The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-12

Judging from the chaste beauty Of her
was Of q very different type.
AS my curiosity drew me nearer to her
she turned her face toward me, and In
that instant knew my hour had come.
Though many years her senior she was
still my first love-the one great passion
Of my life.
I do not attempt to describe her inef-
fable loneliness, for, like the beauty of a
flower, 1t was incapable of analysis.
Nothing that 7 could write would give
you any adequate idea Of this girls SER
aphic face, for she was like unto no one
you have ever seen in this cold western
world. I watched in wild, nervous
transport, I know not how longtime and
space had no part in this new ecstasy of
mine! could think Of nothing, do moth
ing-only feel-feel the hot blood deluge
my brain only to fall back In scalding tor
rents upon my heart with q pain that was
exquisite pleasure. 49,
Suddenly she changed her step and ex-
ecuted quick backward, movement to- |
ward the water, stopping Just as her
heels touched the curb at the edge Of the
wharf; then forward. and again a quick
return to the backward movement, but
this time she mistook the distance, her
heels struck the curb forcibly, and she
was precipitated backward into the wat
er. For moment stood as one petri-
fed. unable to reason, much less to act;
then the excited voices Of the crowd re-
called me. They had thrown rope into
the water, and were waiting for her to
come to the surface and grasp It.. The
wall from which she had fallen must
have been at least fifteen feet above the
water, which was Uttered with broken
spars, pieces of timber and other odd
bits Of wood. 1t seemed as If she would
never come to the surface, and when at
length she did. she did not attempt to
seize the rope thrown to her. but sank
without movement. The truth flashed
upon me In an instant. She had struck
her head against! some Of the floating
drift and was unconscious. Something
must be done at once. I seized the rope
and sprang in after king good care
to avoid distractions, and although as
you know never. learned tos swim, I
succeeded in reaching her. and we were
drawn up together. I bore her;sin my
arms into one of the storerooms eI6se by,
| and, laying her upon q bale of cotton,
used such restoratives as could be quick
| ly procured. ~..''.: -,
/ was kneeling by her, my arm under
her neck, in the act Of raising her head.
| when she opened her eyes, and fastened
them, full Of Wonderment, upon my face.
A moment more, her memory returning
to her, she made little movement, as II
to free herself. I was too excited then to
heed it. and continued to support her
head. She did not repeat the movement,
but half closed her eyes and leaned back
resignedly against my arm. If, thought,
these few minutes could be expanded into
an eternity, it would be my idea of heav-
en-. She was recovering rapidly now and
soon raised herself into a sitting posture,
saying in very good English, Il think I
can stand now, Sahib." I gave her my
arm and assisted her to her feet. Her
hand closed upon my sleeve as If to see
how wet it was, and glancing at my drip
ping garments, she said simply: you
have been in the water, Sahib, and 1t is
to you I owe my life. I shall never for
get your Kindness" She raised her eyes
to my face and met my gaze for mo-
ment as she spoke. We are told that the
eye Is inca pable Of any expression save
that lent it by the lids and brow-that
the eyeball itself apart from its direction
and the changes of the pupil resulting
from variations in the intensity of light
, can carry no message whatsoever. This
may be So but. without any noticeable
movement Of the eyes that met mine,
learned with ineffable delight that thi:
young girls soul and mine were threaded
upon the same cord of destiny. My emo
ton so overpowered me that 1 could no
l speak, and when my possession re
luIlleO lIe young Sul VdHlSIAeu.
From the height Of bliss now plunged
t into the abyss of despair. I had let he
go without word. I did not even know
her name. I had caught her to mysel
from the ocean only to suffer her t.
drown herself among the half-mllion in
. habitants Of Bombay What must sh
think of me? I asked the wharfinger
:. he knew her, but he had never seen he
;, before. All my other inquiries proves
CHI hnn
= that loved her. but hardly dared to hop
q she had been able to correctly interpre
O my boorish conduct. I could think of blu
t one thing to do III did not know he
0 name, neither did she know mine, and s
:. if she desired further acquaintance, she
r like myself must rely. upon chanc
e meeting. If she had detected my admir-
t alton for her she must know that I to
+ would strive to meet her again. Wher
q would she be most likely to expect m
8 to look for her? Clearly at the sam
IS place we had met before. and at the sam
y time Of day. She might naturally thin
~ my duties called me there daily at ths
10 hour. I determined to be there at tn
. same time the next day.
;, I arrived to find her there before m
anxiously peering at the passersby. ST
4 was certainly looking for me-there WE
a. ecstasy in the thought!
q It Is not necessary, my dear child, thu
IN should describe the details Of our low
l. making, for my present purpose Is NJ
IS merely to interest you. but rather to a.
le quaint you with certain occurrence
lie which I now deem it wise you shou
to know. Time only intensified our love II
a each other. and for several months 6
lY went we'll. One serious obstacle to o.
union presented itself-that Of caste. H
m people, Iona said, would never permit h
< to marry outside her own station In lii
u besides which there was another groul
=, upon which we might be equally sure
T. their opposition. They had already eho
~ en- for her and she was betrothed
~ Rama Ragobah.. It Is of this man that
n have chiefly to speak. BY birth he W
at of the same Vaisya caste as Iona. Ear
re- in life his lot had fallen among fakirs Al
id he had acquired all their secrets. TT
do did not satisfy his ambitions. for he wis
o. ed to be numbered among the rishis
"a adopts, and subjected himself to the me
in horrible asceticism to qualify himself
I adeptship./ His Indifference to- physit
vn pain was truly marvellous. He had roll
TX his naked body to the Gauges over hu
dreds of miles Of burning sands! He h
ne held his hands clinched until the ma
ISL had worn through the palm and out
q the back Of the hand. He had at 6
II ~ time maintained for weeks a slow fire !
y; on the top Of his head, keeping the 81
~ burned to the skull.