The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-12-08
CHAPTER v-Continued

CHAPTER v-Continued
s.
Norwood laughed. ''Not about,
but abed. It's late. However, let's
hear Rundhia.'
eyes, please sing" Lynn knew
she hadn't even scratched the sur
face of Norwood's humor. So she
felt exasperated.
Rundhia smiled and plucked a
chord or two: ever hear this one?"
He sang beautifully. His voice
was a good tenor, and he handled
the guitar with care. He avoided
Norwood's eyes. He sang to Lynn.
The words meant nothing to her, but
she couldn't fail to perceive the pas
sion suggested by the B-fat minor
melody. At the end Of a stanza.
Norwood interrupted:
damn that stuff, Rundhia! Sing
something decent"
Rundhia passed him the, guitar.
He thought he had him at dis
advantage:
"You sing" he answered. "Per-
haps you know something for good
little boys and girls. Do you know
any hymns?"
Norwood surprised both of them.
He took the guitar and changed the
tuning, struck some chords at ram
dom and then played the thing bet
ter than Rundhia could. He felt his
way through one air to another, un-
til he found one that suited his mood.
Then he trolled out Kipling's ION
the Road to Mandalay."
He had fine voice, baritone, and
he could whistle the chorus instead
of repeating familiar words. It
wasn't great art, but it was manly.
It was decent. Where there weren't
no Ten Commandments, !" Norwood
plainly had inviolable standards of
his own.
Gas usual, the Army roars its slo-
gans to the sky" said Rundhia. II
can imagine you in love with a Bur-
mese woman, Norwood. Why not
apply for Rangoon billet?"
sAnd miss this?" Norwood an
swered. He was looking at Lynn.
Here's your guitar. Are we GO
ing?" s.
He offered Lynn his arm and she
was too astonished to refuse. He
wasn't her rightful escort. She hard
" knew him, and what she did
know had annoyed her. However,
she found herself walking beside
him with her arm in his, and there
was nothing for Rundhia to do but
to follow them down the ancient
steps until the garden path was wide
enough for three abreast. Norwood
pressed Lynn's arm to make her lis
ten. He spoke SO low that she could
hardly hear him:
1.-THE Maharanee is a dotard on
Rundhia. You can't depend on her
for that reason. Leave Kadur the
moment your aunt is fit to travel"
ooh, you can't guess"
eyes, I know. was an orphan.
I was raised on stupid discipline
and fossilized injustice-Oh, hello,
Rundhia, you there? Thought you'd
stayed behind to pray or some
thing"
Rundhia was grinding his teeth.
He didn't answer.
Lynn took pity on him: when
will you show me the treasure
room?"
"When we're alone" Rundhia an
swered. Then, spitefully: ''Ours is
one Of the few treasures that haven't
found their way to London"
"You mean the others were plum
dered?" Lynn asked.
"Pawned," said Norwood.
After that they walked in silence
to the palace front door.
''Good night" said Rundhia point
edly.
Norwood smiled. 'I'n ask you to
be kind enough to see me to the gate,
Rundhia. The guard let me out once
tonight. They might think I'm my
own ghost If ! turn up alone. Miss
Harding, you know why the beauti-
full Indian girls are locked up In
zenanas, don't your"
''Is that q conundrum? No. why?"
because good-looking Indian men
would be ashamed of 'emselves If
Iney cOutuu udke OdSeiioVd 1OOh
like q mere amateur. '
''Are you being rude?"
Rundhia came to her aid: "Ex-
cuse him, Lynni Soldiers fold their
tents and leave their girls behind
them. They suppose all women are
alike. He meant it as friendly
warning not to trust me-"
Lynn stood at bay on the palace
steps. It was on the tip Of her
tongue to insult Norwood so thor
oughly that he would never presume
to speak to her again. She wasn't
quite sure he didn't expect that.
But she glanced from one man to
the other and changed her mind.