The Lamp in the Desert

he enthusiastic hubbub spread far, for every door and window was flung wide. Though the season was yet in its infancy, the heat was intense. Markestan had the reputation in the Ind

of the community, like migratory birds, dwelt in them for barely four months in the year, flitting with the coming of the pitiless heat to Bhulwana, their little paradise in the Hills. But that was a twenty-four hours' journey away, and the m

single voice made itself heard. It spoke with easy fluency to the evident appreciation of its listeners, and when it ceased there came another hearty cheer. Then with jokes and careless laughter the little company of British officers began to disperse. They came forth in lounging groups on to the steps of the mess-house, the foremost of them-Tommy Denvers-holding the arm of his captain, who suffered the familiarity as he suffered most things, with the utmost indifference. None but Tommy ev

cigar. The night was a wonderland of deep spaces and glittering stars. Somewhere far away a native tom-tom throbbed like the beating of a

be deuced war

said Monck, prof

ks awfully! But it's a shame to hurry over a good

k. "Have it later!" He added rather

ren't you going to show at the Club

on it. "I'm keeping my dancing for to-morrow," he sai

nd the steps by his side. They walked several paces along the dim

you what it

dn't," s

oddly, uncertainly. "How do you know

t," sai

do," said Tom

grudging way. "You're getting quite clever for a child of your age,

nck, if I don't speak out to someone, I shall bu

thing to be gained

rm, but yet in some fashion Tommy knew that it wa

does a fellow good to unburden himself. And

e day, isn't it?"

se I feel. I'm downright sick about it, and that's the truth. How would you feel, I wonder, if you k

ring race. One or two 'rickshaws met them as they went, and a woman's voice called a greeting; but

raint. "That's rather a sweeping assertion o

me," maintained Tommy

Monck. "I've nothing

favour of him any

your sister has." There was just a

w that now. She only accepted him because she found herself in such a beastly anomalous positio

s no irony in Monck's tone this

him as one uncertain.

have you for making the assertion?" Monck spoke

f fool that sees things without being able to explain how. But that Stella has the fainte

for that sort of thing

ly came Tommy's defence. "You don't kn

as well. Now your sister on the other hand is quite inscrutable. But it is no

ere six weeks. It's a shame for any girl to marry on such short notice as that. I said so to her, and she-she laughed and said, 'Oh, that's beggar's choice! Do you think I could enjoy life with

ck's question fell curtly, as if the subjec

se all the rest followed suit. Mrs. Ralston is the only one in the whole crowd who has ever treated her decently, but of course she's nobody. Everyone sits on her. As if," he spoke with heat, "Stella weren'

-from a man's point

rn the cold shoulder on her,-to ostracize her practically. What had she done to them?

. And your sister will always be that-married or otherwise. They may fawn upon her later, Dacre being o

surprise. "Do you know,

ugh. "Quite so! You wouldn't! But

test the man! He behaves as if he were conferring a favour. When he

past the schoolboy stage. Dacre is more of a woman's favourite than a man's, you must remember

f it," fumed Tommy. "He makes

unded showed dimly in the starlight, a wooden structure with a raised verandah and a flight of steps leading up to it. A light thrown by a red-shaded lamp shone out from one of

said. "She is sure to be rea

was in shadow. He seemed to be

that you've been making a confidant of me! I don't fancy it would please her. Put on a grin, man! Don't look

shoulder as they turned up the path to

woman-hater, aren

short, rather bitter laugh;