The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-05-03


As q lifting climax, in the middle of
the level men call the Ladies mile the
horror was awaiting nae Noother rick
shaw was IN sight. only the four black
and white jhampanies the yellow pan
eled carriage and the golden head Of
! she woman within, all apparently just
as Z had left them eight months and one
fortnigh5 agcl For an instan5 fancied
that Kitty must see what i saw-we
were so marvelously sympathetic IN all
things Her next words undeceived me.
1sNot soul IN sight! Come along,
Jack, and r. Il race you to the reservoir
buildingsi" Her wiry little Arab was
of Ike bird, my waller following close
behind, and in this order we dashed un-
der the cliffs. Half minute brought US
within so yards Of the rickshaw. l
puIled my waller ane fell back little.
The rickshaw was directly in the mid
die Of the road, and once more the Arab
) passed through it, my horse following.
Jack, Jack, deari Please forgive met
rang with wall in my ears and, after
an interval, It's all mistake. hid
eous mistake
I spuTed my horse like a man pos
sessed When turned my head at the
reservoir works, the black and white
lveries were still waiting patiently
waitiing-under the gray hillside, and
the wind brought me a mocking echo OF
the words I had just heard. Kitty ban
tered me good deal on my silence
throughout the remainder of theride. !
had been talking up till then wildly and
st random To save my life could not
speak afterward naturally and from
SanKwlie to the church wisely held my
tongue
was to dine with the Mannerings
that night and had barely time to can
Ter home to dress. On the road to Ely
SUM hill overheard two men talking
together in the dusk. cts a curious
thing, said one, chow completely all
trace of it disappeared You know my
wife was insanely fond OF the woman
never could see anything in her myself
and wanted me to pick up her old
rickshaw and coolies If they were to be
got for love or money. Morbid sort Of
fancy call it. but I've got to do
what the memsahib tells mes Would
You believe that the man she hired it.
from tells men that all four of the men
they were brothers-died Of cholera
on the way to Hardwar, poor devils,
and the rickshaw has been broken up
! BY the man himself? Told me he never
used dead nemsahib's rickshaw
Spoiled his luck Queer notion, WASH t
its Fancy poor little Mrs. Wessiagton
spelling any ones Iack except her
owni, laughed alcad at this poi:'t,
and my laugh Jared On me as I uttered
1t So there were ghosts of rickshaws.
after ali. and gbostly employraents IN
the other world How much did Mrs
Washington give her men? What were
their hours? Where did they go?
And for visible answer to my last
question saw the Internal thing block
ing my path il the twilight. The dead
travel fast and by short cats unknown
to ordinary coolies. laughed aloud a
second time and checked my laughter
suddenly. for I was afraid I was going
mad Mad to certain extent must
have been. for reccllect that I reined
in my horse at the head of the rick
shaw and politely wished hrs. Wessing-
ton s.Good evening Her answer was
one knew only toe well listened to
the end and replied that had heard it
ali before, bat should be delighted if
she had anything further to say Some
malignant devil stronger than must
have entered into ne that evening, fo1
have dim recollection Of talking the
coplmonpiaces CT the day for I've min
utes TO the thing in front Of me,
..Mad as a halter, poor devil. or
drunk! Nix. try and get him to come
home
Surely that was rot Mrs Wessing
TOE S voicel The two nen had over,
heard me speaking to the empty air AID
had returned to look after NE They
were very kind and considerate. and
hom their words evidei,.iy gathered
that / was extremely drunk / thanked
them ccnfusedly and cantered away to
my hotel. there changed and arrived at
the Manaerings ten minutes late /
pleaded the darkness Of the night as an
excuse. was rebuked by Kitty for my
unloverlike tardiness and sat down
The conversation had already become
general. and under cover of it | was
addressing some tender small talk to
my sweetheart when was aware that
at the farther end OF the table q short,
red whiskered man was describing with
much broide.y, his encounter with q
mad unknown that evening
A few sentences convinced me that
he was repeating the incident of half
an hour ago IN the middle of the story
he looked round for applause, as profes-
sional story tellers do. caught my eye
and straightway collapsed There was
a moments awkward silence, and the
red whiskered man muttered something