Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 13, 1923 — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

a any witty + - i ey od a 486 any more exclamations, exhaled a tremend- ous sigh of relief. “And I arrived here, didn’t I?” the girl asked. ‘‘ The only thing that worries me now is why “He isn’t here.”’ ‘Lots of things can happen to travelers in India. Mr. Dunboyne, your fiancé, is visiting his plantations in the Pangal Hills on the other side of the jungle. His jour- ney to Ganj would be by dhooly down the steep mountainside, by tat-pony, and then by tonga. Lots of chance for delay.” “As it is he is only a few hours late,” the girl said, regaining her former blithe- someness, “ so I am not going to worry.” For practically two hours the American girl and the old Britisher talked. To Surgeon-Major Kesh it was an experience. Never in his life had he met a type of woman so buoyant, so self-reliant, so happy as this girl coming rashly into the heart of India to meet her lover—as ignorant of danger as a child playing with a hornet’s nest. The girl chatted confidentially about her past life—her childhood in California on her grandfather’s orange groves; her girl- hood at a private school near Boston; her life with a wealthy old aunt, and now her travels about the world. Her relatives, she affirmed, had put her on exhibition: in Europe as a prospective bride to the highest and most aristocratic bidders. Diane was the first to tire of the long and enthusiastic conversation. She grew des- perately sleepy and the major knew that her long ride had exhausted her. He ad- vised her to retire, promising he would sit up until her lover arrived. Diane chatted a while longer, until sometime after mid- night she fell asleep in the grasshopper chair. A little later the major picked her up in his arms and took her to the room upstairs, which the publican had prepared for her. It was a big bare whitewashed place which was approached by a brick staircase on the outside of the house. The top of the bungalow was flat and this apartment was practically a miniature super-bungalow placed upon the roof. In one corner of the room was a bureau eaten to a skeleton by fish-moths. The bed on the other side of ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. the floor was a big four-poster, each leg placed in water cups to guard against centi- pedes. A canopy of mosquito curtain was draped from a wooden frame. Above a punkah started flapping the moment that the major entered with the girl fast asleep in his arms. He was rather glad she could not see the sort of place where she was to spend the night. As the major stepped out again to the stairs he looked beyond the compound of the bungalow to the road that wound through the bamboos and tamarinds from the city. He heard the heavy beat of a horse’s hoofs upon the earth and a moment later he could see by the diffused light of the moon shining through the mist, the form of a horseman racing madly up the hill through a tope of bamboos. Kesh hurried down to the veranda where he found the publican waiting and_nerv- ously rubbing his hands. ‘Who is your punkah-boy up there?” Kesh asked, pointing to Diane’s room. ‘A very trustworthy old coolie, sir,” the publican replied. ‘‘ He has been in this city for many years, a reliable punkah- wallah who is gifted with wakefulness.” ‘“ Tell him to report to me if he sees any one on that roof between now and morn- ing.” Both men turned as a horseman galloped through the gate of the compound and drew rein abruptly in front of the bungalow. The rider swung down from his lathered horse and vaulted up to the veranda with one jump. He was a tall, well-formed man, clothed in whites which were grimy from his jour- ney. Under the cork topi Major Kesh could see the handsome dark eyes, the regu- lar features, the blue jaw of [an Dunboyne. ‘“‘ Congratulations, Dunboyne,” was the major’s greeting. “Ts she here?” the man cried breath- lessly. “Your fiancée is upstairs awaiting the bridegroom,” the major replied suavely. “Thank God!” Dunboyne ejaculated. “ And give me a drink! I’m exhausted— been tearing through the Plains for forty- eight hours trying to get here in time.” The major followed him into the bunga- CORNICLOO© Ss (E@)