The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-11-27

into his eyes. who can override and
destroy weaker minds. | know, | have
seen. You have heard OF suspended
animation Well. have seen ex-
amples OF It, and so have my people.
Can you wonder at their easiness In
being swayed this way and that? But
these men | refer to do not sit about
in the bazaars with wooden bowls for
coppers. II is said, however, that all
curses die with their makers. II de-
pends upon how old the Colonel sahib's
guru Is. know priests who are more
than a hundred years old. and wrin-
JSfed like the hide of HATH, the god of
elephants"
but a child could see through all
this rigamarole."
Can Bruce Sahib?" Again Ramabai
smiled. my people are sometimes
children in that they need constant
amusement Have patience. my friend;
for l understand. DO l not love Pun
dita even as you love the memsahib2"
What do you mean?" demanded
Bruce, roughly.
Il have eyes"
well. yes; 1t is true Behind you
are your people, behind us, nothing.
That is why / am frantic. Umballa,
whenever he finds himself checkmat-
ed. digs up what he assumes to be an
unused law. There is none to contest
it. / tell you, Ramabai, we must es-
cape soon, or we never will. You sug-
gested this impossible marriage 1t is
horrible!"
But it lulls Umballa; and lulled,
he becomes careless. Beyond the north
gate there are ever ready men and
elephants. And when the moment ar
rives, thither we shall fly, all of us.
But" mysteriously, we may not have
to fly. When Umballa learns that the
Colonel Sahib will refuse to sign the
necessary treasury release the sol
diers will understand that once again
they have been triaed with
I'VE must wait But it's mighty
hard"
In the garden of brides on the day
when the ten yelled candidates sat in
waiting, there was spring in the air;
and there were roses climbing trel-
lises, climbing over the marble walls,
and the pomegranate blossoms set fire
to it all. At the gate stood Ramabai,
dressed according to his station, and
representing by proxy the king. Pres
emily a splendid palanquin arrived,
and within it a tardy candidate. She
was laden with jewels, armlets, ank-
let's, and head ornaments; pearls and
uncut sapphires and rubies. Upon
lifting her veil she revealed a beauti-
full high caste face Ramabai bade
her pass on. No sooner had she taken
her place than still another palanquin
was announced, and this was drawn
by fat, sleek bullocks, all of a color.
Ramabai held up his hand. The bull
lock drivers stopped their charges, and
from the palanquin emerged a yelled
woman. This was Kathlyn.
The selected candidates were now
all present. AS master of ceremonies,
Ramabai conducted them into the
throne room, gaily decorated for the
occasion. In a balcony directly above
the canopy of the throne were musl-
clans, playing the mournful harmonies
so dear to the oriental heart.
Upon the throne sat Colonel Hare,
gorgeously attired but cold and stern
of visage, prepared to play his part
in this unutterable buffoonery. Near
by stood Durga Ram, so called Umbal-
la, smiling. 1t was going to be very
simple once yonder stubborn white
fool was welded, he would be made
to disappear there should be another
wedding, in which he, Durga Ram,
should take the part of the bride
groom Then for the treasury, flight,
and, later, ease abroad Let the fill
gree basket Of gems stay where it
was; there were millions in the treas
ury, the accumulated hoardings of
many decades.
The council and high priests also
wore their state robes, and behind
them were officers and other digni-
taries.
There was a stir as Ramabai en-
tered with the yelled candidates The
colonel in vain tried to hide his in
terest and anxiety. Kathlyn was there,
somewhere, among these kow-towing
women; but there was nothing by
which he could recognize her AS the
women spread about the throne Ra-
mabai signified to the musicians to
! cease.
Silence.
Then Ramabai brought candidate
after candidate close to the colonel, so
that he alone might see the face be-
hind the veil At each uplifting Of the
veil the colonel shook his head. A
dark frown began to settle over I'm
ballas face. If the colonel refused the
last candidate for nuptial honors, he
should die But as Ramabai lifted the
veil Of the last woman the colonel
nodded sharply; and Kathlyn, for a
brief space gazed into her fathers
eyes. The same thought occurred to
both: what horrible mockery it all
was. and where would it lead finally?
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