Conneaut High School - Tattler Yearbook (Conneaut, OH)

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H. B. KURTZ Diamonds - Watches - Jewelry vengeance upon them in some horrible way for having allowed hint to he defiled. Sir Edward Worthington, aecompanied by his daughter, Vic-toiia, had hut a few days previous come to Kashmir on a mission for the English government. Sir Edward was a short, rather thick set man of fifty, who was always willing to he of service to someone. Ins mission for the British government was to quell some excitement which had arisen on account of some differences between the natives of Kashmir and some English people who lived there and who feared an uprising of the natives. Victoria was a beautiful girl of twenty summers, care free and pampered, in whom Sir Edward was completely wrapped up; perhaps partly by virtue of the fact that she had been motherless almost from infancy. Thus it happpened that when a rather ragged looking Hindu lad appeared at the home of Sir Edward, applying for a position as a servant, Sir Edward yielded to his daughter’s wish and employed the hoy, though he distrusted him. Mahmud had been employed in Sir Edward’s home for six months when the robbery occurred. He had proved himself a faitli-iul and obedient servant, so Sir Edward’s fears had been laid aside for the time being, at least. Sir Edward and Victoria were breakfasting when the news came to them of the robbery. John, their trusted butler, reported the theft to Sir Edward who became somewhat disturbed, fearing its effect on the superstitious natives, but Victoria urged him to let things take their own course. Mahmud, apparently, paid little or no attention to the butler’s news. Later in the day, however, Sir Edward’s fears were confirmed when the butler announced: “There is a dark gentleman in the hall sir, who says as ’ow ’e’d like to see you. 'E‘s very h’excited, sir.’’ It developed that the “dark gentleman’ was very angry. lie said that the whites were causing too much disturbance, and now the sacred jewels of their god had been stolen and the natives believed it was due to the presence of the white people, and, if the whites did not leave immediately, they would revolt. Sir Edward, a tvpical Englishman, loved excitement, but he feared for Victoria. It was very hot that evening, not at all conducive to sleep. Victoria, instead of retiring immediately, remained on the veranda which adjoined her room. The very air seemed laden with some vague, incomprehensible mystery, but Victoria, conscious as she was ot the impending something, was not inclined to solve it, so she leaned back in her comfortable rocker and threw care to the winds. Suddenly she perceived crossing the terraced lawn, the figure of a small man who carried a bag over his shoulder. Rapidly but noise- Page Twelve THE TATTLER

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H. B. KURTZ Diamonds - Watches - Jewelry tip over. But, when Mrs. O’Brien rushed in and said I had been murdered, I got so exeited that I just naturally pushed the screen over. I'll bet I looked like an angel with Miss Oarleton s veil on. “Mrs. O’Brien ran out and I ran after her but when I got outside 1 decided to cut across lots through the orchard. And so here I am!” she finished somewhat breathlessly. “Yes, you’re here all right,’ agreed Mrs. Perkins, hut how did that blood get on the wall and on your apron? And that word ‘Beware,’ what does that mean?” “Why, that isn’t blood at all. If you d look at it close, you d see that it’s only squashed strawberries—I leaned up against the wall while I was talking to Miss Carleton and it left the imprint ot my hand and 1 wrote the word ‘Bewrare’ with a strawberry just to make it exciting. 1 was goin’ to pretend 1 was Lady Macbeth seein a vision. And that apron—I wiped my hands on it. “Shure, an’ if ye was my child I’d send ye straight to bed. Well I must be goin’. Sich a day as this has been, to be shure!” Discussing the latest exploit of the romantic Eleanor Jane the neighbors presently took their departure, leaving Eleanor with her mother. “Well, it was romantic anyway, wasn’t it, mother?” queried Eleanor. “I’d love to have been Lady Macbeth. “Lady Macbeth indeed,” snorted Mrs. Perkins. “Another dime novel you’ve been readin’, I s pose. But you 11 never be anyone except Eleanor Jane Perkins, mark my word, if you don’t get this nonsense out of your head.’ “Well, it was romantic. 1 think I'll write a book about it. Don’t you think allie woidd make an ideal hero, mother? “Hero, fiddlesticks! You go right up stairs and go to bed. 1 'll learn you to scare your mother to death. THE MYSTERY OF MAHMUD. A vague, gruesome air of mystery had been hovering over the little Parsee settlement of Kashmir in India for some days. The sacred jewels of Mohammed had been stolen during the night, from tho temple where Mohammed’s faithful subjects worshipped. The natives could account for it in no way. They had never deemed it necessary to place a guard over the jewels, since they believed that the god would keep them safe. Very few natives were to be seen on the streets. They remained in their homes because they feared that the god would wreak THE TATTLER Page Eleven

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H. B. KURTZ The Hallmark Store Quality Jewelry lessly lie made his way along the walk. Victoria strained her eyes to see. He was familiar with every turn of the walk, that was evident, for he did not deviate from his course. Ilis head was hound with the characteristic white headpiece of the Hindu. What was he doing? Who was he? A thousand questions shot into Victoria’s mind. She would follow him. It seemed that the man ahead of her chose all of the darkest streets of Kashmir. Victoria was afraid at first that the man would perceive that he was followed; but, after they had left the more thickly populated part of the town, that fear left her, for she was able to keep far enough behind the man so that he could not see her. At last she saw the man enter an old temple where the people had formerly worshipped, abandoned years before because the natives believed it to be inhabited by evil spirits after a devout native had been stricken and had died there while worshipping. Victoria saw the man enter and cautiously she looked into the darkened place She watched the man grope about a while, then finally light a candle, revealing to her astonished gaze Mahmud, faithful Mahmud. Could it be true? Suppressing a desire to scream she watched while he opened tin vault in which the sacred jewels of Mohammed had formerly been kept and placed his bag there. He locked the vault, glanced about the room, and, seemingly satisfied, blew out the candle and left tin temple- Victoria remained in the shadow until Mahmud was a reasonable distance away and then followed him back by the same winding course to her father’s home. The next morning Sir Edward came down stairs in rather a bad humor. During the progress of the morning meal, Sir Edward and Victoria, who had had no opportunity as yet to tell her father of her experience, and thought it best not to tell him when he was in such a humor, were suddenly aroused by the shouts of several blacks approaching the house. Sir Edward commanded Victoria to hide, but she refused. Mahmud seemed to be overtaken by a sudden fear, not unnoticed by Sir Edward, who told the Hindu to go out and ask the crowd what they wanted. But Mahmud was trying to get away. Victoria screamed to the butler, but too late. “Father,” she said, “tell the little Hindu girl to calm tin1 crowd. You call the police, and we will follow Mahmud. I know where he is going.” Sir Edward, amazed, yielded to his daughter’s commands. While the little Hindu girl pacified the natives, they made their escape. Victoria’s wonderful memory enabled her to retrace with her companions the streets which sin had so perilously traversed the previous night. THE TATTLER Page Thirteen