The Native Born or, The Rajah's People
rough the Colonel's carefully tended garden and were scarcely conscious that they had dropped into a thoughtful silence. Yet
shot-hole, each jagged splinter and torn hinge had its own history and added its pathetic detail to the whole pict
, pushing aside the heavy festoons of creeper which barr
ned to Lois, who, with an uncontrollable shudder, had follo
n a hushed voice, "and every time I seem
knew her?
than a year old. Yet her loss seems
he lik
but she was stately and beautiful. So she has always
ned and look
nting to the rusty truckle-bed in the corner. "And there is
no
hen I came of age I gave it to him. It seemed to belong to him, somehow. They say that it nearly broke his hear
uriosity. "I have never known the rights of the case. It has
ch both silently recognized, and Lois turned away to hi
e real fate of his victims. For a long time people used to hope and hope that in some dungeon or prison the
ingh died in
id. No one really
afford said, his good-
he should have caused
had the chance to pay
s son the power, g
tone of gentle remonstrance. "It would have been ha
undiplomatic tenderness for the whole world
s, it always seems to me as though I could see his father's treachery in Nehal Singh's eyes. It made me sick to think that I was enjoying hi
bjected. She liked Travers, and was incli
the rooted and not unfounded masculine noti
as doing," he retorted. "From what she told me, she takes the whole matter as
she may have had her doubts on the s
could not help being sorry for him. He seemed so eager and enthusiastic and anxious to plea
had touched him and stirred to life a warmth of
smiling down at her small troubled face.
er. "I have often worried about it. I mean," she added, as he laughed at her incoherence
justified distinction and to my mind t
ole interest concentrated on the charm of her personality. But fo
then, so contemp
y are their elemental selves-lazy, cruel, treacherous and unscrupulous. No, no. Each race must keep to itself. Our strength in India depends on o
ents every one except professors fro
e so much at his ease. "One feels
have anything t
I could
ed away as though h
to hear you talk like that," she
ing about them." Her more serious mood had conquered his good spirits, and for a moment he stood at her side looking at the disused bungalow with eyes as thoughtful as her own. "Isn't it strange?" he went on. "Our parents came tog
ge. I could almost think that this bungalow h
alf confirmati
h gloom for one evening. Let me gather
ing aside when they came in sight of the Colonel's verandah. No word of tenderness had ever passed between them, and yet they were happy to be together. It was as though a b
ppearing figures amidst the trees with the satisfaction of a confirmed match-maker. She, too, knew of this bond
ying to read the newly arrived English paper, "but for once in a way I believe there is so
armichael
is and S
cally settled. Why do you look like that? You ought to be pl
eatening torrent of expostulation. He had turned crimson
d of Stafford," he b
ean by a sudden exclamation from his wife, who had l
thing come to murder us all. There, how do you do!" She gave him her hand. "Will you have a cup of tea? We have just had ours, b
held a large bouquet of freshly cut flowers trembled as though the shock
but as she is not here I should be very grateful if I might have a few words with you a
hroat and settling himself farther back in hi
r man's tone and attitude were those of some one con
he chair offered him. "I think you must have known long ago that I
ilence. Mrs. Carmichael's head was bent over her work. She did not dislike Travers, but this unexpected proposa
silent. "I have every reason to believe that Lois' heart is given elsewhere. However, we have no rig
dently he was at a loss to express hi
put no obstacle in the way of
personal objec
no!" was the
The Colonel seemed in some unaccountable way to have lost his nerve and, as though he felt
g to do with it. At the same time, I feel it-eh-my duty to-eh-tell you before you go further-for your sake, and-eh-every one's sake-certain details co
urprised, and his expression was that of a man waiting fo
you were about to disinter the most horrible family skeleton. You are not to be alarmed, M
der the sting of her rep
teven Caruthers, had no children. The baby girl whom by his will he intrusted to my care was not his child, nor have I ever been able to discover whose child she really was. His will spoke of h
his mind there lurked a suspicion which he dared neither deny nor express openly, and,
" Mrs. Carmichael said, "and that is that Lois is of g
en high birth, and that he had adopted her partly because he had no children of his own and partly becau
ference in the world,
me reason or another w
avers to think that Lo
t, do
lapsed into an awkward silence. Travers was the first to speak. He had been loo
tter. I love Lois. That is the chief thing-or rather the chief thing is whether or not she can learn to lo
hael held o
he said, "and that is something to be thankful for in these dege
er. Her eyes were full of laughter and sunshine, and in her hand she
rprise, as he rose to greet her. "I did not expect to find
d his bouquet wit
. "They were meant for to-night's festivity. But it seem
too many of them!" Lois answered gratefully. "Plea
he had read in her eyes, or the satisfied calm on Stafford's face, Travers himself could not have told, but in that moment he lost his usual se
ruthers!
anging in a bowl. The smile of pleasure which still l
ven the worst-is better than uncertainty, when a man can bear no more. Forgive me-I am not eloquent and what I have to tell can be encom
ly but firmly from his
rry-no,"
e up hope. Is the
his face. He saw in their depths
most to herself. "I only kno
has suffered a temporary check, he gathered his
nt's sorrow-but a man who loves as I do must feed himself with hope, however wild and unreasonable. Now I know, and whatever happens-I hope you w
sentences brought the tears to her eyes and made her voice unsteady. She knew he was
ou do not know what good you have brought into my life nor how you have unconsciously helped me.
my power," sh
trouble, if you should ever be in need of a true and devoted friend, wil
man sympathizes with those whose suffering she has inadvertently caused, a
ecessary, I will turn t
omise
ing her out-stretched hand, ra
Romance
Romance
Romance
Billionaires
Billionaires
Romance