The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

coronation
How did my father die?'
He was assassinated the palace steps by Ma
hammedan fanatic As told you, he died in my arms
His note sgnifed that he feared Imprisonment How
he the palace steps?"
He was not prisoner He and went he
pleased in the city" He bowed and left her.
Alone in her chamber the dullness of her mind dmn-
shed and finally cleared away like fog in wind Her
DEAR kind blue eyed Dead and she virtu
ally prisoner, and Winnie all alone. queen!
They were mad she was in the midst of some hdeous
nightmare. Mad, mad mad! She began to laugh, and 1t
not pleasant sound. A queen, she, kathyn Hare:
Her father dead, she queen, and Winnie was
all alone gale of laughter brought to the marble lattice
many wondering eyes, The white cockaoo shrilled his
dspeasure Those outside the lattice saw this marvellous
white skinned woman with hair like the gold threads in
Chinese brocades suddenly throw herself upon pile OF
cushions they her shoulders rock and heave but
heard sound of wailng
After while she fell asleep kind of dreamess
stupor. When she awoke it twilight In the court
The cooling and futering in the cornces and
the cockatoo preening his lemon colored topknot
At first Kahlyn had not the least idea where she was
but the light beyond the lattice the fitting shadows, and
the tinkle of srnged instrument assured her that she
awake, terribly awake.
She perfectly STILL slowly gathering her strength,
mental and physical She not her fathers daughter
for nothing She to fight in strange warfare,
nsnctvely she felt this but from what direction, in
what shape only God knew Yet she must for IT.
that the vital thing she must marshal her forces,
feminine and only defensive and watch.
Rao Her hands cutched the pillows In i've days
time would be John Bruce and there would
be white there and they would come to her though
a thousand egions of these brown stood between.
She must play for time; she must pretend docity and
humility, meet guile with guile She could get no word
her faithful khtmatgar; here, if to
bribery could be made to understand Only Umballa and
the council spoke English it. She had
days grace within that time she hoped find loop
hole.
Native girls entered noiseessly The hanging lamps
lit A abaret before her. There luail
and kid, fruits and fragrant tea. She not
hungry, but she ate.
Within dozen yards of her her father, stolidly
munchng his chupatts because he knew. that he
must live.
One of the chief characteristics of the East Indian Is
extravaganza To outve each other in celebrations of
births, weddings Deaths and coronatons they beggar
themselves In this the oriental and the occidental have
thing in common. This principality small but
there deal of wealth in it because of its emerald
mines and turquoise pits The Durbar brought ont
princes and prncengs from east, SOUTH and west, and
three four wid-eyed amrs from the north The
fete, but it attention for the simple fact that
it had been invited attend St it watched the
performance coverty Usually Durbars took months of
preparation; this had been called into existence with
in ten days.
Elephants and cames and bulocks paanquins CHARTS.
cloth of gold and cloth of jewels color confusion,
maddening noses and color. There very little
semblance of order rajah preceded princeng
down. The wailng of reeds and the muttering Of
kettle lang ham ting usiv low
minor chords seemingly struck at random, nermingling
droning chant thousand streams of incense crossing
and recrossing and fireworks at night fireworks which
had all the way China by caravan-these
things Kathyn and heard from her lattice.
The popuace viewed all these manifestations quietly.
They perfectly willing to wait If this white queen
proved kind they would about their affairs leaving
in but they determined that she should
puppet in the hands of Umbala whom they hated for his
cruelty and money leechng ways. O. everything
ripe in the state for murder and looand the reaching
holding hand of the British Raj.
As Kahlyn advanced to the caponied dais upon which
she be crowned hand filled with flowers reached
out. She turned to Ahmed.
" Bruce Sahb," she whispered.
Ahmed saaamed deeply she passed The imprss
that she dreaming again seized her. This could
possibly be real Her feet did touch ~
carpets she did breathe she foated 1t wss
only when the placed upon her head that ~
realized the reality and the naty of the proceedings
Be wise, whispered Umballa, coldy. :" If you take
off that now, neither your gods nor mine couh
save you from that mob down yonder. Be advised.
Rise
She obeyed. She wanted to cry to that Of
bronze faces People, do be your queen.
Let me go!" They would not understand. Where wss
Rao? Where Bruce? What of the hope that now
fickered and died in her heart, like gutcring candle
light? There small dagger hidden in the folds Of
her white robe; she could always that. She heard
Umbala speaking in the native tongue. shouting
followed The populace sufged
What have you said to them?" she demanded.
That her majesty had chosen Durga Ram to be her
consort and to him forthwith she will be we'd" He
salaamed.
So the mask was off Marry you? o, no! Mate
with You, black?"
Black?" he cried, If whplash had struck him
across the face.
Yes, black of skin and black of heart. have sub.
mtted TO of Durha but is far.