Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-01

red from waist almost to knee towed the barge
| a few hundred yards up the river; then the ropes
were cut and the current swept it rapidly down
the stream, the boats racing it to the starting
! point The rowers shouted with delight, and the
! spectators laughed approval.
IL was all so different from anything Mrs. Han
bury had ever seen or imagined She had lived
chiefly in Anglo-Indian society, society which
is generally commonplace, sometimes vulgar, and
at all times look upon the coored man as a
thing apart. To see him happy, cheerful and,
above all, to see his womenkind disporting them
selves in pure joyousness of spirit was revela-
tion to her.
But, after all, this life only interested her
momentarily. Her thoughts were centred almost
entirely on herself and Jack In few hours
she would meet him. be once moro in his arms
the past would be forgotten and forgiven.
For there was something to forget and for
give. Two passionate. selfwilled young people
had married against the advice Of friends. They
had been happy enough together, had fallen out
and kissed again with tears, had quarrelled, but
had always been lovers. Then her health broke
down. The doctor ordered her home. Husband
and wife were parted, and the trouble which has
wrecked so many an AngloIndian home began
Mrs. Hanbury found living in England more
expensive than she had calculated on. Jack
could not send larger remittances. She saw her
self getting into debt was miserable, couldn't
bear the hardly concealed sneers of richer rela-
tives, began to think that perhaps they were
right-that she had made foolish marriage
that Jack wasn't quite worth all the sacrifices
she was daily called on to make. Naturally,
these thoughts showed themselves in her letters.
Mutual reproaches were the result. You can
kiss the lips that utter stinging words, but not
the hand that writes them five thousand miles
away. Angry doubts, bitter reproaches flowed
from too.easy pen. Jack, galoping in from
a hard days work, hot and tired would see
l.. IA. L,
home Longing for love, he would tear it open,
and then with something between sob and a
curse. would throw it from him as he read the
few hard lines. Sometimes he wrote indif.
ferent answer, sometimes he did not write at
all; and so the two drifted further and further
apart Yet all the time each was pining for one
tender word from the other, but neither would
be the first to write it.
Then something happened. relative died
and left Mrs. Hanbury few hundred pounds.
This changed the. whole face of the world to
her. Now that she could afford to buy the
right colored spectacles. life looked rosy once
more. She was an impusive creature, and d'deter-
mined to fly to Jack at once She would not
write to him; there should be no more letters
piling misunderstanding upon misunderstanding.
She would see him face to face, and all would
be once more as if these two cruel years of
separation had never been. She loved him; she
never doubted his love for her
And now, as the cool evening breezes blew
her pretty face and stirred the golden curls on
her forehead, she sat with lips parted in a
happy smile as she pictured to herself that
glorious meeting. The separation had been hor-
rid, but everything would be forgotten in one
moment Of bliss. Fancy the silly old Colonel
trying to take this rapture from her! How
should he understand the passion that consumed
young hearts? What? Send telegram to Jack
now and take all the romance out of the stua-
ton? She had not Travelled this long way for
that.
Tt was about midday when the boat reached
Pokoko. Mrs Hanbury, her bearer, ayah. and
boxes were all landed. dminutive bullock.
cart, rather like kennel on Wheels was procur-
ed after some delay and she with the ayah and
few small articles of luggage were tucked into
it. 1t was very hot, the cart was dreadfully
uncomfortable, and the way longer than Mrs
Hanbury had expected. She was tired and dusty
when at last they turned into an entrance. and