The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-02-10
The Rains
Came

ElE was ~ arr 81 .aHAAt l4HhE ht-
reproach IN what she said.
What Will you do
I'll face the music don't
mind
For a moment he was silent.
wishing that ne was sober. and
then he said What Il We did get
married %
I wouldn't marry you for
million dollars
Well that's that" There was
a look OF hurt in his face and she
knew that he thought she would
not marry him because he was
drunkard and no good She wanted
10 explain that IL was her pride
that made her say il. but the
same pride held her back She
could not do it,
"Look here" he said, you
mustn't 20 home You can't do
that You can't put up with an
other row
II I had a little money I could
do as l please"
That's right It's pity. no,
you can't 60 home. Go to the
Smileys"
4 can't do that either I've
already made enough trouble for
them | told her about them, too
He grinned again. That wasn't
very wise"
7 didn't know what 7 was do
ing
7 can't ask you to stay here.
That would only make it worse"
And an idea came to him: You
could % and stay with Raschid "
7 couldn't do that. ! don't
know him
Il do He is Minister OF Police
and he has a wife and seven chill
dren. Nothing could be more re-
spectacle"
But he's an Indian"
what d ifferen does that
make He's a fine fellow"
She e III m b 2 e d what her
mother had said about the dirty
Indians" who went to the Smileys.
ut doesn't make any difference to
me, but it might give her an eX-
cuse to make trouble you
don't know what she's like. She
might take it to Delhi - even to
the Viceroy She might do any
thing"
And for the first time he saw
inside the thing that was the In
dian question, all the infinite COM
plications which could be made by
small people the hopeless tangle
OF meanness and jealousy and fear
and pettiness and prejudice. He
was aware for the first time of
how Indians must feel He under
stood the subtle and sinister quail
ity of the humiliations and the in
suits compounded by second-rate
people like Mrs. Hoggett-Egburry
and Mrs. Simon.
A girl OF European origin could
not seek refuge In the house of the
the most honorable and upright OF
men, because he was an Indian.
Yes he said gloomily. its a
sick world .
But Fern was direct without
interest in politics or philosophy
or mankind. She said, No, there's
only one thing l can do. I'll go
back home now. I'm not afraid
of her any longer l think maybe
she's afraid of me now ! know
she is But you've got TO go away.
You've got to! See ."
Il don't know" he said feebly
You go back. Tomorrow d.
when things are different
It's all right Don't worry
about it too much It's all my
fault. anyway l don't know how
any of it happened, except that
must have been crazy I'm sorry
was such a fool
He looked at her for a long
time, seeing how young she was
and how charming and earnest,
and he saw, too. that she was no
longer looking to him to help her.
1t was the other way round Then
he said No. you weren't crazy.
You aren't crazy at all" He
thought. Il wish I had you with
me always. forever" but II was
too late now.
Abruptly she said "good-by" and
went out of the house into the
rain He sat for long time in
the chair opposite the door and at
last he remembered Nh Banner
jee's dinner and rose and took
another drink to drown the SOM
Der thoughts which had taken pos
session of him and to give him
the strength to : to the garden
house and send John the Baptist
away because he mad gossiped and
betrayed his master.
II was a diSagreeable task. and
ALTHOUGH he had no idea what
John the Baptist was like inside
he knew that he was used TO him
and even fond OF him But when
he reached the garden house il
was already empty The servant
had not gone away for good. be-
cause his few belongings and the
little wooden chest which con-
tanned them was still there
Mrs Simon arrived five minutes
after he had left and found the
house quite empty In the anti
climax all the Indignation which
she had carefully preserved all the
way 10 the station and back oozed
out o. her and curiosity took its
place For three years she had
wanted TO see the inside Of this
house and now she satisfied her
desire, going from room to room.
even into his bedroom II was a
disappointment. the house. because
II seemed SO simple and so bare
and not at all like her idea Of
what the house Of an English
gentleman should be. not at all
the way the houses Of such men
were in the cinema. nor al all like
Lily Hoggett- gburryS house.