The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-01-23
THE RAINS CAME
by LOUIS BROMFIELD
Copyright. 1887 1888 1899 by Louis Bromfield
Distributed by Ledger syndicate
WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY
When Miss Dirks and Miss Hodge
refused his offer TO take them home
In his auto, Ransome unused as he
drove alone through the rain. Back
to his mind came his childhood days
and the story of hts old grand
mother. who had been born In
America and married scotchman
who later became wealthy through
mining, He recalled his days during
the war his wounds, and finally dis
charge from the army. He had gone
to America TO find the home where
his grandmother had lived In girl
hood, but had been disappointed.
He had married an American girl,
but she divorced him, so after wan
dering about the world he finally
came to Ranohipur. On his way
home he passed a car and recognized
Lady Esketh. Arriving home he
finds two invitations for dinner with
'''' GO ON WITH THE STORY
It was the last dinner of cere-
mony at the palace until the mon
soon was over and no one expected
to find much enjoyment In 1t.
neither the Maharajah, nor Ran
some, nor Esketh himself, nor
even Raschid, whose own vitality
made almost everything seem en-
joyable, but least of all the old
Maharanee and Lady Esketh. For
Her Highness ii meant that she
would have to be magnificent and
a little pompous and polite all
evening, and long ago she had
ceased to find pleasure in any OF
these things. For Lady Esketh IT
meant nothing at all. for even that
first faint curiosity about the BIZ
zarre magnificence of India was
satiated now. The person to whom
it brought the greatest enjoyment
was one who was not invited at all
This was Miss Hodge. At seven
thirty she was already seated on
the veranda of the bungalow oppo-
site the great palace gateway, hei
face n little flushed with excite
ment. embroidering and waiting
for the first vehicle to arrive.
In the covered gateway two Of
the Indianapolis horse guards, tur'
baned and dressed in scarlet ano
gold. sat. their black horses silent
immobile. their lances, carrying
the purple and gold pennons o.
His Highness, pointing straigh
upward. as motionless as the mel
themselves. Tehy were sikhs, pro
fessional fighters, who neve
shaved, and now on duty the!
wore their long black beard
neatly folded into little nets be
meath their chins.
For twenty-five years M Is
Hodge had seen them there, da,
in and day out, and she never quit
came to take for granted thei
lean straight bodies, the prou
narrow-nosed faces, the handsom
TUNES of scarlet and gold. The,
were men, beautiful men, fierc
and bearded. who lived on horses
and all that was too much for Mis-
Hodges romantic nature. She ha
no idea why they fascinated hei
and because she was httl
ashamed of the stormy feeling
they reused in her she never al
. tempted to discover what or wh
IL was.
While she watched the wv
horsemen standing beneath IN
great lanterns Of pierced cope
the guests began to arrive. Sn
recognized the great form of Ra'
child Ali Kahn huddled in the ga
little tonga ornamented with oil
of looking glass. and Mrs. Ra.
child all in white, sitting besic
, him; and she knew the Dewan
old-fashioned French motor an
Ransome's five-year-old Bui
: which had belonged to Monsis
Descans, the Swiss engineer, an
= Major Salts mud-spattered Fol-
! and the Packard W &c h 81
thought must contain the genera
: and the baby Austin driven }
= Mr.. Bannerjee with his handson
: wife at his side. and presently
j with a sudden excitement, the iun
: bering purple Rolls-Royce VII
> Lord and Lady Esketh inside. II
. light inside the car was turned o.
and so she had glimpse OF then
: the famous millionaire Peer al
I, his fashionable wife.
Last Of all came Mr.. and Mr.
, Jobnekar clopping along in the
hired tonga. Then after waiting
! long time she turned and sal
That seems to be ali the part.