The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 10, 1907, Page 2

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AT er day, week after week, dregged my poor, aching the small clearing de bungalow, £ little coffee ees, ¥ w the help of some coolies o ting for existence fh eare on, where t luxurious on was = long and jungle, as If resenting s t on its domaln, alded y and warm monsoon c tg in on the littl 4 like & slowly rising tide P nt care and labor to the Hard ® one great sorrow started plents e had y combined In = ov whie had foug off « while the quinine tle was tull, and when A my Kling nad gone he canton- ¥ 1 began to t his re- ing. 1 him , who was ecame my neces- groom, gulde -round native Englishn in I always safp Malabar c er while on garriso wooed belies 2 good two t when the land hance to <off land ved of the society to to a wealthy She was very lash, and I sent him a letter releasing engagement and telling y mist mne, without even ks astomed. where 1 was going. In fact ww fled from Southampton not a soul ngland. except the officials of ship line and the War Office tinat It may have ce was not cur enoug e generous gir! v her chances to the f the Jove of & fellow with no pr an my own, and so battle with nature Sometimes 1 ° e to Ethel, and down to the station wit e express purpose of cabling her, but e longing for a orn letters of them—and her ritated me an let down, cable would have asked the ! to write. If I could hold out & week longer I would run down to Simia see Hathaway, surgeon of affs, and he would fix me up the These wrere my thoughts when I found myself unsble to get ou and with just enc out and beat & B some of the ryots wanted water. T of bed one morning 1gh strength to reac © fever was making my uUpper story very hazy whes Abdul arrited, and th . . . . . . . h, don't speak. You h been See, I am here to é. care 1 now. Do you know end, ng her photograph from my tol- and holding it before my eves, cing her soft, cool, little hand over ips when I attempted to speak, forehead, gave me a ps of something and, with the of Abful's black, anxious face over her shoulder and Bthel's smile haunting my elo brain, I slept. After a long, happy helplessness, Ethel at de whenever I was became aware that een both protracted and hat T was under the care of an ex« surgeon who had been brought up from the plains to ettend me by Ethel, who since her ar- riva d taken entire charge of ev thing about the station. She won dul over at once, and, with his ald and that of a tall Pathan she brought with her from somewhere in the low coun~ trr, the place was evidently belng cered for as well as though'by myself, Ethel had grown old and worn sinoe 1 left her in England, but had the same ile and was much less reserved In pner. She would sit and read to by the hour, and when the dostor uld permit would talk v refusing to swer all ques- as to how she found me out 1 T was stronger. Abdul and the ran would earry me out to the in & Jong ohair every day and call Hthel, who had established herself in my spare room. One day T asked her what she dld with Flagh before she salied. Sheé look- ed at me In blank astonishment, then laughed and refused to answer, &8 she @id all questions until I was well again. ¥ called t o Pathan one day asd &i- thing from my addressing him in his own lan- tpoke to him ia French, and 1 saw the black beggar standing telking to her, with his turban in his hand, one day. I would teach him his lace when I got about, was my & solve, I bade the Abdul engage an aya for Ithel, but she sent the native woman back and would not have another. The Pathan would gather a great bunch of wild flowers for Ethel every morning. These she would share with me, &l- ways keeping part of them for her own room. One afterndon two stran- Fers came on the front verands and were invited in by Ethel. I could hear them very indistinctly speaking French 2y room and ses Kthel showing them =all her letters to me, her photo- graphe, and apparentiy making a lengthy explanation of some kind, while the Pathen stepped noiselessly into her room and came out with an ugly l6oking service revolver, which he hid in his cummerabund, and watched the trio from the corner of the veranda with a very ugly look in Nis eyes. Presently the men started toward the of the veranda—the part which I occupled—and were stopped by BEthel and the surgeon, who had just ar- rived from the station. Tinally the strangers departed, closely watched by the Pathan. What did it mean? I could not undersgand “Abdul. who w&v‘ those me: “Y don't k w, sahib.” Where did th han come from?” “He came w m Sahib through the hills with the Sepoys from his at, did Mem Sahib not come from ion’ sahib. She came in a palki from ills, with an escort of Pathans and Some bearers, who all went back but one. He drinks the sahib's Bala- tee Pawnee, smokes the sahib's che- roots, takes his best badnook in the jungle shoot birds like a Burrah sahib. * and Abdul pointed out the sub- of my inquiries leisurely walking among the crotons in the cofupound. I called him, determined to question him, ‘Wah, wah, dekho, sahib; Pathan when Ethel came out and sent him into the house. She had grown strangely reserved, and as I grew stronger avoid- a great many ways I coudd ount fof,. One night, just after and the Pathan had helped me to here came a rattling of boxes on t veranda. The patter of naked urried whispering of women's volices, and then Ethel, ail dressed as if for journey, rustied to my bedside ire? her arms around my neck erally smothered me with kisses. Tears of joy covered her cheeke, while she sobbed: “Oh, Jack, Jack! How ld you do it! Thank God you are fve and I have found you at last.” To say that ] was greatly surprised at this de- so outburst would hardly feelings, as Ethel had avoided me for the last f. followed by a hysterical demonstration, made me fear for her health. She was clearly breaking down The room was quite dark and we were both quietly thinking, although each one's thoughts were vastiy dif ferent, when the heavy purdas whick separated my room from the hall wers slowly drawn open ang the dim out- lines of a woman could be séen in the doorway. Ethel Instantly arose from y bedside and left the 1 could ear the hum of subd sices for some time, when Abdu a lamp and the information that the Pathan had gone for the doctor. § not ‘for me. Was Ethel really so us must have occu 1l knew nothing, and hour I lay trying tc stery, and finally gave it up, when the s@rgeon came in. “Well 4 do you feel strong enough MIND' SAYS THE BUSINESS T remalns for some fair applicent for a divorce to declare that soli- talre has alienated her husband's affections, whereypon thousands of other, women, llke the lasy popcorn vendor who allowed some ©one eles to do all the shouting, will cry, “Here, too; here, tool” Indesd, that epparently guileless and most bland of games has of late fallen into disrepute with the wives of thoss addiet- ed to the pastime. With the increas- ing popularity of the game among the men of New York feminine aversion to solitaire is marked. More than one woman has declared it hes home- wrecking qualities. “Solitaire relaxes and reats 3- brain,” declares financlers, bankers, ofi- clals, managers, railroad magnates and business and professional men who make up the ranks of its devotees. “Boliteire develops wselfishness, un- sociebieness and nervousness thoss who claim to know. It would &ppear & wolt In sheep's clothing—an insldious game as far reaching in its influence as the much dlscussed bridge, ¥et without the latter's spectecu features to séund & warning unless one can pay the price. Bridge at least is clal game, while solitaire has & tendency to isolats and cut one of from one’'s fellow creatures. After & day of high mental strain a €&me or two might prove soothing, as the brain fegged argue. But what solitaire enthusiast stops until he has trisd again and again to “do 1t?” ASs & Bengal tiger paces the narrow confines of its cage, $0 the mind and eyes follow up and down the rows of cards, forever on the alert to bulld up or down or jump two or any of the other maneuvers characteristic of the game. Bolitaire 18 not & relaxation for the nerves, but a treadmill. Uncon- sclously as much thought and energy mflutlnuulvuflri “playing” ss be required to put through & lexing business transaction. The ‘accustomed to work and rou- for a little suvrprise?” “Well, a8 I have been having nothing else today I'll tackie ft. Out with it, doctor.” T was given a tonie, and then el and the Pathan came in, the lat- to my great surpriss, without his turban on or belt, seated himself com- ortably near the foot of the bed and asked forgive him for paving bean ti of some anxjety on my time, and explained that YOLL TAIR] tine, accepts docilely the added task on top of & day’s work, While the own- er of the tired gray slave imagines he :.-' filflu the fal worker & play 6 : : “Ye 1 ‘ou mo‘-:: use my O!fl_Ja the even men Who uses his eyes Ican't read. ButT “somsthi: therefore I play e The op- tician fits by this ressoning. The red black spots dazzle the sight and are ltke #0 meny little imps D I ST QUITE DARK 'AND \E WERE BOTH as 1t was for the preservation of boin his 8nd my Iif§ he thotght the decep- tion was quite exdusable. < Ethel s&t on the side of the bed hold- ing my hand, and I neticed that she was dressed entirsly different from what she had been during her vigil in my sick room. 8he looked much young- er and, in fact, séemed changed in many ways, looking brighter than at any time since hér arrival. She said in a her %&hlm g e es the swern enémiy ¢ & my % { i it o 's attention 1 uss R to “QUIETLY THINRING.* tRlaing way: "AITNOUED JU Nave deen paying too much attention to another woman for some weeks past, I am not the least bit jealous, but want you to thank her, as T do from the botiom of my heart, for not only saving your life, but being thc means of bringing me to your side again, when I thought [ had lost you altogether. Now, sir, here is, and what have yon to s to he And with that she fdrew P! the s THE ties as potent and to be dreaded as & designing blonde. Once the solitairist was {8l soul who delighted in taking hls wite to the theater; now wild horses couldn't budge him from his easy chair. The idea of Foing out in the evening bores him @s much as the entertaining of guests at home. Friends drop in whom once ha would have exérted himself to entértain, and vet he will keep on playing solitaire, with a slight &pology oan talk and play the game usly, as he s determined "to Wi befors he o8h to bed. His family in vain try n away. of tog it 3 If one weres a Jack-the-Péeper on: might find the same, scene in hun- lew York h at in his game-for-one, while his wife, on the opposite side of the brary table, makes )M.hgc fforts win “more - th an un -l:ll:llo r the manner room, for all the B B THE ¢ SOLACE * o OF ¢ @ BUSY o MAN ;fll.\’. BEA ~The San Francisco Sunday Call aside and, tafing the Rand of snother Eithel, led her Mt6 the room. There they stood side by side. The Ethel who the Colonel and his wifs wish to camé in last was the one who had nursed me through my leng {liness, ;whna the other was the Ethel of my ove. hey stood at the fost of the bed ere 80 strangely alike as te be - taken for twins;.almost the same height, with the same hair, éyes and WWhat ts most exasperating to those interested in the solitdire emmnk, after an evening of sepuichral silence he will jump up with wild M ox- claiming, “Tve done It vfl% He could be no moré his toll had he cornered the market or shoveled sevéral tons of codl. A New York millionaire was siked what gave him the most pleastire in lite, and he -answefed promptly: “A gamie of solitaire, with the rest of the family out somewhere.” TYe: this same man has everything that men str for—~wealth, position and friends. could gtarvé In & girret slone—and play seélitaire. Hamlet would have c‘]ond 80! In his prowis around graveyards how “many & pleasint héur might have Been whiled sway If hs had sought relaxa- tion from mental worrles in & deck of cards! Tired of pla: hearts with ‘with it fef would he have turned to eriess pas- time! Hip sol might have run something lke: = “To beat, or not to bDeat, that is the _question; Whether ‘t 18 nobler to relax the ming, The -ifirgt-:fl arrows of outragecus ortun - Oruk;lthnilml.’dhv‘a mhfiuflh‘fltfiu To play, to ’.l'ho‘ f:::';. mfl‘. lose—ay, Typical of the game Was poor old St. < 5 ¥ . Gorrespondingly dejected TITY By J CHARLES DAVIS complexion, the.only great difference be;::- the Ethel of my love was no- ticeaSly younger than her companion. “Now, sir patient” sald the gur- ®seon, “for an expl tion whish we intended to defer until you Wers on your pins agaiu, but which recent events have made necessary tonight. this lady“—and the nurse, Hthel, smiled—"is a Russian of high birth and station who. on accouat of certain differences with the govern- ment of the great white Czar, found {t to her advantage to accompany her husband here“—and the Pathan smiled and bowed—-“escaped Siberia and de- termined to seek some friends in a city on the bay of Bengal by journey- ing thro the mountains down scross Indla to a haven of safety. Well supplied with money, they hired escorts and bearers from town to town until they arrived here, where, Whils seeking sccommodations for the night, they found you ill with fever, raving #bout Fthel—this Bthel’ the latest arrival blushed ;rr;“tll ed, saveé by some coolia :‘o:fdod to remain and try to save vou. Madame Pretofsky saw the ph?- tographs, and the idea of impersomat- ing your intended was suggested DI her striking resemblance to M Whateomb, and vou were calmed into submission by being shown the pho- tes by an sasily counterfeited original. 'Colene! Petrofsky, having disguised himssif a8 a Pathan at the froutler. kept the deception here, knowing that 3"(- would dbe made to kidnap him even from under the protection of the English flag should his where- abouts be discoverad, and has, greatl to the disgust of your treasure Abdul, besn the only French speaking Pathan in the hills ever since his arrival. He pursued your papers until he found Miss Whatecomb's address, then cabled am o ill and want you. Answe for me, and together we arranged for an escort for the future Mrs. Dalton from Bombay here, and hers she is The captain of the upper hill station will be here tonight, and we have ds- termined that we will ses a man who worries himself to death’s door over a true little woman, who hastens to his side as soon as steam will carry her, fixed for iife before the sun rises over the hills tomorrow, or he has a chance Ro make & fool of himself the second time. “We would not have closed in onm you so soon but for the visit of two nts of the Russian cret police, who, after having read the one Hthel's lotters t6 you and seen her photo- graphs, takeén In London, departed be- fore the other arrived, but evidently not ed, as Abdul saw them in ¥ the native village at the head of the nulla this afterncon. Consequently for Bombay tonight, en routs for Part the Mecca of all Russians who disagree with Nicholas and his police.” “Abdul!” “Burrah hakim, sahid,” ssid the faithful fellow. “S8how the chaplain in here.” “Jo, hokum, sahib.” and it was @one. . mode of Nving to solitatre—in fact, he could ave indulged In any other pastime. How ideally the time, the place and the man fit for the game. “Three years I lived upen a pillar, high Six cubits, and three years on omne of twelve; And twice three years I croueh'd em one& that rose was high Twenty by measure; last of 1 grow Twice te‘u long weary, Weary! years to this That nu;nbcr: forty cubits from the soil.” The uninterrupted hours that might Bave been devoted to making cards go into the desited four little piles! He was truly solitaire personified. Evidently the @ictio think much of the The word is closely mit” and ‘“recluse. says: olitaire—A hermit 6r recluse. [$)] Oné of many games played by one per- son only. Specifieally, in card playing. usually a game in which the player, taking the cards from the pack as 4 theéy come, endeavoérs to arrange them according to some system. Patlence (absoluté), a game played with m bles moved in hollows, or pegs In holes, on a board arranged usually In the form of a Greek cross. The player jumps the marbles pegs ons over another at right angles, remo¥ing these jumped, and sndeavoring to leave only 6me at the close—or several ar- ranged in & pattern. (3) One of several birds. An American bird of shy and retiring habits, ste.” Doubtlegs the ancient gama of pa- tiénce I8 responsible for the medern card game. solitaire. Some even apply the namé of “patience” to solitairq It certainly takes patiencé to follow up this game. It is very interesting to watch the development of a solitalre player. He watches his friefd Jones trying te do one of the many kinds with bored In- terest. “Soon he is telling him he can put the five spot of clubs on the dix of hearts and in that way clear the four of clube %0 it may be played oa the three of clubs, which he is building up. Jones is a trifle alow about sesing moves, and the onicokar becomes ‘the guiding force in the gams. The ambi- tion to try a game all by himseit is strong the next time he is alons with & pack of cards. It proves harder to @o than he Imagined, and all the com- bativeness ofshis naturd is aroused. He declares it's “quite a game.” Perhaps as a reward for his efforts he finally succeeds in “doing N"--a satisfaetion short lived, for the thought comes, “Could I do it agaln?’ And the wa against his«invisible opponent is on! Henceforth solitaire flls in the chinks of his spare time. He learns several other ways of playing, and sits up late tryigg to do justice to all of them. The average man préfers the Kinds that come out right often, though he likes to try thosd that come out once in a litetime. The giory If he should do it! Men who are strictly honest in @very other respect will siip a card in & game of solitaire now and then. This well kngwn téndency makes his friends increddlous when he airily declares he has worked it out successfully. Another strange feature of the game is that It makes the most practical of men supérstitious. Solitaire becomes his oracle. e accepts as a favorable Othen the successful game, while he is it luck 1s agalnst him. “Tomerrow will be a lucky day for me—I've done this game twice,” he exolaim® redlantly. There has always been a faseination and cer- taln- mysticlsm about the way cards run, and the experfenced player falls under the speil. Thé Business man who will undertake no business deal with- out consulting a clairvoyant places implicit confildence in this every-man- his-own-fortune-teller game. Thére was onee¢ a2 man whose mind ‘was turned by téo close application to solitaire and he would put up enormous sums on a g&me, and finally he lost his entire fortufie to himself. This was an instance when relatives con- gratulated themselves that hia fancy had turned to solitaire instead of poker. Solitaire has other uses, too. Ta the aged it is a comfort, furnishing enough mental exercise to keep the mind from rusting. The invalid s it more ai- . While caged up in one room, than counting the figures in the wall paper.

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