St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-11-12

7 ~ Aasnerine Hamilton Traub. Y
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. N1|tI1gV7|g
I WAS in the midst Of preparations
i for leaving Manila for q trip t.
Japan, SO there was plenty for me to
90; but here l sat half way up the
staircase. wasting precious time talk.
ing to old Ram Rao, the Cingalese
jewel merchant. My house was sit.
uatcd directly opposite the camp
where the troops. waited for the trans
ports to take them home, and l was
never tired Of watching these vendors
OF fiawed sapphires and Siam rubies
which were apt to drop from their
crude setting at the first wearing, try
ing to induce the soldiers to buy their
wares for wives and sweethearts at
home. They occasionally paid me a
visit, and sometimes I picked up a
good pearl or opal for a small price.
Of all these mysterious, soft-eyed
people, Ram Rao interested me the
most. On the way out, via Suez, I
had spent four delightful days at Co
IOmbo, and the old man, who was very
hOmesick. used to like to come and
talk to me OF the jewel shops in his
native city, and Of the beautiful En-
glfsh bungalows and the Cinnamon
Drive. which had SO impressed me.
To-day he was crouching beside his
boxes, a curious figure with a square
Of checked cotton wound about his
neither limbs, SO that it looked like q
long tight skirt. Like most men in
Manila, he Wore a white linen coat,
but his long hair was drawn up be-
hind into a Psyche knot, and his tor
toise-shell comb was pushed back un-
til it made crown, the ends toward
his face.
Just behind me on the steps squat
ted my worthless little Filipino maid,
Fortuna. She should have been at the
sewing machine, where l had left her
with strict injunctions to finish her
work without delay: but was SO in
te-ested in listening to Ram Rao that
for the moment did not notice her.
YES, Memsahib," he was saying, II
60 home to my country. You buy only
the one beautiful pin. 1t is gift at
seven rupees. Three days ago a SOL
der offer me for 1t SIS gold, say no,
but to-day with seven rupees more
buy passage on the steamer that goes
tomorrow to Ceylon."
He held up q breastpin formed OF
two tiger claws, fastened together with
. clumsy band Of gold, set with gar
nets. 1t YVES extremely ugly.
"Oh, Ram Rao," protested, Il don't
want the thing"
"Oh, but Memsahib-only seven
rupees, and then leave this horrible
city. You SO good to me, l never for
get, and some day you come to Cey0n,
you find Ram Rao there to show you
things most wonderful the tourist !
never see, and he take you where you |
buy pearls and ivory elephants for
3 SMILE"
was weak, and yielded did not
want the atrocious piece Of jewelry, |
but was homesick myself, and SYM
pathy alone made me take the pin
and give Ram Rao his five dollars.
His old eyes sparkled, and with 4
gesture of infinite grace he kissed the
hem OF my linen skirt. then turning
10 his box took out little gold ring
vet with small blue moonstone.
.If the Mem will wear this, he
aid. 'she always have the good luck
md bless the memory Of Ram Rao."
ooh. no, RAM" I said, keep the
ing. You might sell it for some
hing"
..This ring sell never" he said.
,rmly. and looking not at me but at
Fortuna, mumbled a few words In
strange language.
.Oh, sonora" said the woman Gag
.r,y, take the annillo-it is OF no
,alue. He feel bad il you no take
nucho malo, you no take"
I was struck, as had sometimes
,een before, by the curious kind OK
which seems to exist be-
ween the races Of the East. Here
rms this stupid. flat-nosed Malay wo-
nan who seemed to fully understand
ha feelings and even the language OF
lam Rao. with his lofty carriage
nj hish-bred, intellectual face.
/ slipped the ring on my finger, and
lam departed, heaping blessings upon
~ head.
1T seems to me you're looking un-
,.,,ai,y well this evening" remarked
=, h,,shand. as we were seated at the
Inner liable.
ooh my dear old boy, how can !,
!, this old jusi?" I protested. i 90
aad sorne new ball-gowns sadly. but
Thought would get one more wear .
- a this and save my money to In
at In japanese crepes and gauzes
81, so clad that I'm not looking like
right 81 Il, though.
: mad been asked. as one OF the sober
... ,r. of the army set, to give out
. =. .o ( 1t the bachelors cotillion that
..r,ne Tom drove> with me to
~ .'1 potenciana Building. then went to
y c,ub. promising to return for me
49,. - the dance was over. II
-. $500. vas i larger gathering than
-. J. n. th.f eyening. Tho cotillion club
- "a s.cre ID N siSe. and several dis
"A. ,ss,sd reop3e hon0red us with {
y a'.ss';s -. We had : msjor-gen- ! 9