A Scion of the Kumpani Bahadur

Hastings Standard, Issue 231, 27 January 1897, Page 4

A Scion of the Kumpani Bahadur

A TALE OF INDIAN SPORT

[Spkcivi.lv WKITTHN F<iß the Hastings Standard.]

By F. D'A. C. DK Lislk

<All ri'ihts rrs,rrnl hi/ the author, j

Chapter lll.—Tin: Guides' Ball

Without doubt Mrs Major Bruce was an exceptionally good dancer, and Jones had learnt the waltz on the Continong. " The Continong, the Continong ! " Where mti is yes, and no is tiowjl" So he did his to make the most of such a splendid partner. Unlike his other partners, Mrs Bruce never spoke during the "whole dance, but she closed her eyes, and danced as if in dreamland; and Jones almost fancied he heard a sob when the last lingering notes of the Gi'lieht uml Yerlorcn waltz died away. " Where to now," said Jones as they made for the cool verandah. "Oh! anywhere," said the little woman dreamily. " Anywhere away from here." There was a note of pain in her voice, and a startled look in her eyes. " I know a bank whereon the wild plain tain grows; I have been there once already to-night. With the exquisite Miss Armas," said Jones. "With that woman!" said Mrs Bruce. " With her--yes. But I am safe, thanks to Captain Polhill-Carew. Here we are, and the cosy corner is disengaged. Now then what can Ido for you—-an ice ? simpkin ? or coffee ? or will you go to supper at once. Becollect that I have the first extra, which will start in about ten minutes. After that we will try supper, but don't miss that ; the last was too pleasant." " Yes, I almost forgot where I was. I only left the hills the day before yesterday, and I have been travelling ever since," she said. " lam glad you have joined. Though if the change was beneficial, I would not be selfish enough to wish that. When I joined two months ago, I was told that all the ladies of the regiment had fled to the hills for the hot weather; and that we should only have them back in the cold weather. Need I say then how glad I am that you and Lady Bertram! are going to vary the monotony of our regulation lives by coming back to quarters. It will be quite an attraction in an otherwise dreary existence," said Jones. " You are a born courtier Lieutenant -Jones. Had you studied that pretty speech beforehand, you could not have spoken it better. I won't tell you how glad I am to find such an acquisition to our usual barrack society, it might spoil you." " Nothing will spoil me I hope. Mrs Bruce I am made of better stuff."

" Forgive me, it was only chaff. I am unfeignetlly glad to find you are so pleasant and fond of fun and amusement. Barrack life at Pindi does got so dreadfully wearisome. We shall all brighten up now you have come," said 31 rs Bruce earnestly. "I know somebody else whocan make very pretty speeches ! I will try and give you plenty of amusement, but I'm only a junior officer, and I'm afraid my seniors will think me presumptuous. By the way, it's veryunpleasant and most annoying, but, owing to a rather sharp bit of business on my part, Major Bruce and I do not hit it very well. I hope that will make no difference to our friendship ?" said Jones.

" llow unfortunate," said Mrs Bruce. " He will be annoyed if I notice you too lunch ; I know that from past experience."

Carr- Jones was about to speak when footsteps sounded on the footpath by the alcove, and a man and woman stopped at the entrance speaking in low, but distinctly audible tones. " I <im going back to Piwli, but you shall not come and see me while xhc is there," said the woman. " What earthly difference does it make, Rita?" said the man, and the awful start of Mrs Bruce was not wanting to acquaint Jones of the fact that the speaker was Major Bruce. " Well, I won't have it, that's all! You told me that she was to remain at I'arjeeling till November, didn't you? And, besides, I've not had this month's allowance yet, and you are not going to fool me. Yon are spending it in letting her gad about, while I have to vegetate in barracks," cried the woman. ''This is intolerable," whispered Mrs Bruce. " Hush !" said Joins, " there are others coming." And, as additional intruders came on, Major Bruce and the lady with him walked on into the darkness. " Here you are, Addie," cried the familiar voice of Captain Pol hi 11 Carew as the last pair appeared in the alcove. •• No ; not there, Arthur—there are other places further down," said the lady with him, and the pair .strolled away. " Li t ih go," cried Mrs Bruce, and, placing a trembling hand on Carr- •!<>». i' arm, she rose and walked out of the alcove. '• Upon my soul, I feel this bitterly, Mrs Bruce," said Jones, " I could kill the cur— —" •• Don't speak of it, for Heaven's sake, don't !" cried the little woman. '• Is not my pain awful enough without that! And the others, do not over mention them. Their story is sad beyond words !" They entered the ball-room just as the first extra waa commencing. It was The ] hie Jlim ihii/ti wall , one of the most exquisite of the musical compositions of that order. "Shall wo dance?" asked Jones, •'or would you care to sit down a'.one!"

"Old £*at India Company.

" Let us dance. I wish, if only for a moment, to,f»r;ie-t."

And to his dying day the young Lancer never forgot the wild, delicious passion of that dreamy dance. When it was over they parted without a word. Only one look, on her side of mute misery, of an unutterable shame ; on his side full of sympathy, and restrained passion. " Gome here Somerset," said Jones a moment later, as he dragged that festive subaltern out of a very crowded supper room. " You're ruining your internal economy by too much gluttony. Suppers are only for women ; come out and smoke, I Avant to talk." " Ah ! Ha ! I thought you would not get out of this without an intrigue. I can see it in your face. Young ' griffin ' you are struck ! Now own \jp!" said Somerset as he proceeded to light an enormous and unhealthy Trirhi cheroot. " You'll be struck, and in the region of that idotic jaw of yours, if you try any chaff with me," answered Jones. " No, it's no adventure old man, I only wish to ask you, in all seriousness, if there is a skeleton in the regimental cupboard." The senior Lieutenant immediately grew serious. " Well, what do you want to know?" he asked. "Oh! then there is!" said Jones. " I was the unwilling listener to conversation between Bruce and a lady a little while ago, in that same alcove where you found me earlier in the evening with the Armas woman " " And you were with ?" quickly asked Somerset. " Mrs Bruce," replied Jones. " 0 ! good Gad ! how awkward," cried Somerset. " I really feel damnably sorry for the little woman. Bruce is a brute to carry on with that woman ; a low variety artiste who married a " Non-com " in the Blankshire during a drunken spree two years ago. She is pretty, and fetching and all that, but still it's brutal of Bruce to do it. Hang it, I could swear all night over it!" " Do you think that to-night was the first time Mrs Bruce knew of it ?" asked Jones. " Oh ! no. They quarrelled over it twelve months ago when Bruce drove the woman all over Calcutta during his T>t'irali furlough. Mrs Bruce left the barracks and went to the Hills. Bruce promised to reform, and that is why she returned. But I suppose this affair to-night will upset everything. Was the conversation pretty plain ?" " About as candid as it well could be in it's beastly selfishness," answered Jones. " What would happen if I were to give Bruce a good thrashing, Somerset ?" "You'd becourt-martialled and dismissed from the service, " Don't do that old man!" cried Somerset. " And who does Carew call Addiein such a familiar way ? And why does she address him as Arthur?" asked Jones. " Great Scott! you don't mean to say you overheard that!" said Somerset. Jones nodded his head in eloquent silence. "And Mrs Bruce too?" asked Somerset. " Yes," replied Jones. " Look here old man," said Somerset, " You are too much of a gentleman to repeat any of this. But I can see that you know who the lady is. They were infatuated with each other before she married. You can see she is only a girl now. She married for wealth, title, and a home for her broken down father and mother. Carew had none of these to give her. And they are idiotically going on as they did before she married ; and one day there will be a fearful smash up over the whole affair and somebody will be worse than ruined." "Isn't she a bit of a flirt?" asked Jones. " All sham. She says and does the most outrageous things with other fellows thinking to blind the world. But for Carew I believe she would sell her soul!" answered Somerset. " I feel sorry for them both !" said Jones. " Impossible to interfere, I suppose ?" " Yes. Carew would try to kill you if you broached the subject to him—-

in the other quarter ; well " Love is blind," and an infatuated woman fears neither God nor Man," sententiousiy answered the senior Lieutenant.

" The ragiment appears to be standing on a regular hornet's nest." said Jones.

" It's unfortunate; yet do you know that only you and myself know of Carew and L you know. Not another soul in the regiment knows, at least to my knowledge, that they are carrying on their old love affair. Of the Bruces, the whole history is common ffujt; and all Raical Hindi knows of it. It's the talk of every ayah and di (wet-nurse) in the Cantonments!" " Humph ! I feel the deepest pity for that gentle, brown-eyed little woman. No man but a despicable cur would traat her so, and I'd like to break his infernal neck," growled Jones. " I would do it for fun,"said Somerset, " but the service rules forbid a junior officer to strike a senior officer. There's the second extra. I'm engaged to Edith Fane. Go and have some supper and calm your ruffled feelings," said Somerset rushing off. " Hang supper !" growled CarrJones, as he too passed into the ballroom. [To be continued.]