The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-03-17
The Rains
Came
Continued on Page 1o)

for A moment save in the still
hours OF the morning when she
kept watch over more than 200 III
ana dying people. For the first
time in her life she OWNED that
privacy which she had always
taken for granted. was great and
precious luxury.
Now as she walked through the
ruined streets into the park of the
MaharaJah, with Miss Hodge trot-
ting happily al her side she was
filled with wonder at the thing
which had happened to her-thst
at 81 she was in love for the first
time. That it happened after so
much experience only increased the
/ sense of wonder; despairing some
times. she had believed that she
would never find the thing for
which she had been searching,
without knowing what 1t was. And
now she knew.
The major was the first man for
whom she had respect. She want
ed to be like him. to lose her own
/ identity in his. TO work as he
worked, to make herself seem
worthy of his respect. The weari-
ness, the boredom were gone now:
they were, she believed, gone for
ever.
Now she was free: she asked no
more than the privilege of being
rear him, of working for him, of
talking to him now and then.
Then she was aware of the bull
lock carriage and of the hubbub
about it. and the figures of Gopal
Rao and Mrs. Hoggett-EgnuiTy
and Mrs. Simon and Aunt Phoebe,
the coolies, the multitude of bum
dies and the complaining bullocks.
lhey appeared dimly to her. She
heard Mrs. Hoggett- Egburry adj
dressing her, and she was aware
of answering. but stronger than
anything In that moment was the
sudden sense of the richness of
life. of the comic quality of the
scene beneath the arch of the
Great Gateway. II was all excit-
ing now, as if she were a child who
was seeing the great world for the
first time.
AS they passed the music school
Edwina said: I'm going in here a
moment. You wait for me here
under this tree"
She had meant to speak to Fern,
to give her a friendly Hello" in
passing, but now she did not know
how to find her in this strange.
desolate place. Then, as she turned
to close the door. she saw Ransome
dimly coming down the corridor
beyond the pool of water.
AS he came nearer he recognized
her and sand, What are you doing
here ,"
Il had an hour off. I dropped in
to see Fern"
Shes asleep. Since the new
nurse came it's easier for her. The
Swiss is dead"
Cholera ?"
Yes"
rs that why you are here >"
mo. I've come to stay. I'm in
charge here now-with Fern and
tne new nurse.
y don't envy YOU" sol
1T isn't very pleasant. You
oughtn't to come here and YOU
oughtn't to stay. There are too
many mysterious ways of getting
cholera"
What about YOURSELF"
My luck always holds for this
sort of thing. And l believe in dis
infectant.' He took her arm.
Come along. If you want to talk.
let's go out into the air."
She went with him. thinking
that somehow he had changed.
How, she could not discover, but he
was different, less cynical. less
negative. Perhaps she thought,
It's only because he's sober now"
Outside he told her that he had
asked for the job. He didn't sup
pose he'd have it for long, or that
they would need her much longer
at the hospital.
The railroad will be open in a
day or two and then they'll have
experts. They won't need anna
tours any longer
III s a pity :. / mean as far as
were concerned. It's very satisfac-
tory to feel useful" He didn't an
swer her and she said. I've got
TO be back at the hospital in ten
Drop in and see me when
you have time"
The major doesn't want us to
go near the hospital. You should
nave better sense than to come
here
TN take whole bath in alcohol
when ! return"
She went away to pick I'D Miss
Hodge under the peepul tree leav-
ing MN to 20 back into the stencil.
The coolies began carrying out the
oodles to pile them on freshly
built pyre.
AS they nesred the hospital two
'leufes went up the drive a little
dhead OF them. One was Mrs. Ban
nerJee and the other Miss Murga-
-royo, no longer wearing the tired
pale blue with the rosettes, but
clad in a tennis dress. They dis
appeared into Miss MacDaids little
)tilce, closing the door behind
hem
In their little room Lady Esketh
md Miss Hodge lay down on their
hdlan beds. In monsoon weather
my effort was exhausting and the
Walk through the rain left them
10Th limp and bereft of all vitality.
Idwina s head ached with a slow.
Iull ache as if there was a weight
inside il.
When Miss MacDsid came to
ummon Edwina. she said: Mr..
'annerJee has cholera. he had
meant to leave on one of the planes
o take his fathers q sbes -