The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-02-11

"Here your majesty must remain dill the day OF you
coronation"
How did my father die"
HE was assassinated on the palace steps by a Mo
hammedan fanatic. Az / told you, he died in my arms"
His note signifed that he feared imprisonment. How
came he on the palace steps"
"He was not a prisoner. He came and went as be
pleased in the city" He bowed and left her.
Alone in her chamber, the dullnes~ Of her mind dimin-
ished and finally cleared away like a fog in q wind. her
dear, kind, blue eyed father was deal, and he was virtu"
ally a prisoner, and Winnie was all alone. 4 queen!
They were mad, or she was in the midst Of some hideous
nightmare. Mad, mad. mad! She + gFl to laugh' and IL
was not a pleasant sound. A queen, she, kathlyn Hars!
Her father was dead, sht was a queen, and Winnie was
all alone. A gale of laughter brought to the marble lattice
many wondering eyes. The white coc%atoo shrtled his
displeasure. Those outside the lattice SAW this marvellous
white skinned woman, with hair like the gold threads iu
Chinese brocades, suddenly throw herself upon a pile Of
cushions, and they saw Ter shoulders rock and heaVe' out
heard no sound Of wailinC.
After a while she fell asleep, a kind Of dreamless
stupor. When she awoke it was twilight in the court.
The doves were cooling and futtering in the corn;ces and
the cockatoo was preening his lemon colored topknot'
At first Kathlyn had not the least idea where she was,
but the light beyond the lattice, the fitting shadows, ana
the tinkle of a stringed instrument assured her that she
was awake, terribly awake.
She sat perfectly still, slowly ga lering her strength,
mental and physical. She was not her fathers daughter
fr nothing. She was to fight in some strange warfare.
nstinctively she felt this but from what direction, In
what shape. only God knew. Yet she mus. prepare for It;
that was the vital thing; she must marsh her forces,
cminine and only defensive, and watch.
Rao! Her hands clutched he pill owe. liz FIVE days
ine he would be off to seek John Bruce; and thee would
DC white men there, and they would come to her though
a thousand legions of these brown men &c d between.
She must play for time; she must pretend docility and
humility, meet guile with guile. She could get no word
to her faithful khitmatgar; none :-e, even .: open 10
bribery, could be made to understand. Only Umballa and
th, council spoke English or understood it. She had ten
days grace within that time she hoped t. find some loop
hole.
Slave girls entered Ioiselessly. The hanging lamps
we're lit. A tabaret was set before her. There were quad
and roast kid. fruits and fragrant tea. She was not
hungy, but she ate.
Within a dozen yards of her sat Eer father. stolidly
munching his chupattis, because he knew thHt now be
must live.
One of the chief characteristics Of the East Indian IS
extravaganza. To outvie ench other in celebrations of
births, weddings, deaths, and co~ronations they beggar
themselves. In this the oriental and the occidental have
one thing in common. This princip~litv vas small, but
there was q deal of wealth in 1t because Of its emerald
mines and turquoise pits: The DuTbar brought out
princes and princelings from east, south and west, and
et three or four ~wild-eyed amirs fom TIL north. The
British government at Calcutta heard vaguely about this
fete. but gave il scant attention for the simple fact that
it had not been invited to attend. Still, it watched the
performance covertly. Usually Durbars took months Of
preparation this one had been called into existence with
in ten days.
Elephants and camels and bullocks; palanquins, CHARTS,
tongas; cloth Of gold and cloth II jewels; color, confusion,
maddening noises, and more color. There was very little
semblance Of order; a rajah preceded a princeling, and so
on down. The waiing Of reeds and the muttering OF
kettle drums; music, languorous, haunting. elusive, low
minor chords seemingly truck at random, intermingling
a droning chant; a thousand streams of incense, crossing
and recrossing;. and fireworks at night, fireworks which
had come oil the way across China by caravan-theHe
things Kathlyn saw and heard from her lattice.
The populace viewed all these manifestations quietly.
They were perfectly willing to wait II this white queen
proved kind they would go about their affairs, leaving her
in peace; but they were determined that she should be no
puppet in the hands of Umballa, whom they hated for his
cruelty and money leeching ways. o, everything was ripe
in the state for murder and loot-and the reaching, hold.
ing hand Of the British Raj.
AS Kathlyn advanced to the canopied dais upon which
she was to be crowned, a hand filed with flowers reached
ont. She turned to see Ahmed.
Bruce sahib," she whispered.
Ahmed salaamed deeply as she passed On. The impress.
sion that she was dreaming again seized her. This could
not possibly be real. Her feet did not seem . touch the
carpets: she did not seem to breathe; she foated. II was
only when the crown was placed upon her heal that she
realized the reality and the fnality of the proceedings.
BE wise" whispered Umbarla, coldly. If you taks
of that crown now, neither your gods nor mine could
save you from that mob Gown yonder. Be advised. Rise r.
She obeyed. She wanted to cry QUE to that sea Of
bronze faces: People, I do not want to be you- queen.
Let me got" They would NOT understand. Where was
Rao? Where was Bruce? What of the hope that now
aickersd and died in her heart like a ~gu.tsring candle
light? There was q small dagger hidden In the folds oil
her white robe; she could always use that. She heard
Umbalia speaking In the native tongue. A great shouting
followed. The ~populaes surged.
What have you said to them" she demanded.
THAT her majesty had chosen Durga Ram to be her
eonsoEt and 10 him now forthwith 81 win BE- we'd Re
salaamed.
So the mask was OF! "Marry soue o., no! Mats
with you, a black
"Rlaek?' he cried. as R q whiplaah had struck him
across the face.
Yes. black Of kin ead black Of heart. / have snb