Morris tribune., 1899-04-29
THE PHANTOM
RIcKSHAM.
By Rudyard Kipling.
CHAPTER III AND CONCLUSION.

Never had felt so well, so Overlade1
with vitality and mere animal spirits
as did on the afternoon of the 80th O
April Kitty was delighted at TIT
change in my appearance and compli
mented me on it in her delightfully."-
frank and outspoken manner. We LEFT
the Mannerings' house together, laugh
ing and talking, and cantered along the
| Chota Simla road as Of old.
was in haste to reach the Sanjowlit
reservoir and there make my assurance
doubly sure. The horses did their best
but seemed all too slow to my impa
tient mind. Kitty was astonished al
my boisterousness "Why, Jack" she
cried at last, ''you are behaving like a
child What are you doingf''
We were just below the convent, and
from sheer wantonness was making
my waller plunge and curvet across the
road as I tickled it with the loop of my
riding whip.
"Doing?' I answered, Nothing,
dear That's just it. If you'd been do
ing nothing for week except lie up,
you u D0 DIS I1ObOuS DIS L.
"Singing and murmuring in your feastful
mirth,
Joying to feel yourself alive;
Lord over nature, Lord of the visible earth,
Lord of the senses fiver'
My quotation was hardly out of nv
lips before we had rounded the corner
above the convcat. and few yards
farther on could see across to Sanjowlie.
In the center of the level road stood the
black and white liveries the yellow
paneled rickshaw and Mrs. Keith Wes-
sington, pulled up, looked, rubbed my
eyes, and, I believe must have said
something. The next thing l knew was
that | was lying face downward on the
road, with Kitty kneeling above me in
tears.
HAS it gone. child?" l gasped.
Kitty only wept more bitterly.
HAS what gone Jack, dear? What
does it all mean? There must be mis-
take somewhere, Jack-a hideous mis-
takeI' Her last words brought me to
my feet-mad-raving for the time be-
ing.
eyes, there is mistake somewhere,
I repeated, "a hideous mistake. Come
and look at it. .
have an indistinct idea that drag
ged Kitty by the wrist along the road
up to where it stood and implored her
for PHYS sake to speak to ito tell it
that we were betro*hed; that neither
death nor hell could break the tie be-
tween us, and Kitty only knows how
much more to the same effect. Now and
again / appealed passionately to the
terror in the rickshaw to bear witness
to all / had said and to release me from
a torture that was killing me, As
talked suppose must have told Kitty
of my old relations with Mrs. Messing
ton, for / saw her listen intently with
white face and blazing eyes.
t'Thank you, Mr.. Pansay," she said
''That quite enough. Syce ghora lao. ..
The syces, impassive as orientals al
ways are, had come up with the recap
tured horses, and as Kitty sprang into
her saddle caught hold of the bride,
entreating her to hear me out and for
give. Ny answer was the cut of her
riding whip across my face from mouth
to eye and word or two of farewell
that even now l cannot write down. So
I judged, and judged rightly, that Kit
ty knew all, and staggered back to the
side of the rickshaw. My face was cut
and bleeding, and the blow of the rid
ing whip had raised ivid blue wheal
on it. I had no self respect Just then
Heatherlegh, who must have been fol-
lowing Kitty and me at a distance, can
tered up.
doctor, 1 said, pointing to my
face, ''here's Miss Mannering's sigma
ture to my order of dismissal and
I'll thank you for that lac as soon as
convenient.
Heatherleghs face, even in my alb
ject misery, moved me to laughter.
''I'n stake my professional reputa
ton = he began.
Don't be a fool, / whispered.
eve lost my life's happiness, and you'd
better take me home.
AS spoke the rickshaw was gone.
Then lost all knowledge of what was
passing. The crest of Jakko seemed to
heave and roll like the crest of a cloud
and fall in upon me.
Seven days later Con the It'll of May,
that is to say was aware that I was,
lying in Heatherlegh' 8 room as weak as
little child Heatherlegh was watch
ing me intently from behind the papers
on his writing table. His first words,
were not encouraging, but was too far
spent to be much moved by them.
Here's Miss Kitty has sent back
your letters. You corresponded good
DEAL you young people. Here's packet
that looks like a ring and cheerful
sort of a note from Mannering papa,
which I've taken the liberty of reading
and burning. The old gentleman's not
pleased with you. =
"And Kitty3' asked DULY.
Rather more drawn than her father
from what she says. By the same token
you must have been letting out any
number of queer "reminiscences just be-
fore / met you. Says that man who
would have behaved to woman as you
did to Mrs. Washington ought to kill
himself out of sheer pity for his kind.