The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1914-07-17

ward the bright sun. The water front
swarmed with brown bodies, and great
wheeled carts drawn by sad-eyed bull.
locks threaded slowly through the
maze. The many white turbans, stir
ring hither and thither, reminded her
OF a field OF white peoples in a breeze.
India! There it lay, ready for her
eager feet, Always had she dreamed
about 1t, and romanced over 1t. and
sought 1t on the wings of her spirit.
fonder it lay, ancient as China, en-
chanting as stored Persia.
If only she were on pleasure bent,
II only she knew some one In this
great teeming city She knew no one;
she carried no letters of introduction,
no letters OF credit, nothing but the
gold and notes the paymaster at the
farm had hastily turned over to her.
Only by constant application to maps
and guide books had she managed to
arrange the short cut to the far king
dom. She had been warned that it
was a wild and turbulent place. out Of
the beaten path, beyond the reach OF
iron rails. Three long sea voyages:
across the Pacific (Which WASN'T,
down the bitter Yellow sea, up the
blue Bay of Bengal, with many a sea
change and many q strange picture,
What though her heart aehed, it was
impossible that her young eyes should
not absorb all she saw and marvel
over 1t. India!
The strange, elusive Hindu had dis
appeared after Hongkong. That was
a weight off her soul. She was now
assured that her imagination had be-
guiled her. How should he know any
thing about her? What was
natural than that he should wish to
hurry back to his native state? She
was not the only one in a hurry. And
there we're Hindus of all castles OF all
three ships. BY now she had almost
forgotten him. ...
There was n bright recollection to
break the amending loneliness. Com.
ing down from Hongkong to Singapore
she had met at the captains table a
young man by the name of Bruce. He
was q quiet. rather untalkative man,
lean and sinewy, u and wind bitten.
Kathlyn had as yet had no sentimental
affairs. Absorbed in her work. her
father, and the care of Winnie, such
young men as she had met had scarce
ly interested her. She had only toll
Grant contempt for oilers, and these
young men had belonged to that cate
CORY. Bruce caught her interest In
the very fact that he had but little to
say and said that crisply and well.
There was something authoritative in
the shape of his mouth and the steadi-
ness of his eye, though before her he
never exercised this power. A dozen
times she had been on the point OF
taking him into her confidence, but the
irony of fate had always firmly closed
her lips.
And now, waiting for the ship to
warp into its pier, she realized what a
fatal mistake her reticence had been.
A friend of her father!
Bruce had left the Lloyder before
dinner lat Singapore), and as kath-
lyn's British India coaster did not
leave till morning she had elected to
over night or the German boat,
As Bruce disappeared among the dis
embarking passengers and climbed
into a rickshaw she turned to the
captain. who stood beside her.
DO you know Mr.. Bruce?"
Very WE'LL" said the German.
Didn't he tell you who he is? No?
Ach! Why, Mr.. Bruce is a great hunt
err, He has shot everything, written
books, climbed the Himalayas. Only
last year he brought me the sack OF a
musk deer, and that is the most dan
gerous of all sports. He collects AMI
Then Kathlyn knew. The name had
been vaguely familiar, but the young
reticence had given her no OPP
portunity to dig into her recollection,
How many times her father
had spoken of him! What a fool she
had been, Bruce knew the country
she was going to, perhaps as well as
her father; and he could have sim
plifed her journey to the last word.
Well, what was done could not be re-
called and done over
my father is q great hunter, too"
she said simply, cycling wistfully the
road taken by Bruce into town.
what? Herr Colt! Are you Colo
mel Hare's daughter?" exclaimed the
captain.
yes"
He seized her by the shoulders,
why did you not tell me? Why. Colo
,el Hare and / have smoked many a.
cheroot together on these wa
.ers. Herr Colt! And you never said
anything! What q woman for a man
marry" he laughed. "You have sat
1t my table for five days, and only now
find that you are Hare's daughter!
And you have a sister. Ach, yes! ne
vas always taking out some photo
yraphs in the smokeroom and showing
hem to us old chaps"
Tears filled Kathlyn's eyes, In an
indian prison, out Of the jurisdiction
the British Raj, and with her TWO
mall hands and woman's mind she
must find him! Always the mysterious
Jacket lay close to her heart, never
or a moment was 1t beyond the reach
Il her hand. Her fathers freedom!
The rusty metal sides Of the snip
,craped against the pier and the gang
flank was lowered; and presently q
ourists flocked down with variant
motions, to be besieged by fruit ell
,rs, water carriers, cabmen, blind peg
,ars, and MANNED, naked little MI
|ren with curious. insolent black eyes,