Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1924-08-30
Sikh Protects
the Honor of
Captain Peter
BY H. M. ECBERT

III n y II 4 II n
%. 1874. Western Newspaper Union.)
CAPTAIN PETER was in India, and
- his young wife in the old manor
house in the West country; and it was
very lonely there.
Captain Peter was fifteen years old
err than Elizabeth, who seemed hardly
more than child. There had been
q little girl, but she had not been
able to live in the hot, deadly eli
mate Of the Punjaub; and when Cap
tain Peter saw that the mother was
likely to follow the child he sent her
home to await his coming when his
year Of absence arrived.
Captain Peter had sent Rustum with
her. Rustum was only the butler, but
the captain knew that he would guard
his young wife as the apple of his eye.
'"Take care of her, Rustum," he said.
It'll death, Sahib!" answered the
old Sikh.
But it was lonely in the old house,
and, after she was strong again, Eliz-
abeth had gay house parties there.
Men and women came and stayed and
went again, but Philip Field came
more often than any, and stayed
longer.
In the hall, high up on the paneled
wainscOtting, hung an ancient Cru
sader's sword. 1t was so old that the
rust had eaten out the shining steel
like fretwork. And under it was en-
graved, in ancient Gothic script in
the wood, legend:
when l hang here let peace abide
Ger manor hall and countryside,
But when my blade slips from this
Guard thou the honor Of thy hall"
Rustum knew Of the legend, for
there were many such in his own cOun-
try.
Field, as he sat chatting with his mis-
tress, and the memory Of Captain
Peter would grow very strong in him,
and Of his promise.
do you know, I don't think that
black man quite likes me-" he said.
laughing.
Rustum had gone to his quarters,
and Elizabeth sat quite alone until
Till she heard gentle tapping at
the French windows, and started up,
to see Philip Field standing upon the
lawn outside.
He opened the windows and came
in and he and Elizabeth stood star
ing at each other. He advanced two
PAGES and clasped Elizabeth in his
arms.
Elizabeth caught her breath. She
knew that she was powerless to re-
sist Philip Field. The memory Of
Captain Peter had become very dim
and distant.
II love you," said Philip Field.
'Tell me you love me too, Elizabeth !"
II love you," murmured Elizabeth,
and her head dropped from shame.
Il love you, Philip" she said.
Crash!
Something had clattered on the
wooden flooring of the hall, with a
sound that seemed to shake the manor
house. They started apart in terror.
Then-because she was plucky-Eliz-
abeth ran out into the hall. Upon the
floor lay the rust-eaten (crusading
sword.
Philip Field followed her, and the
two stood staring at each other in ter
ror. Philip Field also knew the story
of the sword.
Something had fallen with it. 1t
was the section Of the paneling which
had been set into the wall hundred
years before. Elizabeth picked up
the panel mechanically and read the
inscription softly, with dry throat.
She handed 1t to Philip Field, and
he, too, read It, Then she went back
into the reception room, and Philip
Field followed her. She turned and
faced him with a white face and
trembling lips.
"Elizabeth! What of it?" he cried.
"You must go, Philip" said Eliza
beth huskily.
II cannot go"
"You must 60, Philip" repeated
Elizabeth inexorably, and opened the
French windows.
| He pleaded, and he might have been
pleading with a figure Of stone. Pres
emily he saw that all was over. Soft
| ly he stepped out.
Elizabeth shut the windows and
went out of the room. Standing in
the hall, she saw something she had
not perceived before. The edge Of the
fallen panel was frayed, as though
with saw, and there was tiny
length Of wire that had been snapped
! off in the fall.
That wire had been pulled from
some other part of the house!
"Rustum !" she called loudly. rus
| tum!'
The turban of the butler appeared
through the door that led to the serv-
| ants quarters.