The San Francisco call., 1907-02-10

~ Az after day, week after week,
had dragged my poor. aching
/nmbs around the small clearing
back OF my hillside bungalow.
watching the struggling little coffee
trees. which, with the help of some
coolies. were nghting for existence IN
the recently cleared plantation. where
the battle with the rich, luxurious
tropical vegetation was a long and
hard one The Jungle, as II resenting
This encroachment on its domain, aided
by the fierce sun and warm monsoon
rains. kept creeping IN on the little
coIee orchard like slowly rising tide,
requiring constant care and labor to
repei II sufficiently to TIL the soil
around the newly started plants. Hard
work, worry and the one great sorrow
OF my life had finally combined In a
breakdown. which I had Fought Off
while the quinine bottle was fun, and
when Abdul. my King boy, had gone
for three-day journey to the canton
meat for a fresh supply. l began TO
fear would not hold out until his re-
turn Abdul was my everything.
found him in Bombay, rescued him
from a tipsy Sepoy sergeant who was
beating him, and he became my neces-
sity. He was cook, valet, groom, guide
and. IN fact, the best all-round native
servant an Englishman in India ever
had Abdul was q King. When one
wants TO classify a Hindu about whom
he knows nothing it is always safe TO
call him a Killing. as the Mals bar coast
has so much TO answer for In the way
OF native servants that a few more
don't count, even il they come from an
other part OF the Orient.
when I sold out OF the army, after
being informed by my bankers that a
few hundred pounds to my credit was
all ] had left in the world out of G.
fortune my good -natured governor had
managed 10 invest so securely that not
q shilling OF 1t could be recovered,
came back to India to try coffee plant
Ing IN the hills, and Abdul about whom
no one knew anything prior TO my res
cuing him from the sergeant, soon be-
came so useful that I not only looked
20 him for my personal comfort but
intruEted him with my business. all
though repeatedly warned that he
would do me" in the end. When ] set
up my modest but very comfortable
establishment he became its manage
and left me much time to think. Why
was it ever given TO man to think?
] would try to work off the memory OF
the past-to forget Ethel. who was to
have been my wife in the spring, who,
young. pretty. well born and in every
way the jolliest girl in the world, was
poor. / met her while on garrison duty
at x. loved and wooed her, believ-
ing myself to be sure of a good two
thousand q year for life, but when the
crash came ] sold out and left England.
not daring 10 give her a chance to
share my poverty in a far-off land,
where she would be deprived of the
comfort refinement and society to
which she had, thanks TO a wealthy
aunt, been accustomed. She was very
fond OF my pony, Flash, and I sent him
down to her, with a letter releasing
her from her engagement and telling
her of my misfortune. without even
limiting where I was going. In fact
when / sailed from Southampton not a
soul IN England. except the officials OF
the steamship line and the War once,
knew my destination. 1t may have
been cowardly. but / was not cur
enough to let a beautiful. generous girl
like Ethel throw her chances TO the
winds for the love OF fellow with no
] began an endless battle with nature
in the up-country hills. Sometimes 1
would resolve TO write TO Ethel, and
once / rode down to the station with
the express purpose of cabling her, but
managed TO conquer the longing for a
word from her without doing SO. Her
weIl-worn ietters-and there wassa pile
OF them-And her photographs both ir-
ritated me and consoied me until this
last let down. when I felt too queer to
start for the oAntonrnent, or am sure
the cable would have asked the little
girl 20 write
Y could hold out . week or so
longer would run down 10 sinia and
see Hathaway, the surgeon OF the
Buffs, and he would tx me Up. These
were nay thoughts when I found myself
unable 20 get out of bed one morning
and with 3ust enough strength TO reach
out and beat a Burmese gong to call
some OF the ryots in from the field.
wanted water. The fever was making
my upper story very hazy when Abdul
arrived, and then
Hush, don't speak. You have been
OF you now. Do you know the7" end,
bringing her photograph from my toll
let stand and holding IL before my eyes.
placing her soft, cool, little hand over
my lips when I attempted TO speak.
Ethel kissed my forehead, gave me a
few drops OF something and, with the
memory OF AbduIs black. anxious face
over her shoulder and Ethel's smile
haunting my cloudy brain. slept.
After long, happy helplessness.
with Ethel ct my side whenever was
awake, I gradually became aware that
my illness had been both protraeted
and severe, and that I was under the
care of an ex-army surgeon who had
been brought up from the plains 70
attend me by Ethel. who since her ar
rival had taken entire charge OF every
thing about the station. She won Alb
dui over at once. and. with his aid and
thateof a tall Pathan she brought with
her from somewhere IN the low coun-
try, the place was evidently being
cared for as well as though by myself.
Ethel had grown old and worn since 1
left her IN England. but had the same
smile and was much less reserved in
manner. She would sit and read to
me by the hour. end when the doctor
would permit would talk about our
future. refusing TO answer all cues
tions as TO how she found me out
until 7 a..