The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1908-03-24
THE POWER OF THE SADHU
A N'ory VI MysteA IUN( BY DEREK VANE


value to these. But" he added. low
ally, 1T is not really his fault: Bur-
ton is a pushing chap and would get
In anywhere he wanted"
l could not say anything further.
though L felt more uneasiness than I
mad shown in the intimacy that had
sprung up between this stranger and
Colonel Langley's family; particu-
larly at his undisguised admiration
for Cynthia
HIS attentions to her were an i'm
pertinence, considering he was aware
that she was promised to another
man, and l knew that If Harold's UNI
suspicious nature were once reused
there might be trouble. | could not
quite understand the girl, but then I
don know much about women. 1t
seemed to me that she was fatered
by Burton's devotion, and that she
liked to make him feel her power. /
could not warn her that she was
playing with fire.
one night the Colonel had had a
dinner party, and afterward some of
the men went outside to smoke.
where they could listen at their ease
to the music in the drawing-room.
which opened on the veranda. | han
pened to be sitting opposite Burton.
who was lying back in a lounge chair.
and l was pulling, as l often puzzled
over the fleeting likeness to somebody
l had met before.
would not acknowledge that I
| could be mistaken. l prided myself
on my memory for faces and facts.
me likeness seemed to be about the
eyes, which were Oriental in their
dark brilliance and fire, though now
they only glinted under the heavy.
half-closed lids. AS he lay back
smoking in the dreamy, absorbed
fashion, which, to my mind, again
betrayed his Eastern nature, the
moonlight filtered through the trellis
work and a shaft fell full on his
face
L started violently. Surely this
Jerome Burton, this pseudo English
man, bore the sign of the trifala on
his foreheadl
The trifala are three lines drawn
upward between the eyebrows. and is
the sign used by sect of Sadhus, or
hindu ascetics. The sign should
nave the centre line painted in red
and the outer ones in white, the triple
lines signifying the three gods of the
Hindu triad: Vishnu, silva and Brah-
ma. But the marks, of course. were
uncolored in Burton's forehead, and
had evidently been effaced as much
as possible. If the light had not hap
pened to catch the lines in a certain
way l should never have noticed
them. l knew now where l had seen
this man; the sign had wakened my
memory. 1t was among the lonely
snow-fastnesses of the Himalava
Mountains in the cave of a feared
and venerated sadhu.
L wondered what / should do. It
would be useless to try and expose
him with nothing to support my ex-
traordinary statement but those three
almost obliterated lines, and vet |
could not endure the idea that the
man whom l had last seen in native
dress apparently living the native
life, should take his place among Eu-
ropeans unquestioned
l wondered if he remembered me
We had only met for a few hours
when 1 was accorded an interview
with the reoluse of whose extraordi-
nary powers L had heard, and whom
had journeyed some distance to see
in my eagerness to learn as much as
possible of Indian mysticism. Burton
mad certainly never given me the
slightest reason to think that ne had
seen me before. but then he had the
Oriental command of feature and ex-
preston.
Cynthia Langley was singing now,
and he was listening with rapt ex-
preston. L could see her seated
at the piano, with Harold standing
beside her. her fair face turned up
little, her soft white gown falling
away from her rounded throat and
dimpled arms, and it angered me
that Jerome Burton should dare to
covet this loveliness.
For it was evident to me that he
fingered on in the hope OF winning
Cynthia away from her ALLEGIANCE.
She had seemed to avoid him of late.
He had shown his hand too plainly
and frightened her, perhaps,
thought.
l was determined to stay and see
the play out, though / fancy Harold
wondered a little at my change OF
plans, but / thought / might DO of
use to him presently, though as vet
l did not know how. If / could have
been present at his marriage 1 should
have gone away quite content. but
Colonel Langley postponed it first ON
one excuse and then ON another, I'M
til Harold began to get irritable and
suspicious
/ Gained him as much as could.
for it seemed to me that the Colonel
would gladly seize on any excuse to
break of the match, and I was afraid
that, in some impetuous moment.
Harold might give him the opportu-
nifty he sought. Either Burton had
got Cynthia's father into his power
In some way, or else the Colonel was
dazzled by the new suitors wealth.
] was returning alone late one eve
ming from the club when, as / passed
tho Langley house 7 saw some one
moving about I'm tho compound
should have thought nothing OF it.
for natives are to be mot anywhere
at any hour. but there was something
secretive and stealthy about the si-
lent figure which reused my atten-
/ rNr -.