Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-07
The Daily Story
A Struggle For Fortune-By F. A. Mitchell.
Copyrighted. 1914. by Associated Literary Burean

| there is u firm belief in the transmigra-
J ton of souls-that is, when human
being dies the soul passes into the
body of an inferior animal.
There was a woman, NirmaL who
| lived near Calcutta who was possessed
/ of n larger share of this worlds goods
/ than is usual to any one in that coun-
! try except the rulers. She was old and
| infirm. and the only person she had to
| comfort her was a son, who was In
! poor health.
Nirmal nursed her boy, he growing
weaker every day, till at last he died
I in her arms. Leaving the body, she
went out into the yard, and the first
| thing she saw was a newborn calf
! trying to balance itself on its legs and
looking at her with its liquid eyes She
did not doubt that her sons spirit had
passed into the calf and, going to it,
| threw her arms about its neck and
crooned over it
If ever a dumb animal was born into
the world with a silver spoon in It's
mouth" it was this calf A room on
the ground floor was prepared for 1t,
with n door that would enable it to go
out and in at will. At one end or the
room trough was built for its food.
and since IL did not eat dainty food IL
was given a plentiful supply of such
as a calf requires.
When NirnaI died she left her for
tune to the calf, appointing an ad-
ministrator and guardian. AT the ami
mails death the fortune was to pass to
the testator's little niece, Agya, then
seven years old. Nirmal was aware
that it might be to the interest of some
one to kill the calf in order to get pos
session of the property through Agya,
who was but a child and untitled to
defeat such a purpose. Nirmal there
fore appointed Kadur, priest, whose
sacred calling she believed would make
him honest, to take care of the calf.
This man had charge of a temple
wherein was an oracle who told peo-
pie what would happen to them and
how to avoid adverse DEGREES of fate
The oracle was the priest himself, who
was concealed at the other end Of the
speaking tube, whence came the voice.
Those who received information drop
ped coins into receptacle set up for
the purpose. and the money was appro-
priated by the priest.
buSlUeSS DIT Tue UcluS duii
when Kadur was left the care of the
calf, he relegated the temple to an
other and accepted the new position,
not that the salary he received as ad-
ministrator was more than his profits
as oracle, but the income of the estate
would enable him to feed the calf and
still have far more than he could make
at the supernatural end of the speak
ing tube.
For a few years he enjoyed the per-
quisites of his Enthusiastically; then
the calf. which had meanwhile become
a COW. died. Kadur. having no idea
of giving up a good thing, substituted
another COW and kept on heaping up
the funds.
By this time Agya had come to a
manageable age. She had often visit
ed the COW in its manger and knew
not only its color, but every spot on
it's body. Kadur had matched as well
as he could the COW of which he was
guardian, but it was impossible that
he should do so exactly. Every patch
of color was duplicated. but there was
in the original a black spot in white
behind the right ear that was not pres
ent In the substitute.
After the ward COW died Kadur dis
couraged Agya from visiting the sue
cessor, fearing that she would discover
the fraud. He told her that he had
had a dream that her cousin would
kick her to death. Agya grew suspi-
ciouS and found way to visit the
manager when its guardian was absent
and discovered the substitution.
Agya when she made this discovery
had passed the age when Indian girls
are married, for they wed in child
hood. and, since unmarried girls in
that country are considered undesira-
BILE, was fearful that she would be put
out of the way. She had been thus !
far saved by the fact of her proSpec !
tive Inheritance; but, now that one |
cow after another would nominally |
hold her fortune and Eadur would alb /
sOrb the income. she feared that if the 1
matter became known she would be
Strangled. The original COW would 4
now be ten years old. and Agya's ia /
ther was thinking that it was time she
should die Agya. poor girl, was in
an agony of fear lest he should suS
pect fraud. make an investigation and
discover that new heir had received
her property. for she knew that no one
would have power to defeat the ras
cality of Il priest in the courts. and
her fortune would be considered lost
Agya about this time met young
man. Rustum, with whom she fell IN
love. and he loved her. She confided
TO him the situation. and the two put
their heads together TO form n plan OF
killing the COW ard getting the prop
erty. This would be a difficult feat 10
accomplish. First it would be next to
impossible to get ut the beast. for IA
dur had got wind of Agya's visit TO the
manager and kept several hirelings with
orders to keep any one from access To-
the cow; secondly. there must be wit
nesSes that she was dead
One day young man appeared AZ
the place where the priest lived ana
applied for work he declared thar he