The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-01-24
THE RAINS CAME
BY LOUIS BRoNFIELD
Copyright 1885,. 1898 1888 by Louis Bromfield
Distributed b. Ledger Syndicate
YESTERDAYS ACTION

Distributed b.
YESTERDAYS ACTION
A dinner mad been planned st the
palace IN honor OF Lord and LADY
Esketh the Iast until the rains were
over Miss Hodge SITS on her porch
and watches the guests IS they a.
rive a. the palace gates. She IS par
ticularly interested IN the tao indian
guards as they sit on their horses a.
the gate. Turning 70 her compan-
ion Miss Dirks. she finds the latter
in the throes OF pain
The guests arrive al the palace
among them Tom Ransome. He views
each with contemplation and then
when Lord and Lady Esketh come IN.
there Is recognition OF the gin he
had once known in England. Thev
begin a conversation that renews
memories OF life that they lived
together ten years previous
GO On WITH THE STORY
For a moment Lady Esketh
seemed 10 brighten. as if suddenly
the sight of some one out Of her
old world had set her heart TO
beating more rapidly. It had been
small and intimate world. gay
and wild and sometimes despair
ing. but small at least and friend
~, without these hordes of strange
and boring and important people
who she had seen since she mar
ried Esketh. day after day for
moment or two and then never
again.
What are you doing here ?"
For a moment Ransome hesi-
tated. No one had ever asked him
that question before. and now in a
moment he found it difficult to an
swer. He said, Nothing in par
ticular; a little painting. a little
drinking, a little messing about"
ut doesn't sound very exciting"
at isn't"
You must meet Albert"
Il met him once or twice long
ago when ! thought ] was going
to become a great business man.
He probably doesn't remember
me-"
An Indian Dinner
The dinner was Indian because
Esketh had requested it, a din
ner typical of Ranchipur. with its
famous curry of crayfish, sugared
gUavas and hearts of palm; in the
distance on the roof of another
wing of the place there was an
orchestra. organized by the Ma
haranee herself in defiance of the
tradition which allowed musicians
to play only in groups of two or
three. There were thirty musicians
in it playing lutes and drums. In
dian violins and flutes, even bowls
of soapstone tuned by lowering and
raising the level of the water in
them. and the lowly melodeon
which had come to India long ago.
Suddenly Ransome heard the
voice of Esketh above the murmur
of talk and the sound OF the dis
tant music.
IT'S damned outrage" Es-
keith beloved and Ransome. see
ing the twinkle in the black eyes
of the old lady, thought. It's no
use his trying to bully her." The
methods he used in the West
would come to nothing here, save
that they would amuse Her High
ness.
Esketh's face looked swollen,
and Ransome thought. Hes i'll.
There is something the matter
with him. No. man who wasn't i'll
would shout like that" In the pro-
truding blue eyes there was a dull
look. as if they were covered by
film. And he wondered if Es-
keith made scenes like this with
Edwina.
Then the dinner was suddenly at
an end, and the Maharanee in her
white and emeralds was leading
the way from the room. the long
train of her Maharanee sari trail
ing far behind her between the
tiny feet covered with emeralds
from the four parts of the earth.
In the room with the blue walls
the entertainment had already be-
gun. and seated on a small dais
with her back to one of the huge
arched windows sat Laskshmi Bal.
one of the great singers of India.
She sat cross-legged and wore a
sari of blue and silver. She was
neither a beautiful woman nor
plain one, and she was no longer
young, but neither her age nor her
appearance was of Importance in
her performance.
When Lakshmi Bal had finished
and gone away Edwina sat for a
moment leaning back. with her
eyes closed, and presently Ran
some asked, When are you
leaving ,"
The end of the week. We're
taking the Victoria from Bombay"
It's a pity to meet again and
then separate almost at once"
She gave a little laugh that was
at the same time sigh We'll,
that's the way the world is nova
DAYS"
She told him about the visit to
India, about coming to Ranchipur
because OF the kathiawar horses,
about the heat. the dust, the
misery and the boredom of the
long official dinners.
I don't see how you emerge
from it all looking as if you'd
come out of your own house in
London in the middle of the sea-
son"