The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-08-31

| q unmfstakable reserve. Il vtu e.
nor do think that there be any herr
to stop me-"
He wheeled about. prepared to fight
indeed. It was in his mind that dealt
there were as easy a. an hour after
SUNRISE; for he had little doubt but
that he was to die II he remained OBJ
durate, and the hospitality Of the raj
put would cease to protect him the
moment he set foot upon the marble
bund of his bungalow.
But the woman sprang after him
and caught his arm. "Of thy pity"
she begged, breathlossly. hold for a
space until have taken thought.
|. Thou knowest that II what
thou hast told me BE- the truth, then
am widow before my time-widowed
and doomed"
Doomed"
"Aye!" And there was real terro
In her eyes and voice. Doomed to
sati. For. since l am q widow-since
thou dost maintain thou art not my
husband-then my face hath been
looked upon by man not of mine own
people, and I am dishonored. Fro
alone can cleanse me Of that defile-
ment-the pyre and tho death BY
flannel"
Good God! you don't mean that.
Surely that custom has pertshed!"
Thou shouldst know that 1t dieth
not What to w voIaen in whose
bodies runs the blood of royalty. Is
an edict Of your English government?
What the Sirkar itself to US in Khan.
dawar?" She laughed bitterly. Il am
Rohilla, a daughter Of kings; my dis
honor may be purged only by flame.
Are! that should live to meet with
such fate-I. Naraini. to perish in
the flower of my beauty. For
l am beautiful. am not?" She dropped
the veil which instinctively she had
caught across her face. and met his
gaze with childish coquetry. torn
though she seemed to be by fear aud
disappointment
Thou art assuredly most beautiful
Rance" Amber told her, with break
IN his voice. very compassionate. And
he spoke simple truth. "Of thy
kind there Is none more lovely In the
world. :"
There was tenderness then In your
tone. my Lord" she caught him up
quickly. SIS there no mercy In thy
heart for mo? Who is this
woman across the seas who hath won
thy love! :. Aye, even that ]
know-that thou dost love this fair
daughter Of the English. Didst thou
not lose the picture of her that was
taken with the magic box Of the sa-
hibs? Is 1t for her sake that
thou dost deny me, o my husband
Is she more fair than l. are her lips
more sweet?"
Il am not thy husband" he declared
vehemently. appalled, by her reversion
have never seen thee; nor is the sa-
hiba OF any concern to thee. Let me
90. please
But she had him fast and he could
not have shaken her of but with vio-
lence. He had been strong man in
deed who had not been melted to ten
derness by her beauty and her dis
tress. She lifted her glorious face to
him, pleading, insistent and played
upon him with her voice of gold. "Ye'
a moment gone thou d1dst tell me
was greatly gifted with beauty. Have
changed In thine eyes, o my king?
Canst thou look upon this poos beauty
and hear me tell thee OF my love-end
indeed I am thine. altogether thine,
Lalji!-and harden thy heart against
me? What though 1t be as thou
hast said? What though thou art of a
truth not Of the house of Rutton, nor
yet ratput? Let us say that this Is
so, however hard it be to credit: even
so, am l not reward enough for thy
renunciaticn?"
Il know not thy meaning. Rance,
l."
"Come, then, and will show thee,
my king. Come thou with me.
Nay, why shouldst thou falter? There
Is naught for thee to fear-save me-"
She tugged at his hand and laughed
low, in voice that sang like smitten
glasses. Come, beloved"
Unwillingly, he humored her. This
could not last long. The wom-
an half led, half dragged him to the
northern boundary of the garden,
where they entered little turret
builded out from the walls over an
abyss fully three hundred feet in
depth. And here. standing upon the
verge OF the parapet, with naught but
foot-high coping between her and
the frightful fall, utterly fearless and
unutterably lovely. Naraini flung out
\ bare, jeweled arm in an eloquent
gesture.