The Sunday Oregonian., January 21, 1906, PART FOUR, Page 44, Image 44

THE SUNDAY OKEGONIAN, POBTLAStt), JANUARY 21, 190&
c
1ALCUTTA, Doc 7.
spondence of The Sunday Orcgonian.)
While the government of man has
reached an advanced stage among most
t the nations, the tribal law of India
antedates that which Moses gave to the
Hebrews. Although the holy lawgiver of
the Israelites was undoubtedly wise in
decreeing that the caste system was a
safe method for ruling an ignorant and
numerous population, it seems marvelous
ithat any plan or scheme of those old
days should endure through all the chang
ing centuries. Yet we lind a code here
In India almost as unaltered as whon it
;was established to meet the requirements
of the early branches of the human race.
The Hindu marries in his own family,
even as Abraham espoused his niece. The
young Indian must seek a wife among
his tribe, like Isaac, who journeyed Into
a far country to wed a maiden of his own
lamily. Any young man of modern India
who should disobey his caste rules of
wedlock would displease his parents equal
ly as much as Esau offended Isaac and
Hobccca by marrying among strangers.
Tho caste system as practiced in India
at tho present time, and as ordained by
"Moses, means a social and economic di
vision of the population according to pro
fession.. Rules of Life Arc Fixed.
' No person is allowed to exorcise more
"than one calling at a time, and no indi
vidual Is ever permitted to change his
occupation. It Is a case of once a fiddler
always a fiddler. Hence the son of a shoe
makor must be a cobbler, and the daugh
ter of a barber must marry a man who
Jollows that trade. In most Instances a
man Is not even allowed to travel about,
'but must work and live In the place where
Jie was born.
Thero are four main castes in India,
fend tho explanation of. how they were
formed is that the original members were
made from the body of the god, Brahma.
Tho Brahmins, or priests, came from the
Siead; tho rajahs, or soldiers, from the
shoulders; tho agriculturists from the
stomach; while those devoted to servitude
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN'S SPECIALLY
SELECTED FICTION
TO society at large and to the so
ciety reporters, she was Mrs. Ever
ett; to those who were jealous of
licr, she was "that frivolous old Everett
jwoman"; but to those who knew her best,
Bhc was tho Dowager Duchess. She
came into the morning room where her
grandson sat waiting breakfast for her,
2icr draperies fluttering, her stop as light
as a girl's. Her white hair, coiled4 high
above her fresh-tonod, aristocratic,
young-old face, was lustrous as bur
nished silver; her white forehead was
unllned; her white hands, heavily ringed
with the superb old-fashioned table-cut
diamonds she always wore, were as
soft and unwrinklcd as constant care
could keep them. Even her best enc
anlcs had to acknowledge that Mrs. Ev
erett was well preserved.
Her grandson rose as she entered, six
Xoet two of stalwart young manhood,
and seated her at the head of the table.
He was a good-looking fellow, well
tailored and well set up. His upper pro
file was hers also; the clear-cut aristo
cratic line of brow and nose proclaimed
them of one race, and that a good one,
but his mouth was his mother, who
liad not been Mrs. Everett's daughter.
"You're looking fit as a fiddle," he
jsaJd affectionately. His grandmother
nodded over the old-fashioned silver
coffee service.
"'Yes, Marie did me very well this
morning." she said with entire frank
ness. "I shouliT'be nothing but an old
woman without Marie."
"Nonsense," said her grandson,
"You're- not old. You have a better
time than most girls I know; there are
always half a dozen old beaux raving
over you."
"Well, why not?" said Mrs. Everett
briskly, without looking up from the
letter she was opening. "'I am old, and
I don't deny it. But why need .old age
be hard and unlovely and unattractive?
Anyone can grow old gracefully who will
take the trouble to try.
"Of course, I have a good time so
does every one who wants to and doesn't
mope in a chimney corner. As for the
old beaux Just remember I'm your
grandmother and be respectful, my child.
You'll be accusing me of flirting next!
"Why, this is rather extraordinary!"
Her flexible voice changed. "Jack, listen
to this: If Mrs. Everett will call today
at TI3 Hickman street, she will learn
something concerning a matter which
touches her nearly. A. M. Fairfax." "
She glanced swiftly and oddly at her
grandson's face, but he was breaking an
egg and did not look up. "Did you ever
Iicar of any one named Fairfax? I can't
think what this can be about. Can yo?"
"Tear it up." advised young Everett,
feusrosed, wits -his -iH3?tYt: it lat
(Spcd.io.m- & - V.fS'..JlA.vrKt . vCIBBM?fS3ffiiH!RKigni''
came from the feet. These four main
castes have been divided and subdivided
Into several hundred different factions,
and the distinctions are so numerous that
only a student can understand all the
differences that exist.
The Brahmins consider themselves so
superior to other castes that they observe
the most ridiculous measures to preserve
themselves from bodily contamination.
One of them would no more think of
touching the person of a member of a
lower caste than he would of cutting his
It's probably no good. People who havo
anything to communicate don't usually
choose that method."
"But it's signed," Mrs. Everett pro
tested. "People who want to blackmail
don't usually sign things, do they?"
"Not with their own names, at any
rate," said Jack. Mrs. Everett's glance
at him was keen. She was entirely cool,
and not by the quiver of an cyolash
would she havo betrayed the fact that the
letter had given her a distinct shock.
"Where Is Hickman street?" she asked
innocently.
"Why cr search me," Jack answered.
"I think it's somewhere in the southeast
section." He watched as Mrs. Everett
folded the letter thoughtfully.
"Own up. grandma! You want to go and
find out, don't you?" he laughed.
Mrs. Everett looked at him soberly,
then wltli an answering gleam qf mirth:
"Yes, my boy, and I'm going. I haven't
outgrown my love of adventuro even if I
am your grandmother, and. I think P41
see If there's an adventure in this."
"All right." said Jack resignedly. "I'll
come home early from the office and take
you."
"You'll come home" Mrs. Everett
caught herself up and took a hasty sip
of coffee. "John Everett, your audacity
renders you a a true and worthy grand
son of mine."
Jack looked surprised and Indignant In-f
a breath,
"Is It audacious of a man to offer to
escort his own grandmother to a place
she knows nothing about?" he demanded.
Again she looked at him oddly but
again his breakfast proved engrossing and
he did not catch her eye.
"I can Imagine that under certain cir
cumstances it' might be considered so,"
she said demurely.
She rose f rom the table with her hand
ful of letters, pausing on her way door
ward to pat her grandson's bronzed
cheek. Always to her "he would be the
curly-headed child who clambered on her
knee with his baby woes such bitter
little woes and called her "Dranma."
"It's not at all necessary, my dear, for
you to Interrupt your work. What could
possibly happen to an old woman like
me?"
"All the same, I'm coming," said Jack,
smiling back into her sunny eyes. "If I
were not your grandson, Td rather run
off with you than any girl I know, and
there are plenty of men who are not your
grandsons."
She laughed irrcpreselbly at his non
sense. . "Goose! What 'girl you know Is teach
ing you to make pretty speeches? Well,
come at 3, then. I must get back early;
I have my manicure at 4 and my masseuse
at 5. and I dine with the Tyson at 7:30."
"Will the General be there?" Jack asked
with & twlakle. '
'Naturally, it I at" lira, Bvcjx
own throat. In the olden times If a per
son without caslc entered a Brahmin's
house he was murdered on the spot, and
oven now If this should happen the of
fender would meet with rough treatment.
In the villages the outcasts arc not al
lowed to pass In front of a Brahmin's
house, because one of their footprint is
supposed to contaminate the whole neigh
borhood. Fear of Defilement.
This fear of personal defilement Is so
."THE DOWAGER DUCHESS" BY
ett serenely. "I told him that If he was
going to send me flowers bo was to send
la France roses. I shall wear black velvet
and diamonds"
"You giddy old soul!" her grandson
laughed at her as she left the room.
Outside the door sho paused, her pretty
old face sobering into sudden keen per
plexity. "I'm afraid there's something I don't
understand," she murmured. "I wonaer
if I should have to read the boy the rest
of that letter? No! If he doesn't choose
to confide In mo . . ." She left her
sentence unfinished.
It was Jacobl, the artist, who. meeting
Mrs. Everett at dinner In her black vel
vet, point lace and diamonds, had vowed
that he would paint her thus, and call
his picture the "Dowager Duchess." Ja
cobl died before the first sitting took
place; but the name stuck and was re
membered. Yet, even In her plainest gray
carriage gown and her gray squirrel furs
and slmplo black hat. sho had never in
her life looked more tho Duchess as she
stood on the steps of tho narrow house
in Hickman street, and watched her
grandson Ting tho bell.
Tho door opened In time to reveal a
woman in a torn flannel wrapper, with
hor hair In curl papers. This apparition
stared, dumbly, until Mrs. Everett took
control of the situation by asking:
"Docs any one by tho name of A. M.
Fairfax live here? Yes? Then I wish to
see this person, please, at once. Jack,
I want you to wait In the carriage for
me. No, I. don't want you to come In."
The woman showed her Into a stuffy
front room, smelling atrociously of boiled
cabbage and damp walls, and left her.
Mrs. Everett stood In the middle of the
room, her skirts gathered closely about
her. Her eyes were curious; her face
wore the coolly aloof lobk with which the
Dowager Duchess was wont to ward off
incipient advances.
To her there came, then, a little cring
ing woman, weasel faced, hard eyed, Jn
shabby and deadly respectable black. Her
manner held a desperate assumption of
gentility, of social elegance, which merely
made her appear more pretentious and HI
at ease than she need have been. The
expert eyes of the Duchess classified her
Instantly one of the hangers -on, so on
sure of her position that others were at
once sure of JL She stopped, facing Mrs.
Everett. Class confronted and recognised
class; as always, caste triumphed. Mrs.
Everett, wlse'in the tactics of social strat
egy, kept the reins of the situation.
1 am Mrs. Everett," she said, cour
teously If distinctly. "Perhaps you are
the one from whom this morning I re
ceived a letter signed A. M. Falrfax?'
The small woman's Jaw dropped. '
"Mrs. My Lord!" she- muttered.
"What has Lena ben and dene?" Sut
Instantly asd visibly, j&e had the effect
JqX aajue-LLng herself mentally, te condi
Bugs vs. "Widows.
The members of one sect In India
will not drink water unless they have
a doth fastened across their mouths.
These people also have a servant pound
upon a gong while they arc at their
meals In order to prevent the pos
sibility of their hearing any profane
remarks from passers-by whilo they
aro eating. As a safeguard against
killing minute Insects, the destruction
of any form or life being considered
sinful, the women brush the floor
gently with a light duster before us
ing a broom. The rule pertaining to
the preservation of life Is observed so
strictly that -even eggs are abjured as
food on account of the vital germs
which they contain. Such considera
tion would seem commendable for its
compassion were it not for the fact
that a law had to be enacted to pre
vent the horrible cruelty of burning a
widow alive pn the funeral pyre of ijcr
husband.
The servants of India invariably be
long to the low castes, (and their fear
of doing something to offend their su
periors is noticeable In the hesitation
they always cvlnco In approaching a
person or. in entering an apartment
occupied by someono whose position
Is higher than theirs. Even the ser
vants In the hotels, who ought to be
familiar with what Is expected of
them, will halt and falter before- enter
ing a room where they have been sent
for and told to enter. They bear tho
evidence of conscious Inferiority in
their cringing servility.
The Brahmin Is Just the reverse. He
devoutly believes that lie was made
tions wholly new and unexpected. Her
little ferret eyes took In every detail of
Mrs. Everett's dress and face and fig
ure; a gleam of covetous eagerness
crossed her face. J
"I'm Mrs. Fairfax, and I wrote that
letter." she said defiantly, as one chal
lenging denial. "I knew John was a
swell, but I didn't look to see you like
this. Will you take a chair?"
"Thank ypul" Mrs. Everett let her
self sink upon the slippery horsehair
'chair Indicated by her hostess' nod,
with no sign of the quick nervous ap
prehension the woman's words evoked.
Agalp before the latter could speak, she
took her opening. "I will say at once I
do not understand your rcfcrcncb to my
grandson and your grand-daughter. I
should like an explanation."
"You'll get It!" said Mrs. Fairfax. "But
maybe I'll be wanting an explanation too;
since your grandson has married my
grand-daughter, I want to know what
you are going to do about IL Arc you
going to recognize her as his wife?"
"His wife?" Mrs. Everett's shock of
horror and amazement all but brought
her to her feet. Under the stimulus of
her adversary's half insolent, half cring
ing regard, she recovered with an effort
that left her fairly weak. She raised her
lorgnon which she never In her life had
needed to use and swept tho pertinacious
weasel face and the shabby genteel form
with slow and merciless criticism.
"What a very curious mistake you
havo made, Mrs. Fairfax!" she said de
liberately. "My grandson to marry your
grand-daughter?"
Mrs. Fairfax's leathery cheeks turned
red. She was quite keen enough to ap
preciate thfi thrust, but not keen enough
to know how to return it In kind. Her
weapons were tho blunter ones of mere
words; the rapier points of tone, inflection,
modulation were beyond her skill.
"A mistake, is it?" she said angrily.
"All right! Lena!" . ,
She turned to the door to call stridently
down the halL As she did so Mrs. 'Everett
passed her handkerchief rapidly across
her lips.
"Co mm'!" said a full-throated, care
less young voice down the hall. Mrs.
Everett set her llpe and her eyes hard
ened. What horrible thing had Jack
done and never betrayed himself by word
or sign? Was it actually possible that
the boy had disgraced his name and hers
by a low mesalliance? Many pitfalls she
had dreaded fer him and had done her
womanly best to kelp him over the many
snares life lays fer the wandering feet of
me a but sever thtal How could He have
helped betraying hltftself when he knew
the very house to which she was to come?
In the m44t of her a si tat ten gfee had time
for a rnoocatary gleam ef adstfraUen at
what she recognised, as her ewa coelacM
admiraUea vsry sort lived. aa& mt
y
from the head of God. and that no
creature on earth is his equal. He
carries himself with an assurance
that would be splendid if it were not
so ridicuious. One of the greatest of
fences a low caste Hindu can commit
is to deceive or lie to a Brahmin. This
favorite class has been so badly spoiled
by its privileges -that those In even
tho poorest circumstances carry them
selves like autocrats.
"olhln Left to Chance.
The entire procedure of Hindu life
is, regulated by the rules of caste us
age, and every action of the native
Is governed by it. The mode of greet
ing, the cut of clothing and manner
of wearing It, the shape of ornaments
and style of wearing them, the furn
ishings of the house, the Corner where
the hearth and cooking pots are lo
cated, the manner of going to bed and
of sleeping, the rules of politeness that
must be observed, no matter how
trivial, filthy or disgusting they may
be. all are laid down by rule. Nothing
Is left to chance. Every action of ev
ery individual relating to himself and
to others is inculcated in the luw of
his caste and there can be no departure
from it. This irrational phase of the
ancient law In one of the shackles
that binds India to the dark ages. Un
til these senseless customs are dis
carded, there U little hope of Improv
ing the lot or the miserable millions
that are enchained by; them.
While the mild and cowardly Hindu
is oblivious to almost any mlstrcat-
ruoful. Her high pride of blood (lushed
to full tide. Let these common people
see that tho blow had been staggering
liad caught her fairly between the eyes?
never! She was an Everett she never
forgot that.
Mrs. Fairfax, returning from the door,
found a footman armed cap-a-ple In In
vulnerablo self-possession, studiously
courteous, glacially calm.' In Mrs. Fair
fax's footsteps followed a girl, a wll
lowly' slip of a thing, pretty, frowsy
haired, painfully overdressed, who stood
In the doorway staring shyly under her
eyebrows. 'Mrs. Everett trained her lorg
non upon her. The effect was fully what
she had Intended, the girl winced, with a
glance of crimson embarrassment at her
mother.
"This Is Lena," said Mrs. Fairfax.
"Lena, this Is Mrs. Everett. Tell her
who you are."
Tm J John's wife, ma'am," said Lena
with a stammer.
"Don't say ma'am!" prompted her
mother Irritably. "She's your, mothcr-In-law."
Lena wilted in abject panic.
Mrs. Everett turned on her, Ignoring
her mother completely.
"You say you aro my son s wife, how
long have you been married?"
Under her eyes the glrl'3 face became
transfigured- Love flushed It with rosy
light, kindled twin stars in her soft eyes,
touched her vounir 1ID3 te curves of utter
happiness. For tho first time her glance
"Just a week, ma'am!" she said with
a thrill of her velvet voice. "Wo were
goln- to keep It sctrct until John had
fixed It up with you but mother spoiled
it." '
"Spoiled It!" snapped Mrs. Fairfax
acidly. "Well, if you won't stand up
for your rights, somebody's got to
and that's all the thanks they get, A
nice mess you'd be In secret mar
riage, unacknowledged wife I've got
my- good name to keep up, I tell you.
and 1 won't have It!" She turned to
Mrs. Everett. ."So when I found out
what John wai up to" Mrs. EVerett
winced in spite of the armor "and
Lena wouldn't listen to anybody but
him, I took It Into my hands. I'm a
stranger here came on from home
when I found out from Lena's letters
what was going on but I looked you
up in the directory and wrote to you
right over John's head, you might
say. I've got her certificate all right.
Now. what I want to know is what
you're going to do about It."
Mrs. Everett moistened her' lips. She
knew that she was deadly white and
thanked her guardian angl that her
back was toward the dingy window.
"Don't you tfelak." she said .quietly,
that yon, are .taking a rather UKfer-
zncnt or indignity which, docs not In
volve the question oC his" caste rites,
he becomes a fearless fanatic it his
tribal privileges are Interfered -with.
The gravest disturbances frequently
arise over a dispute of some trifling
character between members of differ
ent caste. Sometimes the sole cause
of a quarrel may bo the disputed right
to wear slippers through the streets on
the occasion of a .marriage procession,
or of having a trumpet sound at the
head of a parade, or again the right to
have certain musical Instruments used
In observing somo ceremonial.
The-dlstinctlons between some of the
castes are unusual Indeed. For in
stance, musicians are considered In
ferior because in the act of playing
wind Instruments the mouthpieces are
touched with saliva. Shoemakers
and all leather workers arc degraded
because of, handling skins of dead ani
mals. Barbers are looked down upon
because theyhave to clean the cars of
their patrons. ' The different castes of
cultivators consider themselves su
perior to goldsmiths, blacksmiths,
founders and metal workers, as well
as fishermen, potters and laundrymcn.
and wouhl under n6 circumstances sit
The Servant Problem.
The strict division of employment
necessitates a large staff of servants
for the European residing permanent
ly or soujournlng temporarily In India.
If lie owns horses he must have a
groom for each animal, and these
stable boys accompany him when he
goes out, because the driver's work Is
confined solely to. holding the reins. If
there should bo a break-down, or It
should be necessary to hold the ani
mals by their bits, each groom must
be there to look after his particular
charge. In the household one menial
sweeps, another attends to the bath, and
still another erves the table. The cook's
assistant must be his own son or a mem
ber of his caste, and a lower grade of
servant is employed to wash the dishes
and do th scullery work.
Your traveling servant does not lift your
baggage around, but merely gives orders
and sees that it Is done, because this kind
of work Is beneath his caste. Ho merely
relieves you of the Inconvenience of hag
gling over charges and losing time In see
ing that orders arc properly obeyed. Al
though a large number of servants arc
required for each household, their hire Is
not great. Tho American Consul at Cal
cutta has 13 servants In his establish
ment, and the total amount of. their sala
ries per mcnth Is ICO rupees, which Is
equal to 33 American dollars.
The principal Iniquity of the caste sys
tem is that it eliminates the clement of
personal ambition from the lives of thouc
subject to It. A bright boy who Is tho
son of a water-carrier might apply him
self and become a merchant or a lawyer,
but it Is the inevitable law that he must
remain a member of the low society and
profession of his father. His whole life is
regulated by the circumstance of his birth,
rather than by any natural ability which
he might possess or talent which he might
develop. The perspective of the Individual
Is so restricted that he naturally lacks
enterprise. Without reward there can be
C. BRYSON TAYLER
tunate way to serve your daughter's
Interests? Do you realize that your
manner can hardly do other than make
a bad matter worsen for her?"
Beneath her cool exterior her mind
was traveling at racing speed. What
was she going to do? Abruptly, with
a shock, she realized that the girl was
watching her, was reading tho strug
gle which tore her. That there wore
signs of sympathy in the young fright
ened faco made matters all tho worse.
Instantly she became once more the
Duchess, poised, self-controlled, domi
nating the situation.
"What I shall do depends very much
on yourself, my child," she said, with
the Duchess own inimitable manner,
addressing tho girl directly. "If If
my son loves you, and you love him
honestly, and will bo -a true and loyal
wife to him, doing your best to fit
yourself for the place he has chosen
you to fill. I think"
"Love him oh, ma'am!" the girl
breathed. It was all of the Duchess'
speech that she' had heard.
That much may be forgiven you,"
said the Duchess steadily.
Mrs. Fairfax drew a long breath of
relief; tho girl's eyes widened.
"You don't hate me?" she whispered
incredulously, magnifying, after the
manner of her kind, the' courtesy of
gentle broedlng Into something per
sonal to herself. .But the Duchess did
not even smlle.
"It will depend on yourself whether
I hate you," she said. The glow of
adoring gratitude in Lena's brown
eyes should have rewarded her. but the
Duchess was not thinking of Lena's
eyes just then. I don't think my son
has treated either of us fairly in this
matter." she was saying, in her soft,
well-modulated voice, when another
voice from the hall, shrill and assert
ive, fell Into their midst, snapping the
tension of their excitement, it might
almost as well have been a bomb for
the effect it created.
"I'm Mrs. Everett, and I want par
ticularly to see her! My son sent me
her.e to meet his wife, and if she's in
I'm not coming all this way for noth
ingl" Mrs. Fairfax's breath of relief
changed to a gasp of apprehension;
Mrs. Everett looked startled; Lena
stood poised as though for Instant
flight. A woman came to the door and
glaaced In upon there; a woman of very
ret cneexs, very duck eyes, a very
snugly nlppei-In figure, which overflowed
Into very pronounced curves. Her veil
had too many dots; her hat too many
feathers.
"Mr ward!" said the newcomer. "It
it a family wirty? Hope I den't intrude
Htc black ryes glanced swiftly; from, face
little stimulusto endeavor. As a. conse
quence the Indians are a dull, spiritless
racs. plodding dumbly onward without the
zest that makC3 free men take Issue with
their fellows and enter Into the battle -of
life with vim and assurance.
Inasmuch as the English have ruled in
India for more than a century, it seems
that something should have been done to
break down this antiquated scheme of
classifying the population. That they
have not done so Is explained by the fact
that they themselves practice the caste
system. In many respects English social
usage Is as Inconsistent as the age-worn
traditions of India. Although the wealth
and prestige of England has been created
and maintained by her shipper? and mer
chants, the official class holds Itself aloof
from the former for no other reason than
that they are engaged in trade.
An Instance in Illustration occurred
while I was in Calcutta. A young club
man In good standing was entertaining
his brother from England, and was very
much embarrassed when the visitor was
refused admittance to the club on the
ground that his occupation was not ac
ceptable. The brother, who had entree,
held an Important official position, while
the one refused was an expert machinist.
The latter came out from England to
overhaul e( valuable engine that would not
work. He knew his business so well that
he did not have to soil his hands to locate
the trouble and correct It. His position
; was far more Important and his salary
much larger than his brother's, and he
was even more deserving because he had
educated the clubman with wages earned
at the bench while he was a Journeyman
machinist qualifying himself to become
the expert for the great firm which he
represented.
Could anything bo more nonsensical
than tho distinction which was made be
tween these men of the same family?
Yet this Is an actual example of the way
the British practice the caste system
among- themselves. Any young clerk
drawing enough pay to buy a dress suit
can frequent tho clubs of the gentry, but
the most deserving man will be unblush
Ingly dented admittance If his business Li
not what English tradition recognizes as
polite. Quito recently the best oarsman
on the crew at Oxford College was not
permitted to go In tho finals because It
was discovered that his father kept a
drugstore and was thereforo "not a gen
tleman." It Is the name and not the
character or merit of the man which es
tablishes caste according to the British
code.
So It Is not surprising that the English
have Ioeked upon the caste evil in India
with Indifference. During the century
that they havo been the masters of In
dia's destiny they have quite shirked their
responsibility In this, regard. Whether
their reason for not abolishing thLr In
iquitous institution has been fear of the
consequences tho attempt might involve,
or mere Indifference to the well-being of
their wards, the Indictment remains that
British rule hns not corrected the mon
strous Ills of paganism. They thrive un
der the Union Jack today as In olden
times before the Idea of the equality of
man had been evolved.
FREDERIC J. HASKIN.
to face, and rested unerringly on Mrs.
Fairfax's bewildered countenance.
"You must bo Mrs. Fairfax. I'm Mrs.
Everett John's grandmother. You look
surprised I do look young to be a man's
grandmother, don't 1? I just found out
today that the reason he'd been acting
so queer all this week was that he was
married, and he was afraid I wouldn't
like his wife. Maybe I won't. I've al
ways said the best girl In this world was
none too good for John. Are you John's
wife?"
Lena jumped.
"Yes." sho faltered unhappily.
"H'mph!" said John's grandmother,
frankly. "I've always told John he must
marry a rich girl or he'd hear from me.
I'm an Everett.".
The Duchess gave an almost hysterical
giggle, and John's grandmother turned an
obviously Inquiring eye upon her. But
for once tho Duchess' courage deserted
her. With a bow to the room In general,
she walked to the door, stumbled blindly
Into the hall, and felt a nervous touch
upon her arm. She stopped, simply be
cause she was too dazed to resist what
ever else Fate might choose to do to
her, and looked into Lena's imploring
eyes.
"You're glad It Isn't you," sobbed Lena
Incoherently. "And I'm glad It isn't if
you're glad, because I'm not your sort,
and I know it. But I wish oh. ma'am.
I wish it was you. because you would
have been square with me. oven It you
didn't like me you couldn't help being
square, even to me! But she's different
she's mean, and no matter how hard I
try. she'll never be anything else."
The Duohesa found her Voice.
"Trust John, my dear; always trust
John, and It will come .out right for
you," she said cheerfully. With one of
her quick Impulses, which, wild as they
were, sho never regretted, she stooped
and kissed the girl's wet cheek.
Jack, lighting his fifth cigarette on the
sidewalk, stood paralyzed into Immova
bility, match In band at sight of his
grandmother as she appeared suddenly on
the front step, clinging to tho railing and
laughing until the tears ran down her
cheeks. He went to her three steps at
a time. .
"Good Lord, grandma, what's the mat
ter What have you been dolngf
"I been doing? Nothing at all!" gasped
the Duchess Indignantly.. "Oh, raaybe
ln tell you some day." She suppressed
a giggle, which again threatened to he
coma hysterical. "Jack, ray poor Inne
cenrdarllng heavens, child den't look so
frightened. I only came near having an
adventure!"
(Copyright, 130S, by McClure, ?hlllipe &