River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-11-06

Sikh troops, seated upon his horse at
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, straining his eyes to
catch the f1utter of white.
And all at once the voice Of the
aStrologer seemed to break the 81
lence.
"You must not drop that handker-
chief" he croaked cor the whole pic
ture will fade away. Remember, this
is nothing but a vision. The reality
comes tomorrow"
Paul crumpled up the handkerchief
and hid it in his sleeve. Far beneath
him he still saw the Sikh officer look
upward; he fancied that he detected
an appearance Of uneasiness on the
part of the man. His horse reared,
and, in checking it, he pulled the
reins so taut that 1t was flung back
on it's launches. Why was he at
tempting to attract Pauls attention?
A deep, indrawn exclamation an
swered the question. AS every head
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 subtle slight devised by the
dc ~ v.,,Ia 20 fN
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 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, a face
burned itself into Pauls 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 un-
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.
1t was evening and the sun hung, a
ball of fire, low down in the west. The
tamarisks quivered In the evening
breeze. Somewhere 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 bare stretch of
ground, ~vhere formerly the royal tent
had been. And everywhere tents were
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
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 disheve1led 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?"
"The show?" Paul cried. "The coro-
nation? When is it to be-"
The other laughed. Yesterday" he
said CURLY "Of course there may be
another one in thirty years or so, but
my advice to you is, go hone!"
Paul stood still, staring into the Pc
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 been
drugged as well as the Jams. 1t was
real, then, all that he had seen, and
in his stupor he had attended the Dur
bar and sat in his appointed place
while the Sikh officer waited in vain
for the signal that did not come. Ram
chundra Sing had outwitted both his
masters and pocketed their money.
But the face of the girl-had that
been more than dream? If she were
in Delhi, how should he face her, how
confess the reason for his missions
failure?
Disconsolately he flung himself up
on his bed. All was lost, all that ha
bod LNnad onJ 1vao od IIa hod haaN