The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1914-03-05
::SCUEO FROM !
A FUNERAL PYRE
Romantic Meeting of an Amer
lean and His Future Bride.


he was why quarterback and u
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 diploma.
Bob determined to do some more
studying abroad. He was a professed
woman hater, and before he left the
girls poked fun at him by betting him
box of cigars against hundred
yards Of brussels lace that he would
bring back a 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 a British
captain, "by treaty with the British
government
"Sahib." said an Indian servant,
there will be 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 became much in
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
themselves posse to do so. The
were hard to move at first
but eventually they chimed in with
alacrity The party arose from the
table and, guided by the servant. went
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.
II have scheme" said Brackett-"a
real out and out Yankee scheme. Well
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.
Suppose we dig tunnel to a point
beneath the pyre. remove the material
from under where the widow will lie
and let her down and out before the
flames touch her."
"Good," said every one. and the Hin
du servant was dispatched for spades
and wheelbarrow. With will they
set to work, all of them young. strong
men, and In three hours spade broke
through the ground and struck the
wood of the pyre. Then commenced
The more difficult work of locating the
required spot and removing that part
Of the pyre directly under the spot
where the widow would lie. However,
It was at last accomplished, the
wooden platform being left supported
BY pieces of timber that could be re-
moved at will.
In the morning there was great din
of the funeral procession approaching.
A troop of Brahman priests, their
shaved heads uncovered, carrying torch
es, followed by concourse of natives,
'ame bowling into the court. In their
midst was the young widow. The party
Of Anglo-Saxons had pushed the NOR.
tar from chink in the wall, through
which they watched the proceedings.
At the foot of the pyre the widow was
stripped of all her clothing except a
line silken undergarment. To see the
young thing stand there, looking about
her with bewildered stare, then at
he pyre with shudder, was enough
% move stouter hearts than the Eng
ish and Americans. Bracket took one
ook through the peephole, then dashed
INTO the tunnel and to the bottom of
he pyre, where he stood ready. When
he widow assembled the pyre and lay
Town and cloud Of smoke concealed
he bodies, the signal was given by a
British officer at the peephole. Remov-
ng the support, Bracket lowered the
living body, receiving it in his arms.
The widow, frightened at this unex-
ected occurrence as well as the flames,
and was easily carried through |
be tunnel to the ruined chamber.
1t was not till night that the party,
lressng the widow in the costume of
heir servant, Bob Bracket sacrificing
Is beard to take the latter's place,
AIRED to leave their place of conceal
nent and return to their quarters.
The widow, knowing that If found she
you'd be spqrned by her people and
ompelled to again 60 through the
read ordeal to its completion, begged
er Hberators to take her out of the
ountry. AS none of them could 60
7here he liked except Bracket, he
7as assigned the post of honor. 1t
'as on a long journey on P. and o.
teamer to England, sitting with her
ally on deck, talking of her past life
nd telling her of the western world,
nat Bracket lost his heart. The con-
,quence was that when they reached
ngland the widow Of the Prince of
ingpore became Mrs. Bob Bracket.
On the arrival few weeks later of
he steamer Lucania at New York
racketts girl friends. who had heard
hic v-x.io iii