Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1913-11-28

Sikh troops. seated upon his horse Il
the head of his men. As he looked the
face Of the man projected itself clear
ly upon his perceptions. He was look
ing upward, straiping his eyes 10
catch the fiutter of white.
And all at once the voice Of the
astrologer seemed to break the 81
lence.
'eYou must not drop that handker-
chief" he croaked, cor the whole pic
ture will fade away. Remember, this
is nothing but a vision. The realit@.
comes tomorrow"
Paul crumpled UP the handkerchie.
and hid II In his sleeve. Far beneath
him he still saw the Sikh officer look
upward; he fancied that he detected
an appearance Of uneasiness on this
part or the man. His horse reared,
and, in checking it, he pulled the
reins so taut that 1t was flung back
on its launches. Why was he at
tempting to attract Paul's attention.
A deep, indrawn exclamation an
swered the question. AS every head
craned forward and every heart beat
hard Paul, instinctively following the
gaze Of the crowd, perceived the jam
of NagShipur advance slowly in his
turn toward the royal dais. Though
chief of all the princes, he had been
held almost to the last before being
permitted to pledge his allegiance; 1t
was a subtle slight devised by the
minds of the rulers of the country in
return for the Jams supposed anti
English proclivities. The people, per-
fectly aware Of the meaning Of this
maneuver, watched him with bated
breath. Upon his action depended the
fate of the empire. Would he pledge
himself or would he fling defiance into
the faces of his English rulers?
The jam advanced uneasily, evil
IDENTIFY almost overcome by nervous
ness, and glancing as he advanced to-
ward the Sikh officer, who, with his
back turned to him as he sat his
horse, could see nothing, but kept his
gaze fixed steadfastly upon the top
tier of the amphitheater
Suddenly a sigh ran through the as
sembled multitudes. They quivered,
as wheat quivers in a summer breeze.
For with gesture which might have
been either of despair or self-immola-
ton, the Jam had thrown himself into
the dust before the dais and kissed
the monarch's robe
Suddenly, out Of the crowd, q face
burned itself into Paul's heart like a
live ember-a beautiful, imperious
face, woman's face, set sternly In
unutterable contempt as the eyes met
his.
1t was the face of the beautiful I'M
known. whom he had so dramatically
met in America and who had sent him
upon his quest. She stared up at him
from among the distinguished guests
assembled under the royal canopy;
'and as he met those eyes Paul flung
up his arms and cried.
And the moving picture quivered
and vanished out of the crystal
Paul opened his eyes.
It was evening and the sun hung, q
ball of fire. low down in the west The
tamarisks quivered in the evening
breeze. Somewhere a nightingale was
singing. The astrologer. the secretary,
the sleeping prince were gone.
He was lying under bench on the
top tier of the deserted amphitheater.
| Opposite him was a bare stretch of
ground, where formerly the royal tent
| bod haon Apd auarymbara fanta mana
being packed, wagons loaded. troops
deploying over the ground. The city
of tents was gone.
Paul stumbled down the almost end
less stairs toward the city street His
head ached and his limbs would hard
ly respond to the promptings of his
will When at last he reached the
level of the street he noticed that his
clothes were damp as though after a
rain, and that he was dishevelled as a
tramp.
A passing policeman eyed him sus-
piciously, and then, seeing that he ap.
peared to be gentleman. admonished
him:
You'd better go home, my man
What are you doing here the day after
the show, anyway? Where did you
come from?"
1.-THE shown" Paul cried. 1.-THE coro
nation? When is 1t to be?"
The other laughed. Yesterday" he
said curtly "Of course there may be
another one in thirty years or SO, but
my advice to you is. go home!"
Paul stood still, staring into the DO
liceman's face. Then, thrusting his
hands through his hair, he set of
wildly toward his quarters. He saw
all clearly now. His cup had beer
drugged as well as the Jams. 1t wal
real. then, all that he had seen, anC
I In his stupor he had attended the Dur
bar and sat in his appointed place
: while the Sikh officer waited in vail
for the signal that did not come Ram
7 chundra Sing had outwitted both hi
masters and pocketed their money.
} But the face of the girl-had tina
been more than dream? II she wer,
: in Delhi, howsshould he face her, how
} confess the reason for his missions
failure?
; Disconsolately he flung himself up
n IL n