Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1915-03-25
CHAPTER xxIll-contlnued.

passed"
Not the soldiers, my lord"
And this poor man! Pundita, M
was murdered. and am powerless tC
avenge him. 1t was Umballa; bu
what proof have l? None. none. Well
for me there is left but one thing: tc
leave Alfalfa for good. We two shall
go to some country where honor and
kindness are not crimes but virtues.
my lord. It is our new religion"
And shall we hold to 1t and go. OF
repudiate II and stay"
j am my lords chattel; but
should despise him II he took the base
course"
And so should |, flower Of my
hearth" Ramabai folded his arms and
stared down modify at the man who,
had he lived, could have made Pun
dita his successor. "Pundta. have
not yet dared tell you all; but here,
in the presence OF death. truth will
out. We cannot leave. Confiscation
Of property and death face US at every
gate. No! Umballa proposes to crush
me gradually and make my life hell.
receive me in his house. Worship Is
denied us, unless we worship in secret.
There is one pathway open" He
paused.
And what is that, my lord?"
ITO kneel In the temple and re-
nounce our religion, Do we that. and
we are free to leave Alfalfa" \
Pundita smiled My lord is not
capable of so vile an act"
No"
And hand in hand they stood before
catafalque. forgetting everything but
the perfect understanding between
them.
al, all"
1t was but murmur; and the two
turned to witness the approach of the
woman of the zenana. She flung her.
self down before the catafalque. pas
sionately kissing the shroud She
leaned back and beat her breast and
walled. Ramabai was vastly puzzled
over this demonstration. That hand
some young woman should wall over
the corpse Of an old man who had
I never been anything to her might have
an Interpretation far removed from
sorrow. Always in sympathy. how.
ever, with those bowed with grief, Ra-
mabai stopped and attempted to raise
her
She shrank from his touch, looked
up, and for the first time seemed to
be aware Of his presence. Like bub-
BILE under water, that which had been
striving for utterance came to the sur
face. She snAtched one OF Ramabai's
hands.
al, 81! l am wretched, lord, wretch
ed! Tbsre Is hot lead in my heart and
poison IL my brain! | will confess,
confess!"
Ramabai and Pundita gazed at each
other, astonished.
What is It? What do you wish to
corfess?" cried Ramabai quickly. Per.
haps
she chung to his hand. They will
order my death by the silken cord.
ANT afraid. Krishna fend for mel"
What do you know?"
Ills majesty was murdered" she
whispered.
II know that" replied Ramabai
But who murdered him? Who built
that cage in the palanquin? Who put
the tiger there? Who beat and over
powered the real bearers and confis-
Gated their turbans? Speak. girl; and
II you can prove these things, there
will be no silken cord"
But who will believe a poor WON.
an of the zenana?"
Il will"
But you cannot save me from the
cord. They have taken away your
power"
And you shall give it back to mel"
"I?"
Even So Come with me now, to
the temple"
The temple?"
Aye; where all the soldiers are,
the priests and Durga RAM"
al al! Durga Ram; 1t was he!
And helped him, thus: secured per.
mission to go into the bazaars. There
an assault took place under the COM
mand Of Durga Ram. and my bearers
were made prisoners Durga Ram,
disguised as a bearer, himself freed
the tiger which killed the king, Yes!
To the temple She who confesses in
the temple, her person is sacred. 1t
is the law, the law! ! had forgotten!
To the temple. my Lord"
Before the high tribunal of priests
before the unhappy Kathlyn, before
the astonished Umballa, appeared Ra
mabai and Pundita, between them the
young woman Of the zenana, now al
most dead with terror.
Hold" cried Ramabai when the
soldiers started toward him to eject
him from the temple.
What" said Umballa; will you re
cant?"
mo. Durga Ram. / stand here be
fore you all, an accuser! l know the
law. Will you, wise and venerable
priests, you men Of Alfalfa. you sol