The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-07
THE GREAT BUDDHA RUBY

II see, sald the marquis, nOddiu!
his head, and greatly relieved. ="
shall be able to rcassure Lad,
Blanche. But there, another thin,
on my mind. Miss Corticc. in fact i
was for that rs much as the other, tha
came today. DO yon know wha
Barton said in his telegram
Rctla shook her head. not truStiu.
herself to speak. BY that iututiv,
sixth sense which is vouchSafcd mos
women for their defense against tho
so.called stronger sex, she OWNED wba'
Scarsdalc was about TO say. The knowl
edge neither surprised nor startled her
In fact, il the truth were known, sb,
had rather expected an avowal ere this
'fThrce little words: Look after
Retta, OF course, ] know what Ia,
meant thereby. But they determined
me TO ask You today and now, TO give
me the right TO look after you in =
nearer and dcarcr sense, now and foI
ever
lie rose and came to her side. bend
ing over her chair. and taking her
nnresistlng hand in his
81 think you know what | mean
| Rctta, dear, ] want YOU for my own.
for my wife, | love YOU, Rctta, Will
| YOU be mine. sweethcaTt2'
The girls answer was as simple and
| direct rs her lover S appeal and as her
own disposition. She rose. and stood
! facing him. her hands imprisoned III
her own clear aud eIlusullicd maiden
hood Silently he drew her closer nm
| Ill she rested and nestled in his arms.
whispering, through happy tears:
~ YOU want me, ] am yours''
"My darling,' was his ferveut re
sponSc as he strained her to him aud
covered her face with kisses.
So here was another victory 10 the
credit. albeit indirectly. Of "the man
lice returned Ia England three months
later il was TO fud his sister in n
fair way TO become thc marchioncss
of Scarsdalc.
While these events were going on be
hind my back. | was in the States. re
turning in time, however 70 conGrat,
ulatc tho Young lovers. TO welcome Bar
ton from India. and 10 hear The story
of The great Buddha Ruby. which |
will let him tell from the beginning in
his own words rs he told II TO our re
united scXtct-for Forbes had run down
to Raynham for a few days of grouse
shooting:
"You know said Corticc. 81 IN
very fond Of browsing around tho Brit
ish museum-speud lot of spare time
there, in fact. the Indian and Oriental
rooms attracting me most One day
some superb examples of native lndi-
an -icwclcd swords. daggcrs
and pistols, marvellous for their rich
ness and almost fabulous value. This
was my third or fourth visit, and had
previously noticed another interested
observer, who | decided was an East In
dian-probably Brahmin of high
caste, although he was dressed in the
regulation English morning costume
Irock coat, pOt-hat, lavender gray trous
ers. spats. as we call 'cm, and all
that goes with that particular brand Of
makeup.
''From bow aud good morning
on the second and third day we fell
into conversation about tho treasures in
the locked case. As | supposed he was
an Indian gentleman attached to the
suite of that prince cricketcr chap who
was over here, the Maharaia Bhoolcep
RiDgh. Well. gu the fonrth day we
lunchcd togcthcr and aftcrward took in
the cricket match at Lard :.
You know what these English crick-
ct-matchcs are-intolerably slow. to my
two or three days to play
Il single game Give me two hours of
baseball, full of ginger for the whole
nine innings, But ! suppose cricket
suits Il lcIsuTclv class like Won English
and the equally slow and deliberate
inhabitants of India
"Oh, | say, now. - broke in Wavnc.
but his interruption was unhecdcd save
by smile from Cortice.
Some such remark | made 10 nv
new friend. Mr. Bbarat Scranp. as we
came away. He smiled softly and re-
piled:
't' Very true: we Of the older races
do not count time like YOU Americtns
a thousaud-tcn thousand-years are
nothing IN comparison TO the sum total
of human life lived on this planet
suppose not when you arc a long
time dead, | remarked carclcssly.
But life goes on in centuries. and
cycles, and acOns We in India take
no count of the atoms-wc survey the
whole round. We thing in centuries;
you reckon by weeks,
We'll. this was mighty interesting
10 me. rs You may imagine. but I
kept mum, although of course | knew
that 70 these Brahmins and Hindoos
bcllci IN re.lncarnatIOn is part of their
rehglon. They accept il as uuqucsiion.
lnglY as the western peoples admit that
two and two make four.
We dlncd ut the Lapgham, Scrang
and that night. and over fhc coffee
ana cigars we continued our discussion.
/" Illustrate certain remark he said:
{" Let me tell you story Mr. Cor
lice. I'm ono Of the chief temples in
the holy city of Bcnares. there is
beautiful but colossal seated statuc of
the god Boodha, sculpturcd bv some un-I
known devotcc thousands Of wears ago
ont of Il flcsh-colorod stone that is nm.
like any material known throughout
India On this account supcrstitious
worshipcrs believe that the image was
not made by mortal hands. but was
the miraculous gift Of the deity him.
self. This statue is the only one in
the tcmvlc. and had bccu a very noted
place of pilgrimage for more genera
tions than You and have numbered
years TO our united ages. The temple
supports a whole retinuc of priests
some of them among tho most pious
IN Indln-which is saying great
deal.
The earliest records concerning
this image of Boodha mention that ifs
forehead was bound with gold band
or fillct. i'm the ceutcr Of which there
bia2cd a ruby priceless on account OF
MS great slZr and purity In the semi |
dusk of the temple It's ravs hlazrl
!! !kc some scuiicut thing, now dull. now