South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-11-18

skirts Of the British mission camp. It
was big and square, with double flies
of course, and with its inner walls ornate with
Arabesque designs in brightcolored canvas.
Its spaciousness and airiness were greatly in
creased by the feet that its floor sunk
some three feet below the ground from whose
surface rose the canNa structure.
I'm front Of the tent beneath the wide pro-
tecting awning sa Godfrey Hearn, the head
OF the mission. a book was his knees. but
me was not reading. and the pipe that lay on
The arm of the long deck chair had been cold
for at least an hour. For almost that time, in
deed Hearn had not moved, but had gazed
with wide. unseeing eyes Il the placid scene
before him.
Away to the right stretched the corn
fields Of his nearest neghbor, golden with
heavv-eared rain that awaited only the visit
OF the tahsildar to assess the 1.-THE before he
gave the permit to harvest little river
wound through those yellow fields, and in his
sunset strolls along Its banks many great
rudy sheldrake. that prince of aquatiles, with
count -ess minor waterfowl had fallen TO his
gun in the two past Summers
The two past Summers!
Yes this was his third year of exile within
these wilds The third year of his marriage to
Hilda and the ensuing quarrel with his uncle
who had called him his heir. Hearn smiled
bitterly ar thought of the dramatic conse-
quences Of that quarrel. II had wrecked his
Iife-that was ill The change from the full
sire uous. eager life in a crack regiment with
its many interests had been rendered very
poignant by the contrast with life in these
wilds where in a pOpulace of a hundred thou
sand savages he and Hida represented an
eighth part of the total Europen community
And yet he could but own that this altered
career with its shrunken purse and prospect
of slow promotion, would be but minor evils
and cheerfully to be borne were il not for the
change in Hilda herself.
Yes there was the change.
The lovely, bright joyous girl who had so
readily Endorsed his plea that Uncle Charlie
will come round" was to-day very different
woman lstless querulous, Indifferent.
He had wrecked her life like his own.
Nay, more! For he. at least, had duties and
occupattcI but she had neither duties, nor in
terests. nor amusements. nor cared to make
either
Fearn sighed heavily. Then he reused him
self. the distant clatter of a horses gallop
broke the MONDAY silence OF the plain.
He rose. stepped out into the sunshine and
looked around at the drowsy camp. There
were the hOrses-a long row of them beneath
their mud-roofed lean-to-hicking lazy tails
and idlv tossing fringed frontals. and there
we're the guard tents with saddles and accOu-
trements neatly ranged on trees that stood
I'm pans - sater dPfying the white ants; there
again was the kitchen tent, with the great
black stove before #, object so weirdly gro
tesuue that it had scared away a wolf that had
strolled into camp in the moonlight; and hard
bv the servants shelters, true caves OF mys-
teries that one would not seek to fathom.
Ave. and beyond we're their own quarters
That clumsy Algerian tent screened the chaste
SUMMERS of Madame Berth. the old French
doctors capable. motherly wife, who had come
ont from the distant town 10 be with Hilda IN
her trouble Hearn smiled at the thought OF
the hustling loyable old woman and her unIal-
ing happy representations.
Thence his eyes turned TO huge boat
shaped tent Of green canvas, with spacious
annexes for bathroom and for boudoir, and
with a lofty sheltering roof Of mud and straw
raised high above it, Within, surrounded Dy
every element of comfort that the country
could supplv. lay his wife Hilda, awaiting the
event which is at once the happiest and most
dreaded OF woman's existence
Would that event serve TO knit together once
more the parting strands of their two hvesE
n had often so happened. he had heard. i
might-nay surely it should-happen now.
All we'll Allah Akbar.'
He sighed again. and entering the onlce
tent sat at his desk
Tavar Agha. head Kavass OF the mission,
bending his tan form at the tent door ulppeo
down the mud steps and saluted.
For moment he stood still. his eyes dazzled
BY the sun-elare of his thirty miles ride. Th2n
he advanced across the dim room and stood DE-
side the desk.
The mail Excellency," he said and laid at
Hearn's feet the heavy, uavel-Norn leather
bag triple locked and triple sealed, which had
been forwarded from the Embassy elght nun
dred miles away.
The coming OF the mail that precious link
between the exiles and the far-of homeland,
hrsght of color In the dim