The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-08-28

had mot Umballa sousht the white
woman. this butterfly OF the harem
might, haye died of Old age without un.
burdening her soul. Remorse Is the
result OF q crime committed uselesslya
Humanity is unchanged for all Its
variety Of skins.
And here was this woman. wanting
to tell some one!
Umballa had done a peculiar thing:
he had not laid hand upon either Raa
mabai or Pundita. When asked the
reason for this generosity toward
man who but recently put a price on
bis head, Umballa smiled and e1.
planned that Ramabai was not only
broken politically, but was a religious
outcast. 1t was happiness for such
person. to die, so he preferred that Ra-
mabai should live.
Secretly, however. Ramabai's revo-
Iutionary friends were still back Of
him. though they pretended to bow to
the yoke OF the priests.
So upon this day matters stood
thus: the colonel, Kathlyn, Bruce and
Winnie were prisoners again; Ahmed
was in hiding; and Ramabai and his
wife Knocked by those who once had
cheered them. The ingratitude Of
kings is as nothing when compared
to the ingratitude of people.
A most ridiculous country: to crown
Kathlyn again (for the third tmeD,
and then TO lock her upi Next to
superstition as barrier to progress
there stands custom. Everything one
did must be done as some one else
had done it: the initiative was still
chained up In the temples, It belonged
to the bald priests only.
But Umballa had made two mis-.
takes: he should have permitted the
white people to leave the country and
given a silken cord to the chief eunuch
to apply as directed. There are no
written laws among the dark peoples
that forbids the disposal OF that chat.
tel known as woman of the harem,
or zenana. There are certain Gus.
toms that even the all powerful Brit
ish raj must ignore.
The catafalque Of the dead king
rested upon tho royal platform. Two
troopers stood below; otherwise the
platform was deserted. When Rama,
bal and Pundita arrived and mounted
the platform to pay their last respects
10 a kindly man, the soldiers saluted
grayely, even sorrowfully. Ramabai,
for his courage, his honesty and jus.
tice, was their man; but they no
longer dared serve him. since 1t would
be at the expense of their own lives.
MY lord!" whispered Pundita,
pressing Ramabais hand. "Courage!"
For Pundita understood the man at
her side. Had he been honorless, she
would this day DO wearing a crown.
"Pundita, they Kissed us as we
passed.
mot the soldiers. my lord"
And this poor man! Pundita, he
was murdered. and l am powerless to
avenge him. 1t was Umballa; but
what proof have l? None. none. Well,
for me there is left but, one thing: to
leave Alfalfa for good. We two shall
go to some country where honor and
kindness are not crimes but virtues.
MY lord, it is our now religion"
"And shall we hold to 1t and go, or
repudiate 1t and stay?"
q am my lords chattel; but
should despise him II he took the base
course
"And SO should I, flower Of my
hearth" Ramabai folded his arms and
stared down modify at the man who,
had he lived, could have made Pun.
Gita his successor. "pundita, have
not yet dared tell you all; but here,
in the presence Of death, truth will
out. We cannot leave. Confiscation
OF property and death face us at every
gate. No! Umballa proposes to crush
me gradually and make my life hell.
No man who was my friend now dares
receive me in his house. Worship is
denied US, unless We worship IN secret.
There is one pathway open" He
paused.
"And what is that, my iord?"
ITO kneel in the temple and re.
nounce our religion. Do we that, and
we are free to leave Alfalfa"
Pundita smiled. my lord is not
capable of so vile an act"
mo"
| And hand In hand they stood before
catafalque, forgetting everything but
the perfect understanding between
them.
"Ai, all"
It was but murmur: and the two
turned to witness the approach Of the
woman of the zenana. She flung her.
self down before the catafalque, pas.
stonately kissing the shroud. She
leaned back ant beat her breast and
walled. Ramabai was vastly puzzled
over this demonstration. That hand.
some young woman should wall over
the corpse of an old man who had
never been anything to her might have
an Interpretation far removed from
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