The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-02-16

TO MS heir, and so it expired. Well,
one day the secretary of my depart
ment sent for me, and said very Sc
riously:
Look here, Mrs. Mills. You must
oe most particular in visiting the de-
scendants and next Of kin of the old
Begun Sona-bee in Lucknow. She is
failing fast. Her pension. is a fine
one, and half of it goes to her grand
daughter. Have you ever seen her?'
No. / replied; I had not. I had
seen her two sons-beautiful boys. I
had visited the old Begun regularly.
she liked me, we were good friends;
but somehow had never once en-
countered her granddaughter. Either
she was i'll, or she was away visiting
her own people up in the Punjaub.'
And this has gone on for five
years? he said, and he was angry.
That is not the way to carry out your
duty. Your duty is to see these pen
s1oners, SO as to swear to their iden-
tlty. You must be resolute; don't al
low them to hoodwink you, or we
shall have to get some other person
TO deal with them, and you lose your
fine post!
Eyes, and I would lose .my bread.
and my children would starve, I knew
that; and I resolved to be determined
when I went to Soma Begum's.
Il went home and asked a, neighbor
and a friend to have an eye to Dora,
my dear little girl. She was Il;
Ernest was at the Martiniere college.
Then drove away to the palace, very
determined indeed. T felt that I had
everything at stake, and would never
leave till I had either seen this prin-
cess or her dead body.
81 had an immediate audience with
her highness, and told her my errand
civilly and as pleasantly as I could
She at once flew into a terrible pas
sion. She was the latest woman l
ever saw, and I thought she would
have fit. Her face seemed to swell,
her eyes nearly jumped out of it, and
her voice-oh, it was just one long
scream!
All said was, Bring me to see the
Princess Notice only for one moment,
and I go; otherwise I stay here al
ways
Il was hustled away into a damp,
low room, looking into a courtyard on
| the ground floor, and left there alone.
No one came near me for hours-but
they peeped and whispered outside to-
gether. I remained there all night,
and ate some bread, and got water
at the fountain in the court; but could
| not sleep for the rats, and for the
fear that someone would come and
strangle me, you see. I was alone
| one woman combating hundred.
"The next morning was again
taken to the Begun, and she was now
all good nature and affection. But
! this is foolishness,' she cried. Take
| this and she offered me a splendid
diamond and emerald belt. 1T is for
| thee, if thou wilt depart, and say that
all is we'll. Il have seen her highness,
the Notice Mahal, granddaughter of
her highness the Begum.'''
"'But that would be false I an
swered stoutly. I do not accept
bribes.'
""Then accept hunger!' she scream
ed. Hunger and DEATH
with this threat ringing in my ears
once more I was hustled down to my
quarters below, where I remained for
three days, almost starving. Once an
old hag crept in, and whispered, The
end is near! Huzoor-the ends at
hand!'
But what end? My end?
GAS 1 was thinking of lying down
on the fourth night I suddenly saw
glimmer of light, and pure white
woman, in rich native dress, entered,
with a lamp in her hand. She was
tall, slight, and delicately fair.
"'Dost desire to see me?' she asked.
with a look of surprise in her blue
eyes.
"'The Notice Mahal?' I inquired.
"'Yea.'
"'The mother of sons, and grand
daughter of the Begum?'
"'Yea, Art content?'
"Her face was pale and colOrless
from lifelong seclusion, but her hair
was a sandy shade, she had a dimple
in her cheek, and was the type of En-
glishwoman one sees by scores.
'Then the Begun sent for me, and
said, Now, behold, thou hast seen!-
the Pearl Princess Notice. What Of
her?'
| "sShe is a Belaite' (Which is En-
glish), I answered boldly-@more En-
glish than l.
"'Yea, and since all is known, will
tell the truth. My daughter, now
dead, had no children, though she
wearied the shrines with her prayers.
At last child was born-only a girl
Nevertheless, she was happy; but, be-
hold, in moon it died, and she was
as one distraught Therefore I sent
messengers, and found babe like
pearl, and put it in her arms, and she
nursed and loved it as her own. It
was the child of q soldier gone to the
war, the mother dead. She, the Prin-
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