Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-01-21


US. perhaps more sinister than any we
have yet known"
Don't you want mef" asked Bruce
quietly.
Kathlyn had gone to her room to
hide her tears.
Want you! But mol" The colonel
wrung the young mans hand and
turned to go back to Kathlyn.
wait q moment. colonel. Suppos-
ing l wanted to go, what then? Sup
posing should say to you what dare
not yet say to your daughter. that l
love her better than anything else IN
all this wide world; that it will be
happiness to follow wherever she goes
even unto death?"
The colonel wheeled. Bruce, do you
mean that?"
with all my heart, sir. But please
say nothing to Kathlyn till this affair
ends, one way or the other. She might
be stirred by sense of gratitude, and
later regret 1t. When we get out OF
this-and l rather believe in the
prophecy of Ahmed's guru or fakir-
then I'll speak. l have always been
rather lonely man. There's been no
real good reason. l have always de-
sired to be loved for my own sake. and
not for the money l have"
Money!" repeated the colonel.
Never had he in any way associated
this healthy young hunter with money.
Did he not make a business OF trap
ping and selling wild animals. like
himself? Money! did not know that
you had any. Bruce"
Il am the son of Roger Bruce"
What! The man who owned near
ly all of Peru and half the railroads in
South American"
Yes. You see. colonel. we are
something alike. We never ask ques-
II we had. Because ! did not question
Kathlyn when l first met her | feel
half to blame for her misfortunes. |
should have told her all about Allaha
and warned her to keep out Of it. l
should have advised her to send native
Investigators, she to remain in Pesha-
wur till she learned the truth. But the
name OF Hare suggested nothing to
me- not till after l had left her at
Singapore. So l shall go back with
you But please let Kathlyn continue
to think OF me as a man who earns his
| own living"
God bless you, my boy! You have
put a new backbone in me. It's hard
not to have white man to talk to, to
plan with. Ahmed expects that we
shall be ready for the return in the
morning. He. however. intends to go
back on a racing camel, to go straight
| to my bungalow, If 1t isn't destroyed
by this time. Perhaps Winnie has not
arrived there yet trust Ahmed"
so do |. I have known him for a
long time-that is, | thought ] did
and during the last few weeks he has
been n revelation. Think OF his being
your headman all these years. and yet
steadily working for his raj. the Brit
fish raj!"
They can keep secrets"
! Well, we have this satisfaction:
when Pundita rules 1t will be under the
protecting hand of England. Now lei
us try to look at the cheerful side OF
| the business. Think of what that girl
has gone through with scarcely a
scratch, Can't you read something In
that? See how strong and self-reliant
she has become under such misfor'
tunes as would have driven mad any
ordinary woman! Can't you see light
In all this? ! tell you, there is good and
evil working for and against us. and
that Ahmed's fakir will in the end
prove stronger than your bally old
/ guru. When ! am out OF the Orient
laugh at such things. but l can't laugh
at them somehow when I'm in India. ;
Nor l."
That night Kathlyn signified that
she wished to go down to the beach
beyond the harbor basin. Bruce ac
companied her. Often he caught heI
staring out at the twinkling lights on
board the Simla. By and by they