The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-09-24

RISK
SHE TOOK
torIrna1l


celIent type, for Miss BEeretOn was
simply, educated aud energetic with
out being manntsh.
AIfss BreFeroi. who was nn orphan
sand possessed OF means in her own
right having been graduated ut coli
1ege, concluded to complete her edu-
cation by seeing something OF the
world. One day she returned to New
York and had under her protection =
young Indian woman dressed in the
costume she had worn in her native
land The woman attracted a great
deal of attention, and the immigration
commissioners asked many questions,
none of which Miss Brereton answer
ed for her charge except that she
would guarantee that the woman
should not become u care to the Amer
ican people Since this promise fui-
filed the law there was nothing 70
be done but pass the Indian. Every
body believed there was story in
the case. and there was. 1t is this:
In a little seaport town in India OPP
posIte house in which Miss Brereton
was living a man died. When Miss
Brereton learned that he was an OLD
man and had left young wife, who.
according to the custom of the country,
was expected to immoInte herself on
her husbands funeral pyre, all the an
tngonism of an advanced American wo-
man living In the foremost files of
time" rose up against this tragic In
justice done to one of her sex. She
stood ut her window watching the
preparations in the house opposite, her
wrath boiling and bubbling.
From this excited condition she grad
uaHy curbed herself. Then she gath
cred her wits, and instead of putting
with cunning she had never suspected
possible in herself. She sent for an
Indian costume, put it on and, bronz-
ing her face and hands, went across the
street and asked to be permitted to
dress the hair of the widow for the
sacrifice. Contrary to her expectation,
she had no trouble in gaining access
and found a young girl of twenty sit
ting with her hands folded, picture OF |
dependency.
How Miss Brereton made herself |
known to the young widow, how she
found bits of opportunity to give her |
plan and persuade her to adopt it, |
would make n very long story. The |
widow had hope in it for herself, but
none for her preserver. At last Miss
Brereton carried her point and that
night visited the widow again. Near
midnight the first part OF the plan was
carried out. The widow rs Miss Brere-
ton went to Miss Brereton's apart
ments; Miss Brereton remained to be
sacrificed.
Miss Brereton had made provision,
which might or might not be success
full, for her safety. She had sent a
statement of what she had done to the
American consul. When the consul
opened and read her communication he
made an ejaculation that shook the
whole house. Erratic as he knew his
to be he had no idea that
one of them would be so idIotic as to
rush thus into death. especially death
by fire.
what does the Iunatic expect me
to dog" he howled, and, getting up from /
his chair, he thrust his hands In his j
pockets and thrashed the floor with his
strides back and forth.
Now, there would be no story In this 1
case without bit of luck. Miss Brere- |
ton would have gone to the funeral pyre I
and been burned, whether she declared Z
herself or not. and the fact might new I
er have been known. But this was not
to be. She was to live to browbeat the
commissioners at New
York While the consul was tearing {
lbout In his office, looking out on the {
harbor in which were two Chinese {
lIIllkS ana u IGuCli lueEGLldllALuLls ne I
saw on the horizon a man-of-war. Get /
ting his glass. he brought 1t to his eyes I
md there, hutterinE at the peak, We're {
the stars and stripes. t
While the vessel was coming In \
procession was forming to take Miss q
Brereton to he burned with another g
dend husband. Miss Brere- 8
on, who kept her face well covered r
md remained in the dark as far as I
possible, knowing what was taking I
,luce and hearing nothing from the 4
OnsuI, began to feel that she had taxi :
m risk which as her enthusiasm 8
ooIed and she neared 81 martyrs death !,
vas appalling. She had not realized :
hat man representing what she con- n
Idered the greatest of nations single =
landed was powerless to prevent sew y
raj thousand people who had been
Welded for centuries to their customs
rom carrying them out in her case.
When the chief men of the town en- -
cred, led her out. placed her in posi- !.
lon in the line and she began to move =
0 the py-e with the rest, Miss Brere. y
on's, confidence in the protection Of
err government began to wane. Her z
ov eminent was mighty. but 1t was
ery far away. Not Il sign of civilian
on was to be seen anywhere. The
recession threaded the main street q
nd emerged on to Il plain. Before her
Ilss Brereton saw the funeral pyre.
She stood beside the pyre and was
anded the thin gauze robe In which
10 was to be burned. Suddenly there
lme 4 light into her eye, From tho
ndin.- coming Mt double quick, were a