A SAD STORY. 
gradual way that it commenced, but instead of doing 
this it continued almost imperceptibly, so imperceptibly 
that the sufferer was under the impression that it 
was diminishing, or perhaps gone, to extend and in- 
crease, until, at last, there was a sudden great out- 
break, and the sufferer was carried off to Kandy or 
Colombo, for change and medical advice, in fact, to be 
patched up too late, for the next accounts heard of 
him was that he was ‘‘ patched up ’’ for good and 
all, no further patching up would ever be required for 
him, for he was “ patched up ” in his “winding-sheet.’* 
We have some faint remembrance of a sad story, heard 
very long ago, so long, that we can hardly give it in 
such a way as to vouch for the exact truth of the 
details, but the general outline is we think that some- 
where about Haputale, it must have beon either on 
that estate or Kahagala as they were the only two 
properties there at the period referred to. Detached 
from ail other districts, remote and alone, the nearest 
approach to it was by a wild bridle path, or more 
probnhly in these times, only a native pathway cross- 
hig t be exit nsive grass, or prairie lands, between it and 
the turn of the Badulla road, a mile or so below the 
Wilson’s Bungalow resthoiise, from which it would 
be about Gfteen or sixteen miles distant, more or less. 
On this estate, in that far remote wild, was a superin- 
tendent, solitary and alone, as far as regarded his own 
coiinirymen : i e had not even an assistant. He had 
not been seen or beard of for a considerable time, when 
'rome one or other thought they would look up? He 
was found in bis bungalow, dead, probably decomposed; 
he servants, if he had any servants, when they saw 
him dying, (.r dead, had “bolted,” afraid in case they 
might get into trouble, with courts, or coroners’ inquests; 
none knew' how he died. What it may be asked about 
the coolies on the estate? Surely they could not be 
ignorant of the event. We can’t say, having only a 
very hazy rer.n^ jnbrunce of the case. Perhaps, as was 
possible, there v*Me no coolies on the estate, or, what was 
more jurobable, there might have been only a very few, 
and tiiey were quite aw'are of the illness of the master, 
and took the opportunity, the very favorable one, one 
which might not occur again, to run away. But we 
can hardly think so ; w'e have a much more favorable 
opinion of the Malabar cooly than to suppose he would 
do this. Wliatever tricks he did and would play on, 
and at the expense of, the master, when he was well, 
we do not believe he would treat him so scurvily when 
he was sick. Probably the correct view of the circum- 
stance would prove to be, that the master had died 
suddenly, and that the servants and coolies, not know- 
