Evening star., 1925-02-22

"You can go on" she said.
you shall not said Cameron.
He sprang up her side of the car,
| leaned roughly on her shoulder, and
whispered on sentence-two sem
tences--in her ear.
Consuelo gave a scream, stood up,
| fumbled with the doorhandle and
| then sprang right out of the car over
| the low door.
What are you saying to my wife?"
cried the G. M.
But nobody minded the G. NJ, dis
| credited idol and man of straw from
henceforth on Tarabora. Nobody even
saw where he went or what he did.
The eyes of the whole crowd were
focused on the bride, hurrying away
on the arm of her stepsister, with
Cameron behind. Take me home,
Allie" they heard the girl sob. "Oh,
take me home" And the door Of the
Garland house, in a minute, closed be-
hind the bride.
4 4 4 Il
THOUGH heaven fell and homes
- perished the work of the COM
pany had to go on. At half-past one
| Jim Garland mounted his afternoon
horse and cantered off down a canyon
of green cane, leaving his wife almost
darkened room, and the general man
ager fon the veranda steps, cursing
| the coolie who had just answered his
| knock, and told him that the mem
| sahib was too sick to see any one.
He came home at sundown to a
house still disturbed, a wife divided
between trembling relief and CULVER
| ing dismay, and a sister-in-law who
obstinately shut herself up and re-
| fused all explanation of anything.
The cooky boy-whom Garland shame
lessly examined, contrary to all the
etiquette of Tarabora-had an amaz-
| ing tale to tell of the great sahib,
who it seemed, had walked up and
! walked up and down outside the
house till near dusk, as one dis
tracted, and had then gone home cry
ing. The cooky boy added that there
was a devil walking alongside of the
great sahib; it evidently meant to
follow him to his home. 1t was not
| nice kind of devil. Indians knew
all about it, but white sahibs never
believed
At this point, Alice, with very red
eyes, came out, and told Garland that
a note had come from Cameron; she
had seen ii, and it only said that he
| would call some time next day, prob
ably about 2 o'clock. Con wouldn't
say anything; that is, she only said
You'd better not know" and laughed
and cried together. Who had brought
the note? coolie from the wireless
station. And would Jim come in at
| once, because she had managed to
make him a beefsteak pudding, in
spite of everything, and it wouldn't
stand any more boiling
1t was a disturbed evening in Tara
bora, but after all. the world had TO
go on, though general managers were
parted from their brides, and there
was all tomorrow's work to think of
and people had to get sleep. So mid
night and peace fell together on the
| island and the town. And at sun
rise. when the purple leaf-stalks of
the canes Graded each an entire and
perfect amethyst of dew, and the
world was full of gray shadows and
blue smoke. the riders rode away to
the fields, leaving behind them a row
of tranquil little bungalows inhabited
by wives and babies and cooky boys
and happiness. With the first call of
the whistle they came Gathering back
into town. intent upon baths and
drinks and luncheons-and rode
straight into Tragedy.
y < x
A LII through Tarabora town, women
were running in and out of each
others houses, children crying un-
needed, cooky boys idling without re-
proof. From more than one bungalow
came sounds of hysteric sobbing
Smells of burning here and there de-
clared unheard-of misfortunes in
kitchens. The doctor was visible,
coming out of one house, and making
for another. Never, since the year
when the cholera came to the island
had such confusion, such distress
made dark the sun of the tropic day
Jim Garland, coming upon these
sights 1t the turn of the road, set
vicious spurs to his horse, flung him.
| self off at his gate, and rushed up the
steps of the veranda. An outbreak
of bubonic plague was the least thing
| that he feared
Cameron, sitting on a lounge, with
both arms round Copsuelo. Consuelo
was kissing him and crying.
Cont! shouted the outraged broth
er-in-law, while you're in my house
and Alice's I'll thank you to remem-
ber that you're married woman"
mo. I'm not" said the girl, taking
Cameron's handkerchief out of his
pocket and drying her eyes with it.
| I'm not married a Bit
why, l saw YOU"
mo, mol Charlie says we aren't
married. Charlie says"
A scream broke from the back We
randa.
There Some woman's just come
| in and told Alice. Go to her, Jim, it's
better she should hear it from
Jim had gone.
Charlie" said Consuelo, smoothing
| down her heavy coils of red-gold hair
and looking adoringly into his face,