The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-14
A WOMAN Halter.

Colonel LangdaIe, on being appointed
Pomrnandant of the Seventy first native
infantry, resolved to weed out all the mar
ried officers serving with that corps. To
this end he made the lives of the benedicts
extremely irksome, so that they all applied
to be transferred to other regiments.
In due course the Seventy first native
infantry was ordered to Haizapore, the
principal military station of the presidency,
whereupon Colonel I5angdale took years
furlough to England. Tt was generally
understood that the colonel would apply
for an extension of leave and would re-
main in England until the regiments
term of service ar Haizapore should have
expired, but he had not been home more
than nine months when he wrote to Major
Tarver informing him that he was about
to be married and that after short hon
eymoon on the continent he should bring
his bride out to India with him You
will think me inconsistent . he explain
ed, but circumstances alter cases, and
when you know Gwendoline you will,
am sure, admit that have acted wisely
and so on to the end of four closely writ
ten pages.
s'Bah. There no fool like an old foolr''
exclaimed Tarver, tearing the letter to
pieces. ''Well, it's no affair of mine. He
must just dree his own weird
The terrible Indian plague had found it's
way to Haizapore at last. All efforts to
arrest its progress had proved inefficacious.
In the native city and surrounding vii
lagos men, women and children were dy-
ing like flies. The roll of victims was
daily on the increase. Custom makes US
familiar with and Indifferent to danger,
and the pestiIence had come to be regarded
as a matter of course-an unpleasant but
necessary means of reducing the surplus
population. The natives alone fell vic
TINS to it. The white men seemed, by a
merciful dispensation of Providence, to be
exempted from contagion. There was
consequently no cessation of the usual
round of gayeties at Haizapore. The can
Torment roads were thronged daily with
funeral professions on their way to the
burning grounds, but the bands at the
gymkhana and the public gardens played
none the less oheerily, though the wall of
Hindoo mourners rang loud in the air
In the native city, where infection
passed rapidly from house to house, whole
streets were being depopulated by the pes
thence. Many of the inhabitants mad fled,
carrying death and destruction far and
wide into the country. Others, strong in
their fatalistic creed, chung to their homes
and refused to bulge, comforting them
selves with the philosophical reflection
that a man can die but once and that
there is no escaping the hand of fate. It
became clear to the authorities that unless
strong repressive measures were adopted
every house in the city would become i'm
pregnated with the germs Of disease and
form a death trap for all future inmates
The troops in garrison were detailed in
turn for ''plague duty" their work con-
sisting in examining every house and re-
moving to the segregation hospital any
inmate found suffering from the prevail
ing malady. When the turn of the Seven
ty-first native infantry came, Major Tar
yer was ordered to superintend the I'M
pleasant work of examining suspected suf-
ferers and removing from the houses and
burning the clothes and effects of plague
patients.
Tarver worked heroically at his uncon-
genial task, encouraging his men by his
example. He was quite reckless of his
life and would fearlessly enter houses
known to be infected and carry poor
plague stricken wretches out in his own
arms One morning while riding to the
city he was seized with a sudden faintness,
but, throwing it off by sheer force of will,
he applied himself to his work with his
usual interchangeable zeal. On returning
home in the evening he had no sooner en-
tered his bungalow than his head began to
swim, his limbs to tremble, deadly feel
ing of nausea crept over him, an indie
scribable numbing sensation pervaded his
whole frame, Supplying and maddening
him.
"a whisky and soda, quick p he shout
ed to his servant at the same time throw
ing himself down on his bed.
The man, returning saw his master
writhing in agony, swinging his arms
wildly about, the light of madness in his
eyes, his lips bubblng with green foam.
He dropped the tray in abject fright,
gasped, 'Mahamari'' and ran to summon
ho 1oeip1aTta1 eI1rOa00
DR.. Mason, stripping off Tarver's shirt,
discovered a blue, livid lump under his
left arm. There could be no doubt about
it. Tt was the sign of the plague
tits bad business, fear, - said the doc
tor to Wilkinson of the Seventy first, whom
he met outside the house. I fear there is
little chance of his recovery
The next morning Colonel Langdale,
stopping ON his way back from parade at
Tarvers bungalow to inquire after the
patient, was surprised to see his wife's
pony trap standing at the door. A greater
surprise was in store for him, for on 81
lently entering the sickroom he saw his
wife kneeling with her back toward him
at the bedside, Clasping one of the sick
mans hands in both her own, and heard
her say in heartrending tones as she COW
cred it with kisses:
''Speak to me, Hubert, my darling-just
one word. Tell me that you have forgiven
me. You shall not die, dearest. They
shall not take you from me again. Oh,
Hubert, if you only knew how much love
you'll My marriage has been a mockery
and farce. I only married for the sake
of a home. Had it been you dear, how
happy my life would have beenl Oh, why
did 1 not tell you was free? Speak, HUI
bertl 1t is you only I love. For your
dear sake I would-I"-
But the cold lips of the dying man gave
back no answer to her passionate appeal.