Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-07-26


request he shuffied on to prepare cot.
fee--much coffee, very strong and
black and hot. Amber stipulated, lie
needed the stlmulant badly. He was
sleepy and his head was In a whirl.
re sat lost In thought until the
khansamAh brought the decoction.
then reused and drank It as IL came
from the pot, without sugar. gulping
down huge bitter mouthfuls Of the
scaiding black fluid But the effect
that he expected and desired was
strangely long IN making itself felt.
He marveied ut his drowslness. nod.
ding and blinking over hts empty cup,
+ Out of doors the skies were hot and
hlue.white with forerunners OF the
sun, and the world OF men was stir.
ring and making preparations against
the business OF the day but Amber.
who had work 30 serious aud so In
slant 10 his hand. sal on In dreamy
lethargy, musing.
+ The faces of two women stood out
/ wildly against the misty formless
void before his eyes the face OF
& NATA11t anu tudt VI 0NHhHA NhIIttls iht
looked from one to the other. stupidity
/ contrasting them. trying 10 determine
which was the ioyelier. until their fea-
+ lures blurred and ran together and
the two became as one and
The khansamah tiptoed cautiously
/ into the room and found tho virginian
/ sleeping like log. his head upon the
/ table. His face was deeply colored
with crimson, as II a fever burned
/ him. and his breathing was loud and
stertorous.
Pausing. the native beckoned TO one
who skulked without. and the latter
entering. the two laid hold OF the IN
/ conscious man and bore him to the
charpoy The second native slipped
/ silver money into the khansamahs
/ palm.
HE will sleep TIL evening" he said
III any come asking for him, say that
he has gone abroad, leaving no word,
/ More than this you do not know. The
sepoys have an order to preyent all
1 frorf entrance"
II.
( Beneath the spreading bantam, by
! the cistern OF the goldfish, Naraini
with smoldering eyes watched Amber
/ disappear In the wilderness OF shrub
4 berry. He walked as man with set
purpose. never glanclng back. She
/ laughed uneasily but waited motion.
/ less where he had left her until the
| echo Of his boot.heels on the marble
slabs had ceased to ring in the neigh
/ boring corridor. Then. lifting a flow
er.like hand to her month, she touched
her lips gently and with an air of GU
riosity The resentment in her eyes
| gave place to an emotion less super
fetal by Indur and by Hart" she
swore softly. In one thing at least
he Is like a rajput; he kisses as a man
! kisses"
Tho east was gray with dusk Of
dawn--a light that grew apace. ma
/ king garish the illumination of the
Pickering smoking, mary-coiored
lamps In the garden.t Naraini clspped
her hands Soft footsteps sounded in
the gallery and one df her handmalds
threaded the shrubbery to her side
! THE lamps, linda" said the queen,
/ their light. think little becomes me
4 Put them out" And when this was
done, she composedly ordered her pipe
( and threw herself lazily at length
/ upon a pile of kincob cushions, her
I posture the more careless since she
/ knew herself secure from observation;
the garden being private to her use
The tread OF boots with jingling
/ spurs sounded in the gallery, warning
4 her. She sighed, smiled dangerously
| to herself. and carelessly adjusted her
veil, leaving rather more than half her
/ face bare. Salig Singh entered the
/ garden and found his way to her, tow
( ering over her beneath the canopy,
I brave In his green and tinsel uniform.
/ She looked up with a listless hauteur
| that expressed her attitude toward the
/ man.
"Achchal" she said. sharply. Thou
/ art tardy, hesyen-born. Yet have |
waited for thee this halfhour gone,
/ heavy with sleep though / be--walted
1 to know the pleasure of my lord
There WAC mockeE- but family
I disguised In her tone. The maharana
seemed to find Il not unpleasant, for
he smiled grirnly beneath his mus
1 tache.
There was work to be done" he
/ said briefiy--'for the cause. And thou
how has thou wrought, o Breaker Of
Hearts?"
The woman elasped her hands be-
hind her head Am not Naraiui?"
4 1.-THE man is ours."
Mine" she corrected amiably. His
face darkened with a scowl Of jeal-
ousy and she laughed in open derision.
Were Naraini could l not divine
the heart of man2'
by what means"
What is that to thee. o heaven.