark House
G. MANVILLE FENN!
G. MANVILLE FENN!

ments.
Well" he said at last, Its right
and it's wrong, as you may say. It's
masters own orders, for there it was
in his own handwriting, in his desk:
Instructions for my solicitor. Mr..
Critic showed 1t me, being an old
family servant"
Yes, yes-he showed it to me-"
ooh, it was all there" continued the
butler. well, as l was saying, it's
right so far; but it's wrong, because
it's not like Christian burial"
mo, no." cried the Hindoo, excited
ly, Those men-they make me mad.
can not bear it. Look" he cried;
'he should have died out in my coun-
try, where we would have laid him on
sweet-scented woods, and baskets of
spices and gums, and there, where the
sun shines and the palm-trees wave, l.,
his old servant, would have fred the
pile, and he would have risen up in the
clouds of smoke, and among the pure
clear flames OF fire, till nothing but
the ashes was left. Yes, yes, that
would have been his end" he cried,
with flashing eyes, as he seemed to
mentally picture the scene; land then
thy servant could have died with thee
Oh. Sahib. Sahib. Sahib!"
| He clasped his hands together, the
fire died from his eyes, which seemed
suffused with tears, and, as he ut
tered the last word thrice, in a low,
moaning voice, he stood rocking him
self to and fro.
The two women looked Mortified,
and shuddered; but the piteous grief
was magnetic, and, in the deep silence
that fell, they began to sob; while the
butler blew his nose softly, cougned,
and at last laid his hand upon the old
servants shoulder.
Shake hands, Mr.. Ramo," he said,
huskily. Fifteen years you and mes
been together, and IL we haven't hit
it as we might, we'll, it was only nat
ural, me being an Englishman, and
you almost black but it's this as
brings us all together, natives and
furreners. and all. He was a good
master, God bless him! and I'm sorry
he's gone"
The old Indian looked up at him
half wonderingly for few moments.
Then, taking the extended hand in
both of his, he held 1t for time, and
pressed it to his heart, dropped it, and
turned to go.
won't you take something, Mr.
Ramo?"
"No-no!" said the Indian, shaking
his head; and he glided softly out of
the servants hall, went silently, in
his soft yellow leather slippers, down
a long passage and up flight of
stone stairs, to pass through a glass
door, and stand In the large, gloomy
hall, in the middle of one of the
marble squares that turned the floor
into vast chess-board, round which
the giant pieces seemed to be waiting
to commence the game.
For the faint light that came
through the thick groundglass fan
light over the great double doors was
diffused among black bronze statues
and white marble figures of Greek
anu isohidh hhl5AIo. III VIC pIdIE,
seated meditatively, with hands rest
ing upon the knees, there was an
Indian god, seeming to watch the
/ floor; in another a great Japanese
warrior; while toward the bottom of
the great winding staircase, whose
stone steps were covered with heavy
dark carpet, was a marble, that i'm
agination might easily have taken for
a queen.
Here and there the paneled walls
were ornamented with stands of In
dian arms and armor. comical helmets,
once worn by eastern chiefs, with
pendent curtains and suits of chain
mail. Bloodthirsty daggers, curved
cimiters, spears, clumsy matchlocks,
and long straight swords, whose hilt
was an iron gauntlet, in which the
warriors fingers were laced as they
grasped handle placed at right
angles to the blade, after the fashion
OF spade. There were shields, too,
and bows and arrows, and tulwars and
koorkrees, any number of warlike
implements from the east, while be-
side the statues the west had to show
some curious chairs and a full-length
portrait of an Englishman in the
prime of life-a handsome. bold-faced
man. in the uniform OF one of John
Company's regiments, his helmet In
his hand, and his breast adorned with
orders and jewels OF foreign make.
/ The old Indian servant stood there
like one Of the statues, as the dining
room door opened and three dark,
closely shaver and mustached men in
black came out softly and went silent
ly up the stairs.
/ There was something singularly fur
J, tive and strange about them as they
| followed ono another in silence, all
three alike in their dress-coats. and
| turned down white collars, beneath
, which was narrow strip of ribbon
| knotted in front.
| They passed on and up the great
! winding stairs, past the drawing-room,
from whence came the low buzz OF
voices, to door at the back OF the