The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-03

MINN ! \ OILS ] JOUR-
and poor Darrow sahib slipped and
fell headlong into sthe well in the
little cave As It has no bot,
tom, could not, Of course. get
sahib out, and 50 was obliged to
return, as best could, alone AS he
finished this heartless lie. every word Of
which he knew was q poisoned dart, Iona
fell fainting upon the q floor. Kandia,
raised her gently. expecting to and her
dead. but was able at length to re-
vive her. The first words she said were
directed to Ragobah In q voice devoid Of
passion or reproach-of everything il
fact save an unutterable WEAKNESS,
II am Ill., she said ''Will you permit
Mana to get me some medicine which has
helped rue in similar attacks?" Ragobah's
reply was directed to Kandia.
you may do as the sahibah bids YOU. !"
was all he said.
Kandia turned to Iona for instructions
and she said to him. Get me half an
ounce of-stay. there are several ingredi-
ents--I had better write them down.
She wrote upon a. little slip OF paper.
naming aloud the ingredients and utian-
titles as she did so, and then asked Kan
dia to move her chair to an open window
before he left. When he had done 40. she
passed him the note. saying, ''Please
get it as quickly as possible
AS he took the paper she seized
his hand for moment and l pressed ssd1g i
firmly. He noticed this at the time. but
its significance did not dawn upon him
until he had nearly reached his destina-
ton, when, all at once, he realized with
a pang that the monentary pressure OF
the hand and the mute gratitude which
shone from the eyes We're meant as a
farewell. His first impulse was to hur-
riedly retrace his steps, but before he
had acted upon It, the thought occurred
to him that she intended to poison herself
with drugs he was about to procure. II
this were the case, there was no great
need of hurry. Then he began to recall
to mind the names Of the drugs she had
mentioned as she wrote and to reflect
that not one of them was poisonous.
With this new light all his former un-
easiness returned. He strove to reassure
himself with the thought that she might.
in order to mislead Ragabah, have spok-
en- the name Of a harmless drug while she
wrote down that OF a poisonous one. 1t
was easy to settle this question, and he
determined to do so at the next light. He
unfolded the paper, expecting to see a
prescription, but read instead these
words:
"To Moro scindia: !. ...
my Dear Cousin: Death has relieved
you Of the task imposed upon you. John
Darrow's body is In the well in the cave
on Malabar Hill. where, before this
| reaches you, my body will have also gone
to meet it. To this fragment of paper,
then. must confide the debt Of gratitude
I owe to you and to him who will bear 1t
to you, Mana Kandia. Good bye If ]
had had two hearts, I should have given
you one. Do not mourn me, but rather
rejoice that my struggle and it's agony
are over. John has already gone-one
tomb shall inclose both our bodies-how
could it have been better? t,.
H. Iona"
No sooner had Kandia grasped the inn
port of this letter than he rushed with
all speed to Malabar Hill, but he was too
late, for scarcely had he left the house
upon Lona's errand before she had
sprung out Of the window by which he
had placed her. Ragobah's wound pre-.
vented his following her, and when he
had summoned others to pursue her, the
darkness had closed about her form and
| none knew the way she had taken. Al
the edge Of the fatal well Kandia found
a piece of paper beneath stone and or
it these words: a'Farewell, Moro anc
Mana, the only beings on earth regret
TO leaVe.-LOna.
| The body was never recovered The
news of his wife's death, and the knowl.
edge that he was the cause Of it, pro
duced an effect upon Ragobah from which
he never recovered. More than twenty
years have passed since then, yet from
that day to this he has never been known
to smile. Long before his mangled link
| had healed it became evident to all WIZ
knew him that he had henceforth but one
purpose in life-revenge, and that moth
Ing save death could turn him from hi!
purpose, so long as his rival lived. Tht
knowledge Of this made my search -fol
barrow Sahib more than ever difficult
from the, fact that it must. BE prosecuted
secretly. I could only learn that he haf
left Bombay for the interior, nothing
more. My inquiries in all the Indian cit.
les proved fruitless and in many instan.
| ces, I was informed that Ragobah had in
stituted search for the same man.
think, in spite Of my precautions, some
of my agents ultimately told Ragobah o.
my efforts for found myself SO closely
watched by men In his interests that was
at length compelled to give up the persona
conduct Of the search, and to continue i
through deputy. unknown to him. Al
my endeavors to fnd the sahib were, a,
you are already aware, fruitless, and, un.
til met you, I had no doubt Ragobah'*
efforts were equally unproductive. Yol
have now all the information can offe1
| upon the subject. If I can be of an,
further service to you, you nee dnot hest
tate to command me.
| AS he said this he rose to depart and
promised to keep him informed Of VIVA
occurred. I have nothing now to do bu
| to await with such patience as cal
command, the arrival Of the Dalmatia.
does not seem to me altogether probable
that Ragobah will return upon this boat
but If he should shall have him arrest
ed the moment he sets foot on shore.
he escapes the net that has been wovel
about him, I shall be a convert to East
| ern occultism and no mistake. I trus
Miss Darrow Is we'll and hopeful I know
she will religiously keep the promise sh
made, for she Is one Of those women VIII,
fully understand the nature Of q covenan
and I am easier, therefore, than T other
wise could be regarding her condition
Give her my kind regards and tell he
that she may expect news Of inportanc
by my next communication. It is yer.
late, so goodbye, until the arrival Of tn
Dalmatia. Your friend,
George Maitland.
This letter was delivered one morn
ing when Gwen, my sister Alice, and
were at breakfast. As broke the sea
I noticed that both ladies put dow
their knives and forks and ceased t.
eat. A glance at Owens eager fac
convinced me that she had no appetit
for anything but my letter, and &C
cordingly read it aloud When T cam
to the last part Of it, where MAITLAND