The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-02-09
The Rains
Came
Continued from Page l0)
20 tonight n Bombay"

FepTpach in what she SAID.
What viii YOU do ."
I'll face the music I don't
mind"
For a moment he was silent.
wishing that ne was sober: and
then he said. What If we did get
married ."
y wouldn't marry you for a
million dollars
Well, that's that" There was
look Of hurt in his face and she
knew that he thought she would
not marry him because he vas a
drunkard and no good She wanted
10 explain that Il was her pride
that made her say it, but the
same pride held her back. She
could not do il
Look here he said. you
mustn't go home. You can't do
that. You can't put up with an
other row
IF ] had a little money I could
do rs I please
That's right. It's a rity. No.
you can't go home. Go to the
Smilcys"
Il can't do that either. I've
already made enough trouble for
them. ! told her about them, too. &"
He grinned again. That wasn't
very wise"
Il didn't know what I was do
ing
Il can't ask you to stay here.
That would only make II worse"
And an idea came to him: You
could 20 and stay with Raschid >"
Il couldn't do that I don't
know him"
Il do. He is Minister of Police
and he has wife and seven chill
dren. Nothing could be more re-
spectacle"
But he's an Indian"
what differe nce does that
make ? He's a fine fellow"
She EN- c m b cred what her
mother had said about the dirty
Indians" who went to the Smileys.
ut doesn't make any difference to
me, but it might give her an ex-
cuse to make trouble you
don't know what she's like. She
might take it to Delhi - even to
the Viceroy She might do any
thing"
And for the first time he saw
inside the thing that was the In
dian question, all the infinite COM
plications which could he made by
small people, the hopeless tangle
of meanness and jealousy and fear
and pettiness and prejudice. He
was aware for the first time of
how Indians must feel He under
stood the subtle and sinister quail
ity of the humiliations and the in
suits compounded by second-rate
people like Mrs. Hoggett- Egburry
and Mrs. Simon.
A girl of European origin could
not seek refuge in the house of the
the most honorable and upright of
men, because he was an Indian.
Yes he said gloomily, its a
sick world
But Fern was direct without
interest in politics or philosophy
or mankind She said. mo, there's
only one thing l can do I'll go
back home now. I'm not afraid
of her any longer. l think maybe
she's afraid Of me now. l know
she is. But you've got to 20 away.
You've cot to Sec -"
II don't know" he said feebly.
you go back. Tomorrow :.
when things are different .
IT'S all right Don't worry
about it too much It's all my
fault, anyway. I don't know how
any of it happened, except that
must have been crazy. I'm sorry
l was such fool
He looked al her for a long
time, seeing how young she was
and how charming and earnest,
and he saw. too, that she was no
longer looking TO him to help her.
1t was the other way round. Then
he said No. you weren't crazy.
You aren't crazy at all" He
thought. u wish I had you with
me always, forever. but it was
too late now.
Abruptly she said "good-by" and
went out o. the house into the
rain. He sat for a long time in
the chair opposite the door. and at
last he remembered MI Banner
jee's dinner and rose and took
another drink To drown the SOM
Der thoughts which had taken pos
session of him and to give him
the strength TO & to the garden
house and send John the Baptist
away because he had gossiped and
betrayed his master
1t was q disagreeable task, and
ALTHOUGH he had no idea what
John the Baptist was like inside.
he knew that he was used TO him
and even fond Of him But when
he reoched the garden house II
was already empty The servant
had not gone away for good. be-
cause his few belongings ana the
little wooden chest which con-
tanned them was stu there
Mrs. Simon arrived five minutes
after he had left and found the
house quite empty In the anti
climax all the Indignation which
she had carefully preserved all the
way TO the station and back oozed
out Of her and curiosity took its
place. For three years she had
wanted TO see the inside Of this
house and now she satisfied her
desire. going from room 10 room.
even into his bedroom II was
disappointment. the house, because
il seemed SO simple and so bare
and not az ali like her idea OF
what the house OF an English
gentleman should De. not at all
the way the houses Of such men
We're in the cinema. nor az all like