The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-02-19

III unmistakable resolve. II will go;
nor do / think that there be any here
to, stop me-"
He wheeled about. prepared to nigh,
his way out Of the palace, IL need be
indeed. 1t was in his mind that dealt
there were as easy a. an hour aftel
sunrise; for he had little doubt but
that hp was to die II he remained oh
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 caughl his arm. "Of thy pity"
she begged. breathlessly. hold for q
space until have taken thought.
I. Thou knowest that If what
thou hast toll me be the truth, then
am I widow before my time-widowed
and doomed"
"Doomed?"
"Aye!" And there was real terror
In her eyes and voice. Doomed to
sati. For, since am widow--since
thou dost maintain thou art not my
husband-then my face hath been
looked upon by q ma n not of mine own
people, and l am dishonored. Fire
alone can cleanse ms of that deflle-
ment-the pyre and the death by
flannel"
Good God! you don't mean that!
Surely that custom has perished!"
Thou shouldst know that it dieth
not. What to US woman In whose
bodies runs the blood Of royalty. is
an edict of your English government?
What the Sirkar itself to u,' in Khan
dawar" She laughed bitterly. Il am
Rohilla. q daughter of kings: my dis
honor may be purged only by flame.
Are! that l should live to 'me<,t with
such fate-I, Naraini, to perish in
the flower Of my beauty. For
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 and
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. lis there no mercy in thy
heart for me? -. Who Is this
woman across the seas who hath won
thy love? Aye, even that l
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 ga.
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?" n
Il am not thy husband" he declared
vehemently. appalled, by her reversion
to that delusion. IT'LL this hour l
have never seen thee; nor is the sa-
hiba of any concern to thee. Let me
go. please"
But she had him fast and he could
not have shaken her on but with VIC
.ence. He had been a 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. yet |
. moment gone thou didst tell me l |
was greatly gifted with beauty. Have
changed In thine eyes. o my king? |
Canst thou look upon this poor beauty |
and hear me tell thee OF my love-and |
indeed l 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
ret rajput? Let US say that this 10 |
20. however hard It be to credit: even
80. am l not reward enough for thy |
Il know not thy meaning. Rance.
-"
Come. then. and I will show thee.
ny king. Come thou with me.
Nay. why shouldst thou falter? There
s naught for thee to fear-save me-"
She tugged at his hand and laughed
ow, In q voice that sang like smitten.
glasses. Come. beloved"
Unwillingly. he .humored her. This
could not last long. The wom-
IN half led. half dragged him to the
lorthern boundary of the garden,
where they entered a little turret
ouilded out from the walls over an
abyss fully three hundred feet in
lepth. And here. standing upon the
'erge Of the parapet, with naught but
} foot-high coping between. her and
he frightful fall, utterly fearless and
lovely. Naraini flung out
bare. jeweled arm in An eloquent
gesture.
(TO BE CONTINUED)