The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-03-06
The Rains
Came


they had To eat. one at a time,
apart because there seemed to be
ne end to the growing line of the
homeless and hungry beyond the
Great Gate.
They were. most of them. dis
eased and rickety. with kind Of
dumb animal despair and reslg-
nation about them, and slowly
as he listened TO Gopal Rao talk
ing with them. he discovered that
they had not come here to the
Great Gate driven by any definite
hope or plan. but because the
Great Saracen Gate represented
to them everything that was the
Maharaiah The news had got
about that their Father had sent
men to the Great Gate to care
for them. and so they had come
swarming from all parts Of the
ruined city, even from the nearer
villages. like frightened children.
They did not know what II was
they wanted except that they
clamored for food Few Of them
yet knew that the good old Maha-
ra jah was dead
As the day passed in damp heat
like a steam bath into the after
noon. Ransome became aware that
even his wiry body, which had
withstood so much dissipation. was
beginning to feel the misery and
hardship of the last three days.
the lack of food and sleep, the
horror and the strain.
Duly he thought, Perhaps it is
cholera or typhus or plague. Per-
haps | shall die" And he knew
that he did not want to die and
the thought of death made him
think again of Fern. What was he
to do with her? What right had
ne to change all her life?
Through the doorway Ransome
saw a strange group beneath the
Great Arch with its huge pierced
copper lantern-Smiley and Fern,
Edwina and Miss Hodge. They
looked as dirty as bedraggled as
any of the low-caste people in the
line. Their fine clothes, their
jewels, their background, their
superiority - where was it now?
Prestige! Prestige was OF the
heart and not something which
could be imposed. Mr.. Smiley had
it by good words and perhaps Miss
Hodge; but Fern and Edwina-
Edwina looked haggard and weary.
Then he noticed the strangest of
things-that Edwina was holding
Miss Hodges hand as if she were
a child. Edwina and Miss Hodge!
OF all people in the world.
They were, they told him, on the
way to the hospital and had passed
by the gate to ask him for news
and to tell him theirs. To Fern
and Edwina he said, You shouldn't
have come. You should have
stayed at the mission"
We've come to work" said
Fern. There's nothing for us to
do out there"
1t surprised him that she had
said we" for there had never
been anything but hostility be-
tween her and Edwina. He allowed
it to pass without comment, only
saying, It's not safe here. You
would have been safer at the mis-
sion" He was troubled suddenly
about the major and Miss Mac
Daid. The major might not mind
having them at the hospital, but
Miss MacDaid would not want
Edwfna; that knowledge he had
read in the eyes of the head nurse
ON the night of Mr. Bannerjee's
party
He looked at Edwina. She was
still holding Miss Hodges hand.
and the gaze she returned had in
1t something almost of defiance.
1t was a look he had never seen
in her eyes before and it startled
him. Like Miss Hodge, he thought,
something has happened to her"
but the look didn't alter his sus-
picion that she was going to the
hospital because of the major. He
said to Miss Hodge, rs there any
news of Miss Dirks ?" but Miss
Hodge only stared at him and
then turned again to Edwina with
a look of alteration.
Mr.. Smiley said. She must have
been lost. She went to the school
Just as the water began rising a
second time"
Edwina, indicating Miss Hodge
by nod, said in a whisper, She's
potty."
So that was it. Miss Dirks
had gone off into the flood. mean
ing perhaps to die. And now he
had Miss Hodge on his hands.
viii you look after her" he
asked Edwina, until have time
to do something about it ?"
i suppose III have to-" said
Edwina. She won't leave me-"
Then they went away again.
but before she left, Edwina said
they had better burn Esketb's
body rather than bury it. AS thew
left, Fern suddenly seized his hand
ana pressed it. She had not spoken
again. 1t was a curious. barren
visit which left nothing accom-
phsned. IL might just as well
never have been made. For a mo-
ment he stood in the doorway.
looking after the bedraggled little
procession. AS he turned to enter
the gatehouse once more he saw
an elephant picking its way among
the wreekage that Uttered Engi-
neering School Road 1t was the
dead Maharsj ah's great beast. He
carried mourning howdah and
in it sat the old Maharanee. sway
ing as the elephant moved. She
vas returning from a visit 10 the
ruined city.
Suddenly he wanted a drink
more than anything in the world.
But there was no brandy.
When the major and Miss Mac
Daid left Mr.. Banneriee's house.
hey struggled through the flood
-oward the racecourse bridge. the
major holding high the hurricane