Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-01-28
A WOMAN Halter.

Colonel Langdale, on being appointed
commandment of the Se~venty-1rst native
infantry, resolved to weed out all the mar
ricd 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 Langdale took a years
furlough to England. 1t was generally
understood that tho colonel would apply
for an extension of leave and woald re-
main in England until the regiments
term Of service at H%aizapore should have
expired, but he had not been home more
than Line months when he wrote to Major
Tarver informing him that he was about
to be married and that after a short non
eymoon on the continent he should bring
his bride out to India with him. "You
WI think me inconsistent, - no explain
ed, "but circumstances alter cases, and
when you know Gwel doline you will, I
am sure, admit that I have act ID wisely"
and SO on to the end Of four closely writ
ton pages.
"Bah! There's no fool like an old fool!''
exclaimed Tsrver, 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 it's progress had proved in~efficacious.
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 pestilence 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 1t. 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 ut Haizapore. TIT 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 cheerily, 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 had 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 mar can die but once and that
there Ia no escaping the hand Of fate. 1t
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-flrst native infantry came, Major Tar
yer was ordered to superintend the un-
pleasant work of examining suspected sui.
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 quito reckless of his
life and would fearlessly enter houses
known to be infected and carry pool
plague stricken wretohes out in his own
arms. One morning while riding to tht
city he was seized with a sudden faintness
put, throwing it off by sheer force of will
| he applied himself to his work with hi
usual interchangeable zeal. On returning
home IN the evening he had Tic sooner en-
| tered his bungalow than his head began tx
swim, his limbs to tremble, a deadly feel
ing of nausea crept over him, an indie
scribable numbing sensation pervaded nj
whole frame, SIMPLIFYING and maddenint
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 arm
wildly about, the light of madness in hi
eyes, his lips bubbling with green foam
He dropped the tray in abject fright
easped, "Mahamari" and ran to summon
the regimental surgeon.
DR.. Mason, stripping off Tarver's shirt
discovered a blue, livid lump under hi
left arm. There could be no doubt abou
it. It was the sign Of the plague.
"It's bad business, I fear, " said the doc
tor to Wilkinson of the Seventy first, whom
he met outside the house. II fear there l
little chance Of his recovery"
The next morning Colonel Langdale
stopping on his way back from parade a
Tarver's bungalow to inquire after tn
patient, was surprised to see his wife
pony trap standing at the door. A create
surprise was in store for him, for on 81
lently entering the sickroom he saw hi
wife kneeling with her back toward hin
at the bedside, clasping n of the sicl
mans hands in both her own, and hear
her say in heartrending tones as she GOV
cred it with kisses:
"Speak to me, Hubert, my darling-jus
one word. Tell me that you have forgivel
me. You shall not die, dearest. The
shall not take you from me again. Oh
Hubert, If you only knew how much l Low
you! My marriage has been a mocker
and q farce. I only married for the SAX
Of a home. Had it been you, dear, hov
happy my life would have been! Oh, VIII
did / not tell you I vas freep Speak, Hu
bert! 1t is you only I love. Fol you
dear sake I would-I"-
But the cold lips of the dying man CAV
back no answer to her passionate appeal
Her look Of love found III responsive glant
from the swiftly glsging eye. The deaf
rattle was sounding in the dying man
throat, when with an access Of passion a
most savage in It's intensity, Gwendolin
Langdale threw her arms round her lover
neok and strained him t1ercely to he
bosom in a last long, lingering embrace.