The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-08-28
CHAPTER II.
The UnweIcome Throne.

at the basin in Calcutta. A thousand
Or more natives were bathing ceremo-
niously in the ghat-men. women, and
children. 1t was early morn, and they
were making solemn genufexions to-
ward the bright sun. The water front
5warmed with brown bodies, and great
carts drawn by sad-eyed bull
locks threaded slowly through the
maze. The many white turbans, stir
ring hither and thither, reminded her
of field Of white peoples in breeze.
India! There it lay, ready for her
eager feet. Always had she dreamed
about it, and romanced over 1t, and
sought it on the wings Of her spirit.
Yonder it lay, ancient as China, en-
chanting as stored Persia.
If only she were on pleasure bent!
If only she knew some one in this
great teeming city! She knew no one;
she carried no letters Of introduction,
no letters of credit, nothing but the
gold and notes the paymaster at the
farm had hastily turned over to her
Only by constant application to maps
and guide books had she managed to
arrange the short cut to the far king
dom. She had been warned that 1t
was a wild and turbulent place, out of
the beaten path, beyond the reach OF
iron rails. Three long sea voyages:
across the Pacific (Which wasn't,
down the bitter Yellow sea, up the
blue Bay of Bengal, with many a sea
change and many strange picture.
What though her heart ached, 1t was
impossible that her young eyes should
not absorb all she saw and marvel
over it. India!
The strange, elusive Hindu had dis
appeared after Hongkong. That was
weight off her soul. She was now
assured that her imagination had be-
guiled her. How should he know any
thing about her? What was more
natural than that he should wish to
hurry back to his native state? She
was not the only one in a hurry. And
there we're Hindus of all castles on all
three ships. By now she had almost
forgotten him.
There was one bright recollection tc
break the unending loneliness. Com
ing down from Hongkong to Singapore
she had met at the captains table
Young man by the name of Bruce, Ht
was a quiet rather untalkatiVe man
! lean and sinewy, sun and wind bitten
Kathlvn had as yet had no sentimental
affairs. Absorbed in her work. he
father. and the care of Winnie, sucl
Young men as she had met had scarce
" interested her. She had only to-
Grant contempt for idlers, and thes
Young men had belonged to that cate
CORY Bruce caught her interest L
the very fact that he had but little t
cav and said that crisply and vel
There was something authoritative
the shape of his mouth and the stead
, moss of his eye, though before her h
novar exercised this power A doze
, times she had been on the point
taking him into her confidence, but tn
IRONY Of fate had always firmly close
: her lips.
And now, waiting for the ship
warn into its pier, she realized what
;, fatal mistake her retieence had pee
: A friend of her father!
Bruce had left the Lloyder befol
! dinner Cat singapore), and as Kat
. lyn's British-India coaster did n
:, leave till morning she had elected
!. romain over night on the German boa
AS Bruce disappeared among the d
= embarking passengers and climoe
:, into a rickshaw she turned to q
cantain who stood beside her
= mo YOU know Mr.. Bruce%
VERY WE'LL" said the Germa
:, oDidn't he tell you who he Is? N
Ach! Why, Mr.. Bruce is great nui
= ar He has shot everything WRIT
- hooks climbed the Himalayas On
l. last wear he brought me the sack OF
- mnsk deer, and that is the most df
gerous Of all sports. He collects a
le mails" :
- Then Kathlyn knew. The name n
been vaguely familiar, but the you
,e mans reticence had given her no
ps nortunity to dig into her recoliectl'
q Brnce! How many times her fatf
is had spoken of him! What fool $
10 Nd beep! Bruce knew the eoun
che was going to, perhaps as well
her father; and he could have s
nlified her journey to the last wo
% Well, what was done could not De
! . called and done over.
10 NV father is a great huntes, to
ho she said simply, cycling Wistfully
road taken by Bruce into town.
49, what? Herr Colt! Are you @
g. mel Hare's daughter" exclaimed
ell captain.
az yes"
az = He seized her by the shoul0'
N. eWhy did you not tell me? Why =
he mel Hare and / have smoked man
~ Rnrma cheroot together on these