The Augusta herald. (Augusta, Ga.) 1914-current, July 18, 1914, Home Edition, Page THREE, Image 3

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

SATURDAY. JULY is. (Continued From Thursday.) TDurga Ram, called lightly T'm'balla, ■went directly to the palace, where he knew the Council of Three solemnly his arrival. He dashed up the Imposing flight of marble steps, exult ant. He had fulfilled his promise; the golden daughter of Hare Sahib was but a few miles away. The soldiers, guarding the entrance, presented their arms respectfully; but instantly after Tlmballa disappeared the expression on their faces was not pleasing. TJmballa hurried along through the deep oorridor, supported by exquisite ly carved marble columns. Beauty in stone was in evidence everywhere and magnificent brass lamps hung from the ceiling. There was a shrine topped by an idol in black marble, lacrusted with sapphires and turquoises. Durga Bam, who shall be called TJmballa, plodded slightly ae he passed It. Pore* pf habit, since in his heart there was pnly one religion—self. He stopped at a door guarded by a Single soldier, who saluted but spat es soon as TJmballa had passed into the throneroom. The throne itself <was vacant. The Council of Three rose pt the approach of TJmballa. "She is here,” he said haughtily. The Council salaamed. TJmballa stroked his chin as he gazed at the huge candles flickering at each side of the throne. He sniffed the Tibetan incense, and shrugged. It was written. "Qo,” he said, “to Hare Sahib’s bungalow and await me. I shall be there presently. There Is plenty of time. And remember our four heads depend upon the next few hours. The soldiers are on the verge of mutiny, and only success can pacify them.” He turned without ceremony and left them. With oriental philosophy they accepted the situation. They had sought to overturn him, and he held them in the hollow of his hand. Dur ing the weeks of his absence in Amer ica his spies had hung about them like bees about honey. They were the fowl ers snared. TJmballa proceeded along the corri dor to a flight of stairs leading be neath the palace floor. Here the sol diers were agreeable enough; they had reason to be. TJmballa gave them new minted rupees for their work, many rupees. For they knew secrets. Before the door of a dungeon TJmballa paused and listened. There was no sound. He returned upstairs and sought a chamber near the harem. This he entered, and stood with folded arms near the door. "Ah, Colonel Sahib!” ’‘Umballa?” Colonel Hare, bearded, unkempt, tried to stand erect and face bis enemy. "You black scoundrel!” "Durga Ram, sahib. Words, words; the patter of rain on stone roofs. Our king lives no more, alas!” “You He!” “He is dead. Dying, he left you this throne —you, a white man, knowing It was a legacy of terror and confu sion. You knew. Why did you re turn? Ah, pearls and sapphires and emeralds! What? I offer you this throne upon conditions.” "And those conditions I have re fused.” "You have, yes. but now —” TJmballa smiled. Then he suddenly blazed forth: “Think you a white man shall sit upon this throne while I live? It is mine. I was his heir." “Then why didn’t you save him from the leopard? I’ll tell you why. You expected to inherit on the spot, and I spoiled the game. Is that not true?” “And what if I admit it?” trucu lently. ' “TJmballa, or Durga Ram, if you wish, listen. Take the throne. What’s to hinder you? You want it. Take it and let me begone.” "Yes. I want It; and by all the gods of Hind I’ll have it—but safely. Ah! It would be fine to proclaim myself when mutiny and rebellion stalk about. Am I a pig to play a game like that? TPchl Toh!” He clicked his tongue against the roof of bis mouth in de rision. "No; I need a buckler till all this roily water subsides and clears.” "And then, some fine night, Hare Sahib's throat? 1 am not afraid of death, TJmballa. I have faced it too many times. Make an end of me at once or leave me to rot here, my an swer will always be the same. I will not become a dishonorable tool. You have Offered me freedom and jewels. No; I repeat, I will free all slaves, abol ish the harems, the buying and selling of flesh; I will make a man of every poor devil of a coolie who carries stones from your quarries." TJmballa laughed. "Then remain here like a dog while I put your golden daughter on the throne and become what the British Raj calls prinoe oon sort. She’ll rebel, I know; but I have a way He stepped outside and closed the door. “Umballa?” “Well?” “Kit, my daughter? Good God. wbat U she doing here when I warned her?” Hare tugged furiously at his chains. "Durga Ram, you have beaten me. State your terms and I will accept ta Utfi letSfiL . . Sit. my Tbc Adventures of Katblyn By HAROLD MAC GRATH Illustrated by Pictures from the Moving Picture Production of the Sellg Polyscope Co. beautiful Kit, in this hell hole!' r “Ah, but I don’t want you to accept now. I waß merely amusing myself.” The door shut and the bolt shot home. Hare fell upon his knees. “My head, my head! Dear God, save me my rear son!” *•**•* The moment Kathlyn arrived at the animal cages of her father she called for Ahmed. “My father?" "Ah, memeahib, they say he is dead. I know not. One night—the second after we arrived —he was summoned to the palace. He never came back.” “They have killed him!” “Perhaps. They watch me, too; but 1 act simple. We wait and see.” Kathlyn rushed across the ground intervening between the animal cages and the bungalow. There was no one la sight She ran up the steps . . . ho be granted inside by the suave Una* balht “YouV” bar band flying to her bosom. “I, Mlae Hare.” He salaamed, with a sweeping gesture of bis hands. Sadly the wretch told her the tale; the will of the king, his death, and the subsequent death of her father in hta, Durga Ram's, arms. Yonder tmx con tained his ashes. For the first time in her young life Kathlyn fainted. She had been living on her nerves for weeks, and at the sight of that urn something snapped. Daintily Um balla plucked forth the packet and waited. At length she opened her eyes. “You are a queen, Miss Hare." "You are mad.*’’ “Nay; It was the madness of the king. But mad kings often make laws which must be obeyed. You will ac cuse me of perfidy when I tell you all. The note which brought you here was written by me and substituted for this.” Dully Kathlyn read; "Kathlyn—H not heard from, I’m held captive in Alktba. The royal title given to me by the king made me and my de scendants direct heirs to the throne. Do not come to Allaha yourself. De stroy sealed document herewith. “FATHER.” The Council of Three entered noise lessly from the adjoining room. At the flour dark, inscrutable faces the be wildered girl stared, her limbs numb with terror. * Gravely the council told her she must come with them to the palace. "It is impossible!" she murmured. “You are all mad. lam a white wom an. I cannot rule over an alien race Wbooe tongue I cannot speak, whose babits I know nothing of. It is impos sible- Sinoe my father is dead, I must return to my home.” “No,” said Umballa. “I refuse to stir!” She was all afire of a sudden: the base trickery which bad brought here here! She was very lovely to the picturesque savage who stood at her elbow. As he looked down at her, in his troubled soul Umballa knew that 1* was not the throne so much as it was this beautiful bird of Paradise which he wished to cage, “Be brave,” he said, "like your fa ther. I do not wish to use force, but you must go. It is useless to strug gle. Come.” She bung back for a moment; then, realising her utter! helplessness, she signified that she was ready to go. She needed time to collect her stunned and disordered thoughts. Before going to the palace they con ducted her to the royal crypt. The urn containing her father's ashes was deposited in a niche. Many other inches contained urns, and Umballa explained to her that these held the ashes of many rulers. Tears welled into Kathlyn's eyes, but they were of a hysterical character, “A good sign,” mused Umballa, who thought he knew something of women, like ail men beset with vanity. Oddly enough, he had forgotten all about the incident of the lion in the freight ca boose. All women are felines to a cer tain extent. This golden-haired woman had claws, and the day was coming when be would feel them drag over his heart. FVom the crypt they proceeded to the palace senana (harem), which sur rounded a court of exceeding beauty. Three ladles of the harem were sitting in the portico, attended by slaves. All were curiously Interested at the sight of a woman with white skin, tinted like the lotus. Umballa came to a halt before a latticed door. “Here your majesty most remain till the day of your coronation.” "How did my father die?” “He was assassinated on the palace steps by a Mahomedan fanatic. As I told you, be (Med In my arms." “His note signified that he feared imprisonment. How came be on the palace steps?" "He was not a prisoner. He came and went as he pleased in the olty." He bowed and left her. Alone In her chamber, the dullness of bor mind diminished and finally cleared away Ilka a fag in a wind. Her dear, kind, blue-eyed father was dead, and she was virtually a prisoner, and Winnie was all alone. A queen! They sort mad. ih* rts in tha. midst of (Copyright by Harold UacGralh) some hideous nightmare. Mad, mad, mad! She began to laugh, and it was not a pleasant sound. A queen, she, Kathlyn Hare! Her father was dead, she was a queen, and Winnie was all alone. A gale of laughter brought to the marble lattioe many wondering; eyes. The white oockatoo shrilled hla displeasure. Those outside the lattioe saw this marvelous whitoskinmedl woman, with hair like the gold threads in Chinese brocades, suddenly throw herself upon a pile of cushions, and they saw her shoulders rock and heave, but heard no sound of wailing. After a while she fell asleep, a kind of dreamless stupor. When she awoke it was twilight in the court. The doves were cooing and fluttering in the cornices and the cockatoo was preen ing his lemon-colored topknot. At first Katblyn had not the least idea where she was, but the light beyond the lat tice, the flitting shadows, and the tin kle of a stringed instrument assured her that she was a wake, terribly awake. Bbe set perfectly still, slowly gather tug her strength, mental and physical. She was not her father's daughter lor nothing. She was to fight in some strange warfare. Instinctively she thin; but from what direction, In Wbat shape, only God knew. Yet she must prepare for it; that was the vital thing; she must marshal her forces, feminine and only defensive, and watch. Raol Her hands clutched the pO« lows. In five days’ time he would ba off to seek John Bruce; and there would be white men there, and they would oome to her though a thousand legions of these brown men stood be tween. She must play for time; she must pretend docility and humility, meet guile with guile. She could gef no word to her faithful khttmatgar|. none here, even If open to bribery, could be made to understand. Only Umballa and the council spoke Eng lish or understood It. She bad tea days’ grace; within that time she hoped to find some loophole. Slave girls entered noiselessly. The hanging lamps were lit. A tabaret was set before her. There were qnali and roast kid, fruits and fragrant tea. She was not hungry, but she ate. Within a dozen yards of her sst her father, stolidly munching his chupat tis, because he knew that now he must live. • •••••• One of the chief characteristics of the East Indian is extravagance. To outvie each other in celebrations ol births, weddings, deaths and corona tions they bfeggar themselves. In this the oriental and the occidental have one thing in common. This principal ity was small, but there was a deal of wealth in it because of its emerald mines and turquoise pits. The durbar brought out princes and princelings from East, South and West, and ewen three or four wild-eyed amirs from the North. The British government at Calcutta heard vaguoly about this fleta, but gave it scant attention for the sim ple fact that it had not been invited to attend. Still it watched the per formance covertly. Usually durbars took months of preparation; this one had been called into existence within ten days. Elephants and camels and bullookn; palanquins, gharris, tongas; cloth of gold and cloth of jewels; color, confu sion, maddening noises, and more col or. There was very little semblance of order; a rajah preceded a prince ling, and so on down. The wailing of reeds and the muttering of kettle drums; music, languorous, haunting, elusive, low minor chords seemingly struck at random, intermingling e droning chant; a thousand streams of incense, crossing and recroeeing; and fireworks at night, fireworks which had come all the way across China by caravan —these things Kathlyn saw and heard from her lattice. The populace viewed all these mani festations quietly. They were perfect ly willing to wait. If this white queen proved kind they would go about their affairs, leaving her in peace; but they were determined that she should bo no puppet in the hands of Umballa, whom they hated for his cruelty and money leeching ways. 0, everything was ripe in the stato for murder and 100t —and the reaching, holding bund of the Brit■ Mi Raj. As Kathlyn advanced to ths canr opted dais upon which she was to be crowned, a hai.d filled with flowers reached out She turned to see Ah med. "Bruce Sahib,” she whispered. Ahmed salaamed deeply as she passed on. The impression that she was dreaming again seized her. This could not possibly be real. Her feet did not seem to touch the carpets; she did not seem to breathe; she floated. It was only when the crown was placed upon her bead that she realized the reality and the finality of the pro ceedings. * "Be wise,” whispered Umballa, cold ly 'll yt u take off that crown now. neither your gods nor mine could rave you from that mob down yonder. Be advized Rl*e!”_^ (To Be Continued Tomorrow) THE AUGUSTA HERALD, AUGUSTA. GA. Money at the top, and sorrow underground. Money waving in the sunshine, children ground in the Dark the Damp, out of sight. Thine old legend tells of the famous tree Igdrasil, that had its roots in hell and its branches in heaven. THE RAW EDGE For Answer the Boy Struck a Match, Illuming the Dim Greyness of the Cabin Atmosphere, and, Holding It Be tween Them, Looked at Her Steadily. ►She might almost have been hid moth er, for she wjih u t the apex of woman’s life, nearing "The splendid forties” and he, with his clean-shaven face, looked little more than a boy, thought his rec ord an Lieutenant R. N. showed that lie must have been in the twenties Yet in that narrow wooden cabin, darkened now by the volume of green water tressing on the screwed-up port hole, she forgot her seniority; it. whs sunk, lost sight of altogether, in the fir greeter elemental difference of sex. Whatever her superiority in veara she was a woman and this crop-headed clean-skinned lad was a man, and to him she turned Instinctively for help and reinforcement of courage. "You’re quite sure?’’ she asked in a voice that, do what she would sounded pitiably thin. "If we both tried to gether couldn’t we hurst the floor open?” Ife shook his head. "Wedged," ho answered laconleally. "What is it?" "I don’t know. Home wooden bulk head or hatch-cover cast loose by that last sea I suppose. It’s Jammed In the passage; no human power can let us out." Even as he spoke the ship, whleh had been curiously still shook as If shrink ing from some on-coming f fie, and then a thud whleh penetrated the recesses of life Itself resounded above them, follow ed by a menacing swish as the volume of water potfred back Into the sea. "They will miss us perhaps and corns to lfHik for ns?” the woman Hugest ed. For answer ihe hoy struck ;i match, illumining the dim greyness of the cabin atmosphere, and holding It between them looked at her steadily for a moment. And in that moment she read all there was In his glance and understood the very soul of him In a way that no weeks of easy companionship on sh’pboard. such ns they had already enjoyed, could have taught her. What she saw filled her with a wave of shame and humilia tion. HfTe was she. a woman of position and consequence In her own circle, a woman looked up to and respected, considered brave and strong, Hhe Ind lived fortv years of a life by no means easy, she had fought her way up for herself, and had gained not mall measure of self-respect thereby, vet at that moment her one thought had been to preserve self-con trol, not to show the dismay with wrlch the thought of death Imminent and un mistakable, had filled hev. Hut when she looked at her companion she knew that he was not even thinking of his own end So htdeouglv nejif. The ship trad experienced terrific sans ever since entering the bay on her home ward voyage and in the grey light of the morning the passengers ha/1 be* aroused by the sudden cessation of the laboring engines followed by a Jerk and then an ominous roll. stewards had rushed down the pass ages telling all to assemble on the ur/p or deck, and frightened, huddled crowds had assembled . Tins woman along in huf THE MONEY TREE OF CHILD LABOR cabin had also tried to rcsimnd, but It was as if the atmosphere had turned to Jdily, so curiously slow and heavy were the movements »»f her limbs In response to brain stimuli. At length, with an effort of will, akin to that of a person fighting against hypnotic Influence, she had managed to ge fsorne clothes around her and forced herself through the door of her cabin into the little side recess on which it opened, and so on to the narrow main passage. This was de serted and all askew, as dreamlike in Its way ns heV heavy hands and feet. She had started to stumble along Its inter minable lengtr with despair In her heart, and as she did so ;« volume of green water knee-keep rolled In at the fur end and washed In a furious tide towards her. I'recipltately she withdrew, rushing back to shelter, unnbleto fees the flood and helpless as a child. Btandlg there, nhsfS’bed In tier personal problem and I only dimly eonidouH of intermittent | screams and crashes overhead, she sud- j denly beards a splashing and a voice shouting near at hand. Hhe shouted in I answer, and saw with such relief that j ft filled her with almost a sensation of acute pain, the young naval officer who 1 had been Invalided home on the steamer) as a passenger’. j He sprang towads tie; then all in a | moment, so it seemed, a towelrig wall of ! water blocked the passage behind him. In one swift moment they had slmul- • taneously sprung Into the cabin and. thrust hack the door, and the wat«T only j eddying Into the recess had rolled on- • ward In its mass. Hut when they tried J to open the door It was blocked secure ly as If nailed by screws, Jammed down by something carried into the recess by! the last side-long rol'l of the doomed j ship as she harl finally settled on the rock that was grinding Into her vitals, while the monstrous waves tifro and lashed at her from above and both sides. ) Now ns the w,ormiri looked at the man she knew with conviction that death, his own death In the Immediate future, was not occupying his thoughts at all. Ills) whole expression was one of thoughtful Inquiry. He had not had much to do with women so far; his strenuous life had kept him apart from them except In intercourse of the most superficial kind. Now that he was thrown with one of them in a situation that would have tried the nerves of a hrnxex man accustomed to h /. vds with the death penalty In the losing throw, he was ; wondering what she would do, how she would be have The query rose Involuntarily to her lips, though it was not In the least what she had me nt to say, "Why did you eorne down here?" "The old ship hns got a tremendous list on tier I thought there might be some of you not able to get out " Hhe was ashamed, shsmed to her soul For it was rio use disguising the fact, » she wss afraid, horribly afraid, now that I there was rut escape. Hhe thought of the . tons of green wattV that would pissenl* The roots of this tree of child labor money are planted in the hell of suffering and misery. Would that the branches miffht reach to heaven and stir up and avenging justice that would end the system. ly smash their way In, of that agonized gasping struggle as they drowned in their trsp, and then after! Hhe believed, yes, she believed in a future life, but what would It be? The only certainty was It would be all so incredibly differ ent when stripped of the flesh and the dear familiar material surroundings agulnst which one could bump and hurst oneself. Was It only lack of Imagina tion that made tills hoy so immeasur ably her superior In the face of the al mighty unknown? Hut the comfort of him! JSven if she died as the result of his crusade she was not heroic enough to wish he had not sacrifice his eiringes; it made such an inexpressible difference to her not to go out into the void utterly alone. Hhe groped in the darkness that had settled down upon them and found Ills right hand; the response was Instantan eous, and his strong thick fingers closed over hers In a grip conveying a reassur ing current of human sympathy and courage as he pufthls left hand under her elbow to steady her. Thus they stood, half leaning agiinst some article of fixed furniture In the reeling cabin. "There's no chance, I suppose?" she whispered at length breathlessly when the crashing and smashing overhead had died down for a second or two. "We’re up against It," be answered simply. Hhe longed to ask him If he we*re afraid, but it seemed too melo-dramath* Its face of his dignified reserve, yet his next remark wus by way of an answer to her thought. ‘lt’s not much worse than a subma-| rlne," he volunteered. "You see I'm used to It; when you’re shut up below there’s always the risk of getting cut In two by something and being sent to the bottom without a chance." Thut was it then experience! Men were used to those risks in the course of their dally lives; they had the habit, of them, and habit blunted the edge - some men at least, perhaps the men who, were men. Hhe wus getting confused. Then all at onc e there wus a stag- , Bering blow far outswlnging all that had proceeded It. It sent them reeling across the cabin; the very plunks seem ed rending beneath their feet, the day | of Judgment hud come. A torrent of wilier k‘ nwllnK Ilk" a thwartnd brant burnt Inward The woodwork ami all that was solid In the cabin was smashed up in an Inextricable welter, and their soft bodies were hurled up and down a mid the wreckage everything disap peared in turmoil end chaos; sight and hearing vanished, only touch remained. Her last thought was still to cling to that strong hand that never let hers go though worlds reeled and dissolved. HAD LOST EFFECT. The customer In the grocery sure, having ruined his clothes, was hopping mad "IMdn't you see that sign, 'Fresh Faint?’” asked the grocer. »*Of course f did," snapped the cus tomer, "but I've seen so many signs bung up hern announcing something fresh that wasn’t that I didn't believe it.” Jins ton Transcript. EXPENSIVE ACQUAINTANCE. Wlfey—l suppose we must send Miss Hplleer a wedding present? Hubby—l warned you not to get too Intimate with that girl. I knew she wa.* one of the kind to get married THE “PLUCKING” SYSTEM (l-'rom the Washington Herald.) The "plucking” system In the navy la either wrong In principle, or It li being wrongly administered, or both. Opinion, possibly excepting a certain element in ahe service. Is unanimous thnt the results are usually had, and this year notoriously so. The conclu sion Inevitably is that congress should at once discover the remedy and apply It. • The system, whenever applied, rare ly falls to Inflict Injustice or hardship upon one or more worthy and efficient officers of the navy by placing them on the retired list before their time, the government being put to the ex pense of maintaining them In Idle ness. As n result of the recent oper ations of the “plucking board’’ It has been computed that the government will pay ont about f!>5,000 annually for which It will receive no return In ser vices. Most of the “plucked” officers are capable of years of a tlve service. Thtey regard their retirement as a punishment, and the public so regards it, for the reason that, while the vic tims have been guilty of nothing to warrant charges against them, It Is wel| understood that they are selected for “plucking" for certain reasons, usually of a trivial nature and often associated with personal spite or Jeal ousies That a great government should sanction a system under which such abuses are possible Is Indefen sible. If the ratio of retirement is not large enough to provide for necessary promotion, there should be a readjust nicna In the service that will obviate the delegation of arbitrary powers of retirement to a board of officers whose selections sre subject to a variety of petty Influences. Hurely a more business-like and Just |dan can be devised, and the opportu nity Is presented to Secreaary Daniels to effect a real and beneflclent reform In the navy. PAVING AND PAINTING. i Ishe Dhul.it says that he Is wedd ed to Ills art. Hteve- Then he Is entitled to a di vorce on the grounds of non-support.— Cincinnati Krmulrer. FINE SYBTFM. “That druggist Is an enterprising euss.” “Is, erf’ “Huns a moving picture show, too, and If you have to wait long for your medicine he passes you Into the show. In due time, they flash up a notice, Mr. Wombat’s prescription Is ready.’ Makes a man feel Important, I tell you.’ * ■* . ’ / DOCTOR’S ORDERS. \, 11 caused you to becoma a trump’.' The family physician, sir. He ad vised me to take long walks after meals, an’ I’vo been walking after ’em ever since. THREE