INDIRA AND OTHER STORIES
avail. Days, months, nay, years, slipped by and Rukmini Kumar still remained a mystery. Then Radharani suffered another grievous bereavement. Her kind friend and guardian also died. This loss caused her the deepest grief. She felt herself to be orphaned a second time. After the funeral and attendant ceremonies were over, she took up her abode in her family home, and assumed the personal charge of the responsibilities of her estate, which had much increased under Kamakyha Babu's watchful and intelligent care.
Immediately after her estate came into her own hands, the young heiress made over two lakhs of rupees to the government, with the request that an asylum and hospital for poor and needy people should be founded in her native village, to be known as "The Rukmini Kumar Prasad" or Benefaction.
The government officials were somewhat surprised at the proposed title, but that was of course the generous donor's business. The asylum was duly constructed and inaugurated.
72
