The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-01-19

CQme--.l- desperate utnhlong pdhlf
that had given her no time o. think
or 10 realize what she was about %
do She bad risen unnoticed and
iiAe Wild hunted animal fought 4ler
Way to the door. ont du tO-t the Street
and stumbling blindly over the rough
cobhles. efed from the maiCe-ladeu
laughter and the searching cruel eyes
of her tormeutors. She bad seen
Z ii+7t p TIT passed Her own car
riage and did not know TO- Her in.
experience her distinctive fear OF her
husbands race broke through the
seeming conformity and confidence
HAT her oriental pliability had al
lowed her 10 assume. She was alone
in a strange LAND among people
no had shrunk from her as from a
ieper They had cursed her and She
had Ned out into The bleak piercing
cold Of their winter rather than face
them II was not only fear SOME.
thing In her-something altogether
nameloss had been wounded and
.tramped under foot. Caste religion.
faith Ia her own divine origin had
been torn from her and yet IN thar
moment she regained her sanctity
and With IL the knowledge that she
had been wantonly dehled
Little by little fear died wholly.
The sense OF outrage grew oyermas-
Jering and as she stopped at last
painting. in the shadow or q cottage
doorway She looked back the way
She had come with eyes OF scorn and
q passionate resentment i was al
ready dusk A piercing dank wind
-
and cut through her clothing so that
She drew ner furs about her and with
chatterlng teeth crept iustinctiyely
TO the, wall. Not once had she thought
t0f her husband and she did not think
OF him now Thought was still
stunned Like a sick man recover
ing slowly from some frightful bout
OF pain she leaned back with closed
eyes and let the balm OF peace pass
over her deeply wounded soul Then
the door OF her refuge opened and a
rough woman's voice broke In upon
her silence.
Who's there? We don't allow no
loafers about here. Move on, VIII
you2'
She made no answer She did not
even look at tie speaker but glided
softly away into the darkness. The
( possibility that as Lady Hurst she
might have gained the woman : re-
spect and hospitality did not occur
to her The fact that She was Lady
Hurst had passed out OF her con
sciouaness. She was Sarasvati. once
daughter OF Brahma. now an Outcaste
and a wanderer in a foreign land,
and she hurried on. her unaccustomed
feet tortured by the uneven cObbles,
( her limbs trembling with cold and
exhaustion. Suddenly she stopped.
\ shadow had sprung up in her path.
u her blind panic she did not see
whence IL had come nor value its true
dimensions. X seemed 10 her a phan-
tom-the personification OF that pur-
suing horror and she crouched back
against the wall OF the low-built
houses. waiting in paralyzed silence.
The shadow remained before her,
standing between her and the west
Y ern sweep OF sky where the daylight
was fast dying out in gray melan-
choly and at last her eyes discerned
the face bent down TO her in impas-
siye patience.
Sarasvati, | have to speak with
thee"
Something exquisiteiy painful ex-
quisitely joyous, flashed Though her
In the drear darkness there had
broken a shaft OF light warming the
sick cold terror OF her heart
Thou speakest mine own tongue.
She said softly. almost inaudibly.
Who art thou 2n
Another OF an unhappy race the
man answered He lifted hts cap,
and she recognized the dark skin.
the clean-cut and noble features. mar
red only by "a subtle suggestion or
cruelty and sensuality. which were
the marks OF her caste
What wilt thou OF me?" she asked.
Il would ask of thee a question,
Sarasvati, daughter or Brahma,' he
returned. Il would ask or thee IL
thou hast utterly forgotten thy peo-
Pile and the land which gave thee
birth. or whether thou hast become
the willing slave OF their oppressors.
Sarasvati drew back from him
Il have not forgotten my people
nor the warmth and sunshine OF my
country" she answered Nor have
become the willing slave OF an OPP
pressor Thy words are darkness TO
me" Yet she spoke tonelessly, like
a child stammering a lesson. without
conviction.
The man before her caught her by
the wrist
Look az me he said in a voice
that yibrated with suppressed pas
sion. Are not my cheeks hollow
and my clothes those OF the perest
beggar? Aye, beggar. a Pariah, AN
outcaste have | become. though no
drop of Pariah blood runs in my
veins and though, were justice done,
the sacred sign OF Vishnu should be
between my brows. BOOK az me.
say The greatest princes OF India
have bowed before my race and I
stand before thee, powerless, caste
I less. faithess
"Faithless she echoed. as though
| the word had struck some deeper
chord Then swiftly" Who has done
this thing to yOu?
THE man TO whom thou hast given
thy lie. Sarasvati, the people TO whom
he belongs
ct Is not true
TT is the truth | swear il by the
gods whom have forsaken and who
have fOrsaken ne. His people stole
me-gave ing To the missionaries
that they might defle me and take
me from the faith OF my fathers
Well they have succeeded. They
taught me To despise all that / had
hOnored they tsught-ine their ways
and their knowledge they sought to-
! a -. fftH. laf eli al s.F.,