The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-23

that the flowers to which Chumla. the
! afiianced wife of the rajah, mad been
married. We're not dead at all, but had
been carried off by spirits into the
f, jungle, where they had been planted
and We're growing apace: and that as
q consequence she was by no means u
widow
AT first, both the rajah and Chumia' S
! parents affected to laugh at the report,
until particular cutting left one night
at the formers door, put a different
complexion upon the matter, and
! brought CONSERVATION into the Soman
household.
1t appeared that among the flowers
culled for the bouquet cut of the rajah's
garden was The blossom of a plant not
found in that neighborhood, but from
which it would Seem the cutting had
been taken, until on the plant being
closely examined, it was found that it
bore no signs of Il recent bereavement.
Then the rajah, believing that there
might be some truth i'll the report, de-
termined, if possible, to set the matter
at rest by a search Of the jungle in
the vicinity Of the Soman bungalow,
at the same time privately making up
his mind that whether the plant We're
found alive or not, he would refer the
whole matter to a Brahmin of great
astrological reputation in order TO de-
eide if it savored of enchantment. be-
cause in that event nothing in all Hin
dustan would induce him to marry
Chumla.
You see, the rajah, like many people
elsewhere, was inclined to be supersti-
tious.
SO, accompanied by his servants, the
rajah set out TO search for the flower,
but the party had not proceeded far
when u cat in hot pursuit of a bird
sprang directly across their path.
The rajah passed for a moment, as
that was an unlucky sigma cat cross
ing the path in connection with matri-
mony; but at length, proceeding, they
had not gone far when u cobra glided
out from the bush and disappeared on
the opposite side in the rank vegeta-
ton.
Al this second ill-omen. the rajah
halted abruptly, and was debating the
ACCESSIBILITY of a hasty retreat, when
the appearance of a fox a short dis
tance ahead settled all doubts, and he
sent the party home in great expedi-
ton.
With three such ill-omens, a cat, a
snake and q fox, taken in conjunction
with the mystery concerning the flow
ers, the rajah could not be expected to
carry out his part in the marriage with
Chumla, perhaps no very great hard
ship, when it is considered that he had
already six other wives. So it was
promptly broken off with the conse-
quences falling upon the not unusual
head.
Disappointed and enraged, the whole
Soman family. parents, uncles, brothers
and sisters. set to work to abuse and
beat the unfortunate Chumla.
'Unluclsy creature" they cried. ''Yo on
have disgraced us all. You are be-
witched; but we can, at least, beat the
devils out of you
Poor Chumla's appeals for mercy for
tunately did not fall entirely upon I'M
sympathetic ears. Young Motilal, near
by, appeared on the scene just in time
to receive a blow intended for her.
why do you beat her thus?' he de-
manded.
Because she is bewitched," replied
one of the uncles She was to have
married the great rajah, but now he
viii not have her on account of bad
omens. She is disgraced thereby in all
mems eyes, and we shall never be able
To marry her. But we suspect, rascal,
that you know something of this" and
he threateningly tlourished the stick
over young Motilals head.
Il do know something" boldly retort-
ed the other. Il know it is a fact that
her flower husbands live
"0h, you do" came a chorus of re-
joinders. Where are they, them"
THAT i shall not tell you, unless
Unless
Unless she is promised to me as a
wife Then l will kill all the flowers
and marry her. I alone know where
they are. See the proof" and he held |
up a sprig of the rajah's plant.
Take her by all means, cried Chum-
las father. land may she bring for you
better fortune than she has brought us. |
the unlucky daughter of evil"
SO Motial rooted up all of Chumla' s |
husbands. and exchanged them for the |
person of Chumla herself-a bargain |