Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-10-15
CHAPTER n.
The UnweIcome Throne

when, about a month later, she arrived
at the basin in Calcutta. A thousand
or more natives were bathing ceremo-
niously in the ghat-men, women, and
children. 1t was early morn. and they
were making solemn geiuf1exions to-
ward the bright sun. TIE water front
swarmed with brown boSies. 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 field of white poppies in breeze.
India! There it lay, ready for her
eager feet. Always had she dreamed
about it, and romanced over 1t. and
sought it on the wings of her spirit.
Yonder it lay. ancient as China. en-
chanting as staried Persia.
II 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 1t
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 strange picture.
What though her heart ached. 1t was
III 81. l.. uhnt n
not absorb all she saw and marvel
over II. India.
The strange. elusive Hindu had dis
appeared after Hongkong. That was
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 more
natural than that he should wish to
hurry back to his native state? She
was not the only one in hurry. And
there were Hindus of all castes on all
three ships. By now she had almost
forgotten him.
There was one bright recollection to
break the unending loneliness. Com
ing down from Hongkong to Singapore
she had met at the captains table q
young man by the name of Bruce. He
was a quiet, rather untalkative man,
lean and sinewy, sun 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 idlers. 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 Cat Singapore), and as Kath-
lyn's British-India coaster did not
leave till morning she had elected to
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 WELL" said the German.
Didn't he tell you who he is? No?
Ach, Why. Mr.. Bruce is great hunt
er. 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
mails"
Then Kathlyp knew. The name had
been vaguely familiar, but the young
mans reticence had given her no op-
portunity to dig into her recollection.
Bruce. 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
plified her journey to the last word.
Well, what was done could not be re-
called and done over.
My father is great hunter. too"
sne said simply, eyeing wistfully the
road taken by Bruce into town.
What? Herr Gott! 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
mel Hare and | have smoked many a
Burma charoot together On these wa !