The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-08-03

II regret that his excellency the
commissioner has gone to Bombay.
Besides. do not know that you tell
the truth. Still, Lean offer you what
pearls and emeralds you may find to-
your liking
Your highness, there are those
whose coming shortly viii cause you
much annoyance q You refuse to give
me proper aid. There Is no possible
way for you to cover up my appear
sanee here. Send me to the commits:
Esioner's ibungalo w, where I may await
the coming of my friends. s,fP
+ Indeed y The sknmor saw here a,
conflict not altogether to his liking.
He was lazy, and there was the damn
able, unrelenting hand Of the British!
raj looming III the distance. He,
shrugged. sAchmet, call the captain
,of the guard and have him convey this
runaway queen to Alfalfa. Surely, 4
may not NEEDLE with the affairs Of a,
friendly state With a wave Of his,
fat. beteweledI hand he appeared 10 dis.
miss the matter from his mind.
Kathlsn was led d&ny. The human
mind Eean stand only SO many shocks.
Outside the palace courtyard stood
Raiah, the howdah securely attached
once more. KathlynS was hidden to
mount. Awater- bottle and some cakes
were placed in the howdah beside her.
Then q drunken mahout mounted be-
hind Raiah's ears. The elephant did,
not like the feel Of the mans legs, and
he began to sway ominously. Never.
stheless, he permitted the mahout to
direct him to one of The city gates, the
soldiers trooping alongside.
+ 1t appeared that there was a much
shorter route 70. Alfalfa. Time; being
essential, Bruce had had to make for,
the frontier blindly. as 1t were, The
regular highway, was a moderately de.
cent road which led along the banks
Of one OF these streams which eyentu.
ally join the sacred lJumna. This, sof
course, was also sacred. Many tHindus
were bathing in the CHATS. They
passed by these and presently came
upon a funeral pyre. /; 4
| Sometimes one sleeps with, ones
eye open, and thus 1t was with Ikath.
5lyn. Out Of! that funeral pyre her
sfeverish thoughts builded IA frightful
dream. q s,s VI II 4
The drunken mahout slid on sRaiah; 4
the soldiers turned aside. Hired sfe.
male mourners were kneeling about,
wailing and beating their breasts,
while behind them stood the high caste
widow, her face as tragic as DID IS al
the pyre OF Eneas. Suddenly she
threw up her arms high above her
,sE Il am sittee!'. n
Sutteet It was against the law of
the British raj! The soldiers began
arguing with the widow but only hall
hearted II was a pions rite,
WORTHY ri; the iids 81 caste Hindu,s wife,
better III. on the yre than d: future
life like that OF o pnriah dog. For a
Wife who referred to live after her
husband was gone was q social out
cast, permitted not to wed again, 10
exist only as q drudge, d meplaI. the
scoff and contempt Of an who Ind
known her IN her! days % prnsperitys
& The dow having drunk from a cup
which ntained opium, clin,hed 10 the
top Of the pyre where her husband lay,
iswathed sins white. She gazed about
wildly, and her courage and resolve
took wings. She stumbled down. a,
low kissing ran about.
Make the white woman suffice In
her place!n cried the drunken smahout.
The cry was taken up by the ;specta:
tors. Kathlyn felt herself dragged
from the elephant, bound. and finally,
laid beside the swathed figure. There
could be no horror in the wide world
like it. Smoke began to curl up from
the underbrush.Ss1 It choked and stiaed
her. Sparks rose and dropped upon
her arms and face. And through the
smoke and fame came Rajah. He lifted
her with his powerful trunk and car.
iried her of. for hours and hours, back
into, the trackless Jungle. I. III
Kathlyn found herself. all at once,
sitting against the roots OF an aged
5banyan tree. A few yards away an
ape sat on his launches and eyed her
curiously. A little farther on Raiah
abrowsed In a clump Of weeds, 5thei how:
dab at a fakish angle, like the cooked
hat of bully. Kathlyn stared at her
hands: There were no burns there.
She passed "a hand over her face;i
there was no smart or sting. a. dream !,
she had dreamed It: a fantasy due; to
her: light headed state Of mind. "A
idream!s She cried and laughed, and
the ape gibbered at her ;uneasily. Z 4
In reality. Rajah, freed Of his pn.
welcome mahout had legged 10 down
the road without so much as trumpet
ing his farewell. and the soldiers had
not been able To stop him! !
How she manage ed TO get; downiwouId
always remain a mysteryS to her! Food
and water food and waters in her;
present state she must have both Or