The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-17
RRn5AN1l HAp lNDrt9 5pQxtN TIE truth.

waters edge by lofty cocoanut palms;
the blue sea basking CLASSY in the heat
Of the tropical sun. without a ripple to
disturb it's shining surface save where II
broke in silvcry surf on the well-bleach-
ed beach This was all that presented
Itself to the view Of the schooner Sea
Sprite anchored that morning one mile
from the shore off the port Of Bimlipitam
In the Bay OF Bengal. Bimipltam is deg
nfied with the name of port, but 1T is
only an open roadstead, in which vessels
anchor and take in cargo from surf
boats.
An uninteresting spot with a custom
house. a few godowns and bungalows
and cluster of native houses. But to
the captain of the Sea Sprite. young
Jack Halstcad, the rather desolate look
ing settlement had singular attractions.
Perhaps this was because of Miss Minnie
Fothergll, the fair daughter of the Mas
ter Attendant of Bimlpitam-a function
airy who ruled over destinies of the har-
Dor with despotic power, being the head
Of the custom house and controller of the
port. At any rate Captain Halstcad
never passed by Bimlipitam without
anchoring, no matter whether the wind
blew fair or foul
Miss Fothersin was devoted to her old
father widower. and after her cduca-
ton in England had come out to take care
of him. The Master Attendant could
have retired and passed the rest of his
days in his native land had he chosen, be-
ing man of ample means. But he found
= II impossible to tear himself away from
the Madras coast in spite of its many
Objectionable features. years leave.
spent In Englandhad Disguised him.
The climate was not what it used to be;
the cooking was vile; there We're no cur
ried prawns, and manages could not be
obtained for love or money Besides the
disagreeable climate there were other Pc
culiarities of English ife which he found
equally unpleasant. AT home he was a
mere cipher among thousands of other
ciphers. In the custom house at Bimlipi-
tam he was Of much Importance. Every
body salaamed to him. So back he came
10 his old environments to tryannize
mildly over the dark boatmen, the poems
in the custom house and the officers OF
such vessels as might violate the regula-
tons of the port. In his duty he took
mild delight, nor did Miss Minnie find
her surroundings uncongenial, even after
the novelty had worn off. TO help the
grave baptist pastor in his work Of evan
relizing the dark, lithe-limbed pagans
who dwelt In picturesque huts some dis
lance from the beach she learned the
rudiments of the Tamil tongue. she
lured the boys from the false gods OF the
temple near the bazaar where the quaint
IDOLS
fer,ngs of fruit and flowers and taught
them the truth as 1t seemed to her III
bungalow built for the purpose at the
hack of the Baptist church. This cost her
n goodly share of her monthly allowance;
for without generous gifts of many plce
and even annas the attendance OF inc
small heather was neither large nor reSu-
lar.
With the care Of Burra Sahib her Ia
thcr with her evangelizing efforts and
nn occasional trip in the p. and o. steam
or to Madras, where she had many
friends. the time passed pleasantly enouEn
in spite Of its monotonN- AZ least IL qua
until the advent of Jack halstead. the
ardent. the dashing. who made love to her
after the imnetuous fashion of half gale
of wind. and haunted the harbor of BIN
Iir,tam when his schooner should have
been earning rupees, battling against or
s,cn6ding with the strong monsoon OF the
tay But as the schooner was his own,
and as he sailed her for pastime rather
than revenue there was nobody who had
tho right TO complain. Certainly, his crew
OF agile Lascars, who handled the Sea
Sprite with commendable smartness under
the leadership OF the Serang. the grace
ful and aristocratic Abdool, did not OBJ
jcot to Bimlipitam as the port OF call.
G'hc mangoes. the bananas and the CO.
coanGts OF that place are famous. and the
FISH caught by the crews of the catamar
ans are not excelled by any on the Cor
cmandel coast for fairness. 5acinesS and
flavor.
Minnie was frank. hearty girl, OF no
great pretensions to beauty. perhaps. but
with bright clear, blue eyes, a wealth of
sunny hair and complexion as fresh as
a flower Her girl friends in Madras,
whose skins were sallow. enYied her the
secret OF her makeup, but the only
secret was the radiant health of the young
woman. which she brought with her from
England. and maintained by exercise,
simple fare and regular Tubing in salt
water fresh from the sea. She took no
''whiskey pegs" no tonics. A can,er at
dawn on her Australian mare. Brown
Bcss. followed by sea bath, put her in
thorough trim for the days work. She
wcs living example of the great truth
that Anglo-Indians on the surf-washed
Coromandel coast can preserve the rosy
checks and the elastic vigor of perfect
health by plain living and abstinence
from '.tnnlcSs'
She was worshipped by many men,
young and old. who were anxious to an
mex one so bcwitching and fair. but until
Jnch Halstead had happened along she
had never felt more than a s.sterly regard
FOR any of her admirers.
1t was now year since the saucy Sea
Spr1te. a large topsail schooner Of clipper
build and rakish rig. had first dropped
anchor OF the port. Her smart .yachty''
appearance, the beauty OF her hull MS
she gracefully swung TO her anchor, the
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