Adventure Magazine Cover — page 90: what you’re looking at

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

84 At this Sesson stiffened suddenly, and Laulee gave a little cry. “Tf there is something you wish to tell her,” Sinclair spoke even more gently than before, “I will leave the room, while there is time.” “Rhee” standing. Sesson voiced his lack of under- an THEN the girl spoke, her voice fal- (es) tering: “Do not go, burra sahib, for how can my lord mind kissing me good-by in thy presence? Art thou not his father and his mother? And I want to tell you all. For in thy great wisdom it may seem well to thee, during the years that are yet to come, to tell my lord and my love that I was not all a traitor.” ““Traitor?”’? Sesson held her more closely, not troubling to wonder why he knew so clearly that her one desire in life had al- ways been for his love, for him. “Little one, if it tasks thee, do not strain to tell. I think I know, and—TI will tell.” “Nay, wise sa/ib, it were better for me to tell. Remember this lies heavy on my soul and it has such a little while to clean itself.” She sighed and nestled, still graceful. “It began—my lord remembers—such a wonderful love. I was never bought! We saw, we loved—there was nothing else re- quired. If sometimes I found myself fear- ing age, his tiring of me, his finding a wo- man of the white-log and making her his wife—all this I would forget in his arms! “Like a girl I had played with the ink and the ink began to whisper to me— ‘He will grow tired; thou wilt grow old, maybe fat; he will leave thee, forget thee and marry one of his own kind.’ This, I swear by Al- lah, I did not believe at first. But, as thou knowest, burra sahib, such fancies grow like weeds after rain. Money, much money, was offered to me—rupees for my age, when there would be no longer any love, no longer my Sesson. But I loved, and money was not enough. “Ai, I was tempted, but I would not. I fell, but dared to deny my promise. But the ink—the ink, sahib—it makes one worse than drunk! Then was offered me love—for all my life—love and my Sesson, for all mine own, forever! What woman, loving, would have refused a small deceit— coaxing to the ink—for such as that? For it was told me that there was a sahib whom ~ Adventure all sahibs knew for an evil man; whom every sahib wished to see dead, but who was pro- tected by the sahibs’ law, which protects evil and good alike. “Tt was told that the sa#zb who killed this evil one would be a hero and benefiter of all sahibs. But because of the law he would have to hide. ‘He will be brave, sacrificing himself for his own kind; but he will have to flee from his own and become one of us— a native. His face stained, he will live safely among us, with money secretly given - by the sakibs. Never able to leave us. Never to speak to the mem-log! Dost thou . not see, little sparrow, that he will be thine all thy life? Is such love, for all thy life, not worth so small a matter with great deeds in hand?’ “That was why I—foolish, love-dazed, thoughtless—became what seems like a traitor, burra sahib—and oh, my lord, my love, my life!’ She sobbed weakly. “T would not call thee traitor,”’ Sinclair’s voice was husky, “neither will thy Sesson. I would say that thou hadst loved too greatly for thy soul’s peace.”’ “To love my lord too greatly were not possible!’ An echo of the old, audacious lilt crept into her voice. “But, I must end. This night, being a woman who loved, I suspected treachery and, thank Allah, fol- lowed. Before the gate was reached I knew and felt the knife in my bosom speak ’to me. Burra sahib, didst thou not see that that dead spawn of Shitan was wearing boots?” “T saw, and guessed the poison needle at his toes. But, loyal little lady, had he lifted a foot to scratch he would not have reached thy Sahib. Nevertheless, in what thou didst do, thou didst show thyself a princess, a woman worthy of all love.” She tried to laugh. “A little fool even in my dying,” gasped and choked slightly. “Nay, but a great lady who gave her life to save her love. We honor such an one above all others!” ‘“‘Then—” she could scarcely whisper— “I die content.” There had been no suggestion of a doctor, of an antidote. Both Sinclair and Sesson knew the futility of such, knew that any attempt to save life would only make life’s last moments more unhappy. Had there been pain, Sinclair had an anodyne at hand. But the poison was as painless as it was she Com Ghoo <S} (E@)