Evening star., 1911-05-30
CHAPTER TX.
Checked.

Lois and Stafford had arrived at that
stage Of friendship when conversation be-
comes unnecessary. They walked side
by side through the coloners carefully
tended garden and were scarcely con-
scious that they had dropped into q
thoughtful silence. Yet, as though In
obedience to some unspoken agreement.
their footsteps found their way to the
ruined bungalow and there paused.
As look can be more powerfully de-
scriptive than q word, 50 these shot-rid-
died walls had their own eloquence. Each
shot hole. each jagged splinter and torn
hinge had it's own history and added its
pathetic detail to the whole picture Of
that disastrous night when the vengeance
of Behar Singh had burst like a hurri-
cane over the defenseless land.
After a moments hesitation Stafford
stepped forward. and pushing aside the
heavy festoons Of creeper which barred
the doorway. passed through into the
gloomy interior
IT should like to see the place from the
inside" he explained to Lois. who. with
an uncomfortable shudder, had followed
it all happened
II think Of 1t all-often." she answered,
in a hushed voice, land every time I
seem to see things differently. My poor
mother!''
You never knew herr" he asked.
mo. l was too young-scarcely more
than year old. Yet her loss seems to
have overshadowed my whole life."
WAS she like your
"Yes. believe SO. She was dark-not
so dark as / am-but she was stately
and beautiful. So she has always been
described to me. and SO I always seem
to see her.
Stafford turned and looked about him.
ha uv0S han hn
said. wonderingly. pointing to the rusty
truckle bed in the corner. And there 10
the broken overturned chair! 1t might
have been yesterday"
She nodded.
80 my guardian found it." she said "It
had been my fathers BUNGALOW and he
never allowed II to be touched. When /
came OF age 1 gave It to him. II seemed
to belong to him, somehow. They say
that 1t nearly broke his heart when he
found that he had come too late to save
my father My father was his dearest.
almost hts only friend"
Were they killed at once?" Stafford
asked. with hesitating curiosity. Il have
never known the rights OF the case. 1t
has always been a painful subject for me
with you don't mind"
1t was the faintest allusion to bond
between them which both silently recog
ndzed. and Lois turned away to hide the
signal of happiness which had risen to
her cheeks.
mo one knows" she answered ''The
bodies were never found. 1t was part OF
Behar Singh's cruelty to hide the real
fate OF his victims. For q long time peo-
pie used to hope and hope that in some
dungeon or prison they would find their
friends. but they never did. One can only
pray that the end was a mercifully quick
one"
And Behar Singh died In the jungle?"
so the natives said. No one really
knows" she replied.
I wish he hadn't" Stafford said, his
good-natured face darkening. 1T seems
unfair that he should have caused our
people TO suffer SO much and we have
never had the chance to pay back. What
ever made the government give his Son
the power. goodness only knows"
THE present rajah was baby then"
she said, in q tone Of gentle remon-
STRANGE. ''It would have been hard to
have punished him for the sins Of his
father
Nothing appeals to q man more than a
woman's undiplomAtic tenderness for the
whole world. Stafford looked down at
Lois with q smile
You dear. good-heafted little girl!' he
said. And yet. blood 10 blood, you know
Somehow. one cant get over 1t. In spite
OF bis good looks 1t always seems to me
- though could see his fathers treach-
cry In Nehal singh's eyes. It made me
sick to think that vas enjoying his hos
pitaiity-at makes mo feel worse that we