The Winslow mail., 1917-10-19

| regarded as a mild form of mania.
In small town where the closer con-
tact with our neighbors, it would seem
ought to breed a stronger love and
tolerance it more often happens that
criticism magnifes their peculiarities
| and exaggerates their faults. So 1t
was that ESthers stubborn belief that
March would return, in the face of all
reasonable proof to the contrary grew
in the minds of the townspeople from
mania to insanity; and when an in
innate friend told another intimate
friend that Esther Marvin had said
she sent Howard March a wireless"
then it began to be whispered about in
confidence that an insane asylum
might not be a remote possibility.
Careful parents began to withdraw
their daughters from the school. The
attendance gradually dwindled till one
day Esther with a kind of dull despair
closed the schoOlroOm, and sat down
to wonder what next she could do, for
the little money which had of late been
coming in was lessening fast She
could not understand why the school
after years of prosperity had failed
Not for one instant did she dream of
the real cause. Her faith in the re-
turn of the man she loved, and her be-
lief that she would yet reach him with
her own wireless" was to her so true
and convincing she could not quite un-
derstand why it should be utterly pre-
posterous to others.
But what of Howard March? These
are the facts, as they afterward came
to the surface. The expedition met
with failure on the island where they
had expected to start the tea planta-
ton. They were told of better Opportun-
tiles in the southern Chinese territory,
so they went there, secured some land,
and started their project. Not under
standing well the tea culture, again
they failed, and all of the men but
Howard March decided to return. He
had picked up enough of the Chinese
language to speak it quite well, and he
wished to explore further, and to see
something of India, for he had for
years been interested in the study of
occult things, and the dreamy atmos-
phere of the Orient had strengthened
the desire. But stronger than this was
the love of adventure. So passing
from Calcutta he one day found him
self in Darjeeling on tho borders of
the forbidden Land" Tibet, that
strange country, whose mysterious,
marvellous capital is ruled by the
Dalai Lama" vice-regent Of Buddha
on earth, upon whose countenance no
stranger may look and live.
March had been warned that it was
not only foolish but fatal to try to
penetrate much further into Tibet; but
one day he fell in with two English
men who had been commissioned by
the British government to survey as
far as possible into the interior. March
stirred to enthusiasm by their project,
asked to join them, and was gladly ac-
cepted.
They started out disguised as Chi
nese merchants. Two of their prayer
wheel covers concealed surveying in
struments, which were taken out for
use when the coast was clear; and
hastily hidden when a native appeared.
Meanwhile March industriously twirled
his wheel, piously murmuring his devo-
tions. so that no questions would be
asked; for the Oriental will never in-
terrupt the prayers of the faithful.
Nothing but tough physical fiber,
and high courage could have taken
them over the arid sands, and the al
most inaccessible mountain peaks and
gorges, but one day they arrived with
in sight of the wonderful walled city
of LhaSa. Its splendid roofs and tur-
rets rose on series of hills to an
enormous height, crowned by the beau
tiful palace of the grand lama.
Now" said Blake, "we've seen
Lhasa, and are still alive, let us turn
back at once"
But Stirling, the younger man, and
March were for trying to go nearer.
Blake firmly refused and it was ar
ranged he should wait for them at
point some ten miles back. He took
all the records of the survey, and if
they did not appear in two weeks, he
was to go on to Darjeeling, and again
wait.
The two men went on, and toward
night were within a few rods of the
great gate surmounted by its curious
cap-shaped dome, and tapering tower.
band Of pilgrims were going in, and
they managed to enter with them. But
the next instant they were seized and
imprisoned. For two days they were
fiogged in the public square. The third
day Stirling was executed. March
knew it was his turn next. He was
turning his prayer wheel, having in the
interval put up an earnest prayer in
his own tongue, when Buddhist monk
paused, and spoke to him. He asked
If he would like to join the brother
hood. He said he would, and that day
was liberated and won't tO 1.-Two In tho