The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-05-16
RESCUED FROM
A sUsERAL PYRE.
Romantic Meeting of an Amer
lean and His Future Bride.

he was wiry quarterback-and
very little of Latin. Greek, mathemat-
les and such annoyances to young men
who go to college for fun. woke up one !
June morning and found himself in
possession of II diploma. .
Bob determined to do some more !
studying abroad. He was professed
woman hater, and before he left the
girls poked fun at him by betting him
! box of cigars against "A hundred
yards of brussels lace that he would
bring back wife with him. and one
little mink declared that she would be
black.
Six months after his departure Bob
was in India. He was dining one
evening with party Of Americans
and British officers when the subject
of the suffice or burning of widows
with the bodies of their husbands was
introduced.
THAT'S stopped now" said IA British
captain, 'by a treaty with the British
government"
"Sahib." said an Indian servant. |
there will be a suffice tomorrow morn
ing at sunrise. The young widow of
the prince of Pingpore will be burned
with her husband"
| The servant. being questioned. said
| that the prince was very old man.
who had married the wife when she
was twelve years old. she was now
| fifteen. The PARTY b,tnme much i'll
! terested, but as there was no English
garrison near it did not seem that any
thing could be done TO prevent this
outrage against civilization. Bracket
proposed that the party constitute
0 themselves posse to do so. The
Englishmen were nard to move at first.
but eventually they chimed In with
alacrity The party arose from the
table and, guided by the servant. went
10 to the place where the pyre had been
set up in the court of ruin. On the
pyre was the body of the old prince.
81 have n scheme" said Brackett-"a
real ovt and out Yankee scheme. Wen
% conceal ourselves In what is left OF that
apartment on the other side Of the wall
from the pyre. 1t isn't more than
thirty feet from the pyre to the room
w Suppose we dig a tunnel to point
beneath the pyre. remove the materia
from under where the widow will liz
90 and let her down and out before thu
flames touch her.
Good" said every one, and the Hin
du servant was dispatched for spade
w and q wheelbarrow. With a will the
set to work. all OF them young. str0n
men. and In three hours a spade brok
through the ground and struck tn
wood OF the pyre Then commence
the more difficult work of locating tn
required spot and removing that pal
100 Of the pyre directly under the spe
where the widow would lie. HOweve
it was at last accomplished. tn
wooden platform being left supporte
NJ by pieces Of timber that could be r.
moved at will.
In the morning there was great d
of the funeral procession approachin
A troop of Brahman priests, the
500 shaved heads uncovered. carrying tore
es, followed by a concourse of native
came bowling into the court. In the
midst was the young widow. The par
of Anglo Saxons had pushed the mt
tar from II chink in the wall. throu
900 At the foot of the pyre the widow W
stripped of all her clothing except
fine silkeu undergarment. To see
young thing stand there. looking abe
her with IL bewildered stare. then
1'o' the pyre with shudder. vas enou
to move stuuter hearts than the FL
fish and Americans. Bracket took q
look through the peephoie, then dash
into the tunnel and to the bottom
An the pyre where he stood ready. WI
the widow assembled the pyre and
down and II cloud of smoke concea
the bodies the si%nH. was given by
British off, .. ut The is2ephole. Rem
ing the support. Brackett lowered
5.25 living body. receiving it in his arr
The widow frightened mt this I'M
pected occurrence rs well rs the fam
5woonpd and was easily carried thror
the tunnel to the ruined chamber.
So'zo 1t was not till night that the pal
dressing the widow in the costume
their servant. Bob Bracket sacrii1c'
his beard to take the latter's pla
en- On dared to leave their place of conc'
ment and return to their quartz
The widow. knowing that If found
would be spurned by her people
compelled to again go through
LOO dread ordeal to its completion, beg
her liberators to take her out OF
country. As none Of them could
where he liked except Bracket.
20 on was assigned the post of honor.
'''o' was on a long journey on P. and
steamer to England. sitting with
daily on deck. talking Of her past
and telling her Of the western VIC
that Bracket lost his heart. The
10000 sequence was that when they reac
England the widow Of the Prince
Pingpore became Mrs. Bob Bracke
On the arrival few weeks late
mo .ha staa mar Iucapia at New