v lri wvfT'r J 5. 'WLf a-J f .1 & vv TBOB LANCASTER DAILY INTELLIGENCER, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1890. n - QUATERMASN'S WE ) ! 1 ft HDHMAQQAlft UaW a"0fcmsl QmrMtk, V.C.? "Mr. WW," jl 2W e ZVw Men," MJIm OKafe-mefe," ( . miAmat.vin. 7W T LENGTH the jfc-L last platform, or .J terrace, was reaehed, and we Ml Tpulled up outside Bl.lW - the wall ri. rounding the cen cen tralgnmpef mar ble huts for m t must call them, for want of abet tername. Our ap proach had been observed by- a crowd of natives, whose race I have never been able te determine accurately; they belonged te the Basutu and peaceful section of the uantu peoples rather than te the Zulu and warlike. Several of these ran up te takethe horses, gazing en us with aston ishment, net unmixed with awe. We dismounted speaking for myself, net without difficulty indeed, had it net been for Stella's support I Bheuld have fallen. "New you must come and see my father," she said. "I wonder what he will think Of it, it is all be strange. Hendrika, take thq child te my hut and give her mux, men put nor into my beat l will come presently." Hendrika went off with n 6omewhat ugly-grin te de her mistress' bidding, and Stella led the way through the nar row gateway in the marble wall, which may have inclesed nearly half an "erf," or three-quarters of an acre of ground in alL It was beautifully planted as a gar den, many European vegetables and flow ers were growing in it, besides ethers with which I was net acquainted. Pres ently we came te the center hut, and it was then that I noticed the extraordinary beauty' and finish of the marble masonry. In the hut and facing the gateway was a modern. deer, rather rudely fashioned of Buck'en pent, a beautiful reddish weed that has the appearance of having been sedulously pricked with a pin. Stella opened It, and we entered. The interior of the hut was the size of a large and lefty room, the walls being formed of plain polished marble. It was lighted somewhat dimly, but quite effectively, by peculiar openings in the reef, from which the rain was excluded by over hanging caves. The marble fleer was strewn with uative mats and skins of animals. Bookcases filled with books were placed against the walls, there was a table in the center, chairs seated with rimpl or strips of hide steed about, and beyond the table was a couch en which a man was lying reading. "Is that you, Stella?" said a voice, that even after se many years seemed famil iar te me. "Where have you been, my dear? I began te think that you had lest yourself again." "Ne, father, dear, I have net lest my self, but I have found somebody else." At that moment I stepxed forward se that the light fell en me. The old gen tleman en the couch rese with some difficulty and bowed with much court esy. He was a fine-looking old man, with deep-set dark eyes, a pale fare, that bore many traces of physical and mental suffering, and a long white beard. "Be welcotne, sir," he said. "It is long since we have seen a white face in these wilds, and yours, if I am net mis taken, is that of an Englishman. There has been no Englishman here for ten years, and he, I griove te say, was an outcast flying from justice," nnd he bowed again and stretched out his hand. I looked at him, and then of a sudden his name flashed back into my mind. I took his hand. ' "Hew de you de, Mr. Carsen?" I said. He started back as though he had been stung. "Who told you that name?" he cried. "It is a dead name. Stella, is it you? I forbade you te let it pass your lips." "I did net speak it, father. I have never spoken it," she answered. "Sir," I broke in, "if you will allow me, I will show you hew I came te knew your name. De you remember many years age coming into the study of a clergyman ift- Oxferdshire and telling him that you were going te leave Eng land for ever?" He bowed his head. I "And de you remember a little boy who sat upon the hearthrug writing with pencil?'- . - "I de," he said. "Sir, I was that boy, and my name is Allan Quatermain. These children who lay sick are all dead, their mother is dead, and my father, your old friend, is dead also. Like you he emigrated, and last year he died in the Cape. But this is net all the story. After many ad ventures I, ene Kaffir, and a little girl, lay senseless and dying in the bad lands, where we had wandered for days with out water, and there we should have perished, but your daughter Miss" "Call her Stella," he breke in, hastily. "I cannot bear te hear that name, I have forsworn it." "Miss Stella found us by chance and saved our lives." "By chance, did you say, Allan Quater main?" he answered. "There is little chance in this; such chances spring from another will than ours. Welcome, Allan, son of my old friend. Here we live as if were in n hcrmitage, with Nature for our only friend, but such as we have is yours, and for as long as you will take It. But you must be starving, talk no mero. Stella, it is time for feed. To morrow we will talk." Te tell the truth I can recall very little mera of the events of that evening. A kind of dizzy weariness overmastered me. I remember sitting at a table next te Stella, and eating heartily, and then I remember nothing mere. I aweke te find myself lying en a com cem com fertablo bed in a hut built and fashioned en the same model as the center ene. While I was wondering what time it was, a uative came bringing seme clean clothes en his arm, and, luxury of luxu ries, produced n bath hollowed from weed. I rese feeling a very different man; my strength had coine back again te me. I dressed and, following a cov ered passage, found myself in the center hut. Here the table was bet for break fast with all manner of geed th'jigs, such as I had net seen for many a month, which I contemplated with healthy soi sei soi isfactien. Presently I looked up, nd there before me was a mero delightful sight, for standing in ene of the door ways which led te the sleeping huts was Stella, leading little Teta by the hand. She was very simply dressed in a loebs blue dress, wjtliwide cellar, nnd girdled in at the waist by a little leather belt. In the besom of her rel was a bunch of erange blooms, nrni her rippling hail wua tlnd iu single knot behind her shapely hed- She greeted me with a smile, s6mg me hew I had 6lept, and thep field leta up for me te kiss. Under jvr loving care the child had leen quits transformed. She was neatly dressed in a garment of the same stuff that Stella wen, Her tsar natr trad brusned; indeed, had It net been for the tun blisters ea hei face and hands, one would scarcely have believed that this was the same child that Indaba-stmbi and I had dragged for hour after hour through the burning, waterless desert. "We must breakfast alone, Mr. Allan," he said; "my father is se upset by your arrival that he will net get up yet. Oh, you cannot tell hew thankful I am that you have come. I have been se anxious about him of late. He grows weaker and weaker; it seems td me as though the strength were ebbing away from him. New he scarcely leaves the kraal; I have te manage everything about the farm, and he does nothing' but read and think." Just then Hendrika entered, bearing a jug of coffee in ene hand and of milk in the ether, which she sat down upon the table, casting a leek of little leve at me as she did se. " "Be careful, Hendrika; you are spill lag the coffee," said Stella. "Don't you wonder hew we ceme te have coffee here, Mr. Allan? I will tell you we grew It That was my idea. Oh, I have lets of things te show you. Yeu don't knew what we have managed te de In the time that we liave been herd. Yeu see, we have plenty of labor, for the people about leek upon my father as thair chief." "Yes," I said, "but hew de you get all of these luxuries of civilisatien?" and I pointed te the books, the crockery, and the knives and forks. "Very simply. Most of the books my father brought with him when he first trekked into the wilds; there was nearly a wagon lead of them. But every three years we have sent an expedition of these wagons right down te Pert Natal. The wagons are leaded with ivory and ether goods, and come back with all kinds of things that have been sent out from England for us. Yeu see, although we live in this wild place, we are net al together cut off. We can send runners te Natal and back In three months, and the wagons get there and back in a year." "Have you ever been with the wag ons?" I asked. "Since I was a child I have never been mero than thirty miles from Babyan's Peak," hhe answered. "De you knew, Mr. Allan, that you are, with ene ex ception, the first Englishman that I liave kuewn out of a book. I Bitppose that I must seem very wild and savage te you, but I have had ene advantage a geed education. My father has taught me everything, and perhaps I knew seme things that you don't. I can read French and German for instance. I think that my father's first idea was te let me run wild altogether, but he gave it up." "And don't you wish te go into the world?" I OBked. "Sometimes," bIie said, "when I get lonely. But perhaps my father is right perhaps it would frighten and bewil der me. At any rate, he would never return te civilization. It is his idea, you knew, though I am sure I de net knew where he get it from, nor why he cannot bear that .our name should he spoken. Iu short, Mr. Quatcrmafn, we de net make our lives; we must take them as we find them. Have you dene your breakfast? Let us go out and I will bIiew you our domain." I rese and went te my sleeping place te fetch my hat. When I returned, Mr. Carsen for, after all, that was his name, though he would never ( allow it te be spoken had come into tlia hut. He felt better new, he said, and would accom pany us en our walk if StelU would give him an arm. Se we started, and after us came Hendrika with Teta nnd old Indaba zimbi, whom I found sitting eutside as fresh as paint. Nothing could tire thai old man, The view from the platform was al most as beautiful as that from the lower ground looking up te the peak. The marble kraals, as I have said, faced west, consequently all the upper terrace lay in the shadow of the great peak till nearly 1 1 o'clock In the morning, which wasa great advantage in that warm latitude. First we walked through the garden, which was beautifully cultivated, and ene of the most productive that I ever saw. There were three or four natives work ing in it, and theyall saluted my host as "Baba," or father. Then we visited the ether two groups of marble huts. One of these was used for stables and out buildings, the ether as storehouses, the center hut having been, however, turned into a chapel. Mr. Carsen was net or dained, but he earnestly tried te convert the natives, most of whom were refugees who had ceme te him for shelter, and he had practiced the mero elementary rites of the church for Belong that I think he legan te believe that he really was ai clergyman. Fer inbtance, he always married theso of his peeple who would consent te n monogamous oxlstence, and baptized their children. When we had examined these wonder ful remains of antiquity, the marble huts, and admired the erange trees, the vines and fruits which thrive like weeds in this marvelous neil and climate, we descended te the next platform and saw the farming operations in full swing. I think that it was the best farm I have ever been in Africa. There was ample water for pur pur lees of irrigation, the grass lands below gae pasturage for hundreds of head of cattle and horses, and, for natives, the peeple were most industrious. Merc Morc ever, the whoie place was ma'jaged by Mr. Carsen en the co-eperativo Bystem; he only took a tithe of the preduce in deed, iu this laud of teeming plenty, what was he te de with mere? Conse quently the tribemen, who, by the way, called themselves the "Children of Themas," were uble te accumulate con siderable wealth. All their disputes were referred te their "father," nnd he also was judge of offenses and crimes. Some were punished by imprisonment, whip ping and less of goods, ether and graver transgressions by expulsion from the community, n fiat which te ene of tlwse favored natives imibt have seemed us heavy as the decree that drove Adam from the Garden of Eden. Old Mr. Carsen leaned upon his daugh ter's arm nnd contemplated the sccne with pride. "I have dene nil this, Allan Quater main," he 6aid. "When renouncing civ ilization flrbt, I wondered here by chance; seeking a home in the remotest places in the world, I found this lonely epet a wilderness. Nothing was te be seen ex cept the si.'e, the domes of the marble huts and the waterfalls. I took posses sion of the huts. I cleared the patch of garden land and planted the erange greie. I had only six natives then, but liy degrees ethers joined me; new my tribe is a thousand strong. Here we live in profound jieace and plenty. I have all I need, nnd I ask no mero. Heaven has prospered me 60 far may it be se te the end, which for me draws nigh. And new I am tired and will go back. If you wish te see the old quarry nnd the mouth of the ancient mines, Stella will show them te you. Ne, my love, you need net treuble te ceme. I can matuige alone. Ixek, seme of the head men nre waiting te see me." Se he went, but still followed by Hen drika and Indaba-zinibi we turned, and, walking along the bank of ene of the rivers, passed up behind the marble kraals, and came te the quarry, whence the material had lcen cut in seme re mote ege, The pit opened up a very mick team et tae wnitcM ana most beau tiful marble. I knew another like it In Natal. But by whom it had been worked I cannot say. Net by natives, that is certain, though the builders of the kraals bad condescended te borrow the shape of native huts for their model. The only relle of these builders that I ever saw was a highly finished bronco pick axe which Stella found ene day in the quar ry. After wd had examined the quarry we climbed the slope of the hill till we came te the mouth of the ancient mines situated In a kind of gorge. I believe" them te have been silver mines. The gorge was long and narrow, and the mo ment we entered it there rose from every side a sound of groaning and barking that was almost enough te deafen one. I knew what It was at once) the whole place was filled with 'baboons, which clambered down the rocks towards ui from every direction, In a manner that struck me as being unnaturally fearless. Stella clung te my arm. "It Is very silly of me," she whispered. "I am net at all nervous, but I cannot bear the sight of these animals ever since they killed Hendrik. I always think that there is something human about them." Meanwhile the baboons came nearer, talking te each etlier as they came. Teta began te cry, and clung te Stella. Stella clung te me, while I and Indaba-zimbi put as bold a front en the matter as we could. Only Hendrika steed looking at the brutes with an unconcerned smlle en her monkey face. When the great apes were qulte near, she suddenly called out aloud. Instantly tbey stepped their hideous clamor as though at a word of command. Then Hendrika addressed them. Frem the mouth of Hendrika came a succession of grunts, groans, squeaks, I click and every ether abeminable nolse ' that can be conceived. Te my mind the 1 tvhole conveyed an idea of expostula tion. At any rate the baboons listened. One of them grunted back seme answer, and then the whele mob drew off te the rocks. I steed astonished, and without a word ' we turned back te the kraal, for Hen drika was tee clese for me te speak. When we reached the dining hut Stella went in, followed by Hendrika. But Indaba-zimbi plucked me by the sleeve, and I stepped outside. "Macumezahn," he said. "Babeon woman devil woman. Be careful, Macumezahn. Shu loves that Star (the natives aptly enough called Stella the Star), and is jealous. Be careful, Macu Macu eozahn, or the Star will sett" CHAPTER IX. T IS very difficult for me te describe the period of time which elapsed be tween my arrival at Babyan's Peak and my marriage with Stella. When I leek back en it it seems sweet as with the Vv5) and dim as with the happy dusk of summer eves, while through the sweet ucss comes the sound of Stella's voice, and through the gloom shines the star light of her eyes. I think that we loved each ether from the first, though for a while we said no word of leve. Day by day I went uhetit the place with her, ac companied by little Teta and Hendrika only, while she attended te the thousand and ene matters which her father's ever, growing weakness had laid upon her; or, rather, as time drew en, I attended te the business aud she accompanied me. All day through we were together. Then after supper, when the night had fallen, we would walk together in the garden and ceme iu at length te hear her father read aloud, sometimes from the works of a poet, sometimes from history, or, if he did net feel well, Stella would read, and when this was dene Mr. Carsen would celebrate, a. short form of prayer, and we would separata till the morning ence mero brought our happy heurnf meeting. Se the weeks went by, and with every week I grew te knew my darling better. Often I wonder new if my fend fancy deceives me, or if indeed there are women' as bwcet aud dear us she. Wositbelitudo that hud given such depth nnd gentleness te her? Was it the long years of com muning with nature that had endowed her with such peculiar grace, the grace we find in opening flowers and budding trees? Had she caught that murmuring veice from the sound of the streams that fall continually about her rocky home? was it the tenderness of the evening sky beneath which she loved te walk, that lay like a shadow en her face, and the light of the evening stars that shene in her quiet eyes? At the least, te me she was the realization of the dream which haunts the sleep of sin btained men; se my memory paints her, be I hope te find her when at last the sleep has rolled away and the fevered dreams are done. At lest there came a day the most blessrd of my life when we told our love. We had been together all the morning, but after dinner Mr. Carsen was se unwell that Stella stepjcd in with him. At supper we met again, and after supper, when she had put little Teta, te whom she had grown much attached, te bed, we went out, leaving Mr. Carsen dozing en the couch. The night was warm and lovely, and without speaking we walked up the gar den te the erange grore and wit down there upon a rock. There was a little brccze which bhoek the petals of the erange bloom ever us in showers, nnd bere their dcllcate fragrance far and wide. Silcnce reigned around, broken only by the bound of the falling water falls that new died (e a faint murmur, aud new, as the wavering breeze turned, boomed loudly In our ears. The moon was net yet vislble, but already the dark clouds that floated through the sky nbevu us for there had lieen rain showed a glow of silver, telling us that she shene brightly behind the peak. Stella began te talk in her low, gentle veice, telling me of her life in the wil derness, hew she had grown te leve it, hew her mind had geno en from idea te Idea, and hew she pictured the great pushing world that bIie had never seen as it was reflected te her from the books which she had read. It was a curious vision of life that bhe had; things were out of proportion in it; it was mero like n dream than a reality a mlrage than the actual face of things. The Idea of great cities, nnd especially of Londen, had a kind of fascination for her; she could scarcely rcallze the rush, the rear nnd hurry, the hard crowds of men and women, strangers each te each, fever ishly seeking for wealth and plcasure beneath n murky sky, nnd treading ene another down iu the fury of competition. "What is it all for?" bhe asked, earn estly, "What de they wck? Hating se few years te live, why de they waste them thus?" I told her that iu the majority of in stances it was actual hard necessity that drove them en, but bhe could scarcely realize it. Living as she had done, in the midst of the teeming plenty of the fruitful earth, she did net seem te under stand that there nre millions who from day te day knew net hew te stay their hunger. "I never want te go there," she went en. "I should be bewildered and fright ened te death. It is net natural te livu mpS like that Ued put Adam and Ere In a garden, and that 4s hew he meant their children te lire In peace, and looking always en beautiful things. This is my idea of perfect life. I want no ether." "I thought that you once told me that you found It lonely," I said. "Se I did," she answered Innocently, "but that was before you came. New I am net 'lonely any mere, aud it is per fectperfect as the night." Just then the full moon rese abeve the elbow of the peak, and her rays stele far and wida down the misty valley, gleam leg en the water, breeding en the plain, searching out the hidden places of the reeks, wrapping the fair form of nature as in a silver vbridal veil thseugh which her beauty shone mysteriously. Stella looked down the terraced valley; she turned and looked up at the scarred face of the golden moon, and then she looked at me. The beauty of the night was about her face, the scent of Uie night was en her hair, the mystery of the night shone in her shadowed eyes. She looked at me, I looked at her, and all our hearts' leve blossomed within us. We spoke no word we had no words te speak, but slowly we drew near, till lips were pressed te lips as we kissed our eternal troth. It was she who broke that holy sllence, speaking in a changed voice, in soft deep notes that thrilled me like the lowest chords of a smitten harp. "Ah, new I understand," she said, "new I knew why we are lonely, aud hew we can lese our loneliness. New I knew what it is that stirs usin the beauty of the sky, in the sound of water and in the scent of flowers. It is leve that speaks in everything, but till we hear his voice we understand nothing. But when we hear then the riddle is answered and the gates of our heart are opened, nnd, Allan, we see the way that wends through death te heaven, and is lest in the glory of which our love is but a shadow. "Let us go in, Allan. Let us go before the spell breaks, se that whatever comes te us, sorrow, death or separation, we may alvayn have this pel feet memory te Kit e us." I iose like a man in a dream, still hold ing her by the hand. But as I rese my eyes fell upon something that gleamed white among the lollage of the erange bush at my side. 1 said nothing, but looked. The brecte stirred the orange leaves, the moonlight struck for a mo ment full upon the white object It was the face of Hendrika, the bnbynn woman, as Indaba-zimbi had called her, and en it was a glare of hnte that made me shudder. I said nothing; the face vanished, and just then I heard a baboon bark in the rocks behind. Then we went down the garden, and Stella passed Inte the center hut I saw Hendrika standing in the shadow near the deer and went up te her. "Hendrika," 1 Mild, "why were you watching Mit-.s Stella nnd myself iu the garden?" She drew her lips up till her teeth gleamed in the moonlight. "Have I net watched her these many years, Macumazahn? Shall I cease, te watch her because a wandering white man comes te steal her? Why were you kissing her in the garden. Macumazahn? Hew ilare you kiss her who is a stur?" "I kissed her because I leve her, nnd liecause she loves me," I answered. "What has that te de with you, Hen drika?" "Because you leve her," she hissed in answer, "nnd de I net leve her also, who saved me from the babyans? I am a woman as she is, and j ou nre a man, and they say in the krnala that men leve women better than women leve women. But it is n lie, though this is true, that if a woman loves a mnn she forgets all ether leve. Have I net seen it? I gather her flowers beautiful flowers; I climb the rocks wheroyeu would never dare te go te find them; you pluck a piece of erange bloom in the garden nnd give it her. What does bhe de? She takes the erange bloom, she puts it iu her breast, and lets my flowers die. I call te her 6he does net hear me bhe is thinking. Yeu whisper te seme oue far away, nnd she hears nnd smiles. She Ubcd te kibs me sometimes; new bhe hisses that white brat you brought, because you brought it. Oh, I see it all all; I have seen it from the iiiht; you nre stealing her from us, stealing her te yourself, and theso who loved her before you came are for gotten. Be careful, Mncuinazahu, be careful, lest I am revenged upon you. Yeu, you hate me; you think me half a monkey; that servant of yours calls me balKxm woman. Well, I have lived with balloons, and they nre clever yes, they can play tricks and knew things you don't, and 1 am cloveicr than they, for I have learnt the wisdom of white ceplu albe, and I say te you, 'Walk beftly, Macumazahn, or you will fall into a pit,'" and with oue mere leek of malice she was gene. I steed for a moment reflecting. 1 was afraid of this strange creatUi'e who seemed te combine the cunning of the great apes thai had reared her with the passion and bkill of human hind. I foreboded evil at her hands. And yet there was bemcthing almost touching in the fierceness of her jealousy. It is gen erally buppesed that this passion only exlstH In btieugth when the object loved is of another bex from the lever, but I confess that. Iwth in this inbtance and in seme ethers that I have met with, this has net been my experience. I have known men, nnd especially uncivilized men, who were us jealous of Iho affec tion of their friend or master as any lever could 1k of that of his mistress; nnd who has net wen cases of the same thing u here parents and their chlldien were concerned? But the lower ene gets) iu the scale of humanity the mero read ily this passion thrives; indeed, it may be said te ceme te its lutenscst perfection in brutes. Women are mero jealous than men, small hearted men nre mero jeal ous than theso of larger mind nnd wider sympathy, and animals nre the most jealous of nil. New Hendrika was in seme ways net far removed from animal, which may perhaps account for the fe rocity of her jealousy of her mistress' affection. Shaking off my presentiments of evll, I entered the center hut Mr. Carsen was resting en the sofa, and by him knelt Stella holding his hand, and her head testing en his breast. I saw at ence that she had been telling him of what had come about between us; nor was I sorry, for it is a task that a would lx son-in-law is generally glad te de by deputy. "Come here, Allan Quatermain," he said, almost sternly, nnd my heart gave a jump, for I feared lest he might be about te rcquire me te go about my business. But I came. "Stella tells me," he went en, "that you two have entered Inte a marriage engagement She tells me also that she levgs you, and that you say that you leve her." "I de indeed, sir," I breke in; "I leve her truly; If ever a woman wa3 loved in this world I leve her." "1 thank hcaicu for it," said the old man. "Listen, my children. Many years age a great shame and sorrow fell upon me, se great a sorrow that, as I sometimes think, it affected my brain. At any rate, I determined te de what most men would have considered the act of a madman, te go far away Inte the wilderness with my only child, there te live remete from civilization and its evil, i aid se; 1 round this place, and here we have lived for many years, hap gfly enough, and perhaps net without ieing geed In our generation, but still In a way unnatural te our race and status. At first I thought that I would let my daughter grew up In a state of coinplcte ignorance, that she should be nature's child. But as time went en, I saw the felly and tl.v wickedness of my plan. I had no right te degrade her te the level of the savages around me, for If the fruit of the tree et knowledge is n bitter fruit, still It teaches geed from evil. Se I educated Iter as well os I was able, till in the end I knew that In mind, as in body, she was In no way Inferior te her sisters, the children of the civil ised world. She grew up and entered into woman hood, and then it came into my inlnr that I was doing her a bitter wrong, that I was separating her from her kind and keening her In a wilderness where she could find neither mate nor companion. But though I knew this, I could net yet make up my mind te return te nctive life; I had grown te leve this place. 1 dreaded te return into the world 1 had abjured. Again nnd ngain I put my resolutions aside. Then at the com mencement of this year I fell ill. Fer a while I waited, hoping that I might get better, but at last 1 realized that I should never get better, that the hand of death was upon me." "Ah, no, father, net that I" Stella said, with a cry. "Yes, leve, that, and it Is true. New you will be able te forget our separation in the happiness of n new meeting," and he glanced at me nnd smiled. "Well, when this knowlcdge came home te me, I determined te abandon this place and trek for the coast, though I vcll knew that the journey would kill me. 1 Bheuld never live te reach It But Stella would, nml it would be better than leaving her here nlone with savages in the wilder ness. On the very day that I had mnde up my mind te take this Btep Stella found you dying iu the bad lands, Allan Quatermain, nnd brought you here, She brought you, of all men iu the world, you, whose father had been my dearest friend, and who ence with your baby hands had saed her life from fire, that she might live te save yours from thirst. At the time I said little, but I saw the hand of Provldence In this, and I deter mined te wait and see what came about between you. At the worst, If nothing came about, I seen learned that I could trust you te see her safely te the coast after I was gene. But many days age I knew hew it steed between you, nnd new things have ceme nbeut as I prayed they might Ged bless you both, my children; may you be happy in your love; may it endure till death and be bo be yend it. Ged bless you both," and he stretched out his hand toward me. I took it, and Stella klssed him. Presently he spoke ngain: "It is my intention," he said, "if you two consent, te marry you next Sunday. I wish te de se seen, for I de net knew hew much longer will be allowed te me. I bolluve that such a ceremeny, selemuly celebrated and entered Inte befere wit nesses, will, under the circumstances, be perfectly legal; but of course you will repeat it with every formality the first moment it lies in your power te de se. And new, there is ene mero thing: when I left England my fortunes were iu a shattered condition; iuthoceursoofycari they have recovered themselves, the ac cumulated rents, as I heard but recently, when the wagons last returned from Pert Nutal, have sufficed te pay off nl! charges, and there Is a considerable) bal ance ever. Consequently you will no! marry en nothing, for of ceurw you, Stella, nre my heiress, nnd I wish tc make a stipulation. It Is this. That tc seen as my death occurs you shall lenv this place and take the first opportunity of returning te England. I de no! ask you te live there nlways; It might preve tee much for peeple reared in the wilds, ns both of you have been; but I de nbk you te make it your periunncul home. De you consent und premise this?" VI de," I answered. "And ee de I," said Stella. "Very well," he answered; "and new I am tired out. Again Ged bless you both, and geed night." CIIAITEIt X. N THE fellow, ing mor mer n I n g 1 h 11 d s 'con ver sa t ler with In d u b u zl m bi First et all I tell! him that I waf going te marrj Stella. "Ohriiesatd,"! thought se, Mac uumzahn. Did I net tell you thai you would Ilml happiness ou this journey? Most men must be content te watch the Stur from i long way off, te you it is given te weai her en your heart. But renicmler, Macu mazahn, remember that stars set." "Oin you net step your creaking ever for a day?" 1 nnsu ered angrily, for hli words sent a tin ill of fear through me. "A true prophet must tell the ill ai well as the geed, Macumazahn. I enlj speak what Is en my mind. But wli.V of it? What is life but less, less uper, less, till life itself be lest. But in dealt we may find nil the things that we havt lest Se your father taught, Mucuma. zahn, nnd there was wisdom in his gen tlcncss. Oil I I de net beliove in death it is change, that Is all, Macumazahn Loek new, the rain fnlls, the drops el rain that were ence water In the cleudi fall slde by 6ide. They sink Inte tin ground; presently the sun will ceme out; the earth will be dry, the drops will Ix geno. A feel leeks nnd says the drop! are dead, they will nevcr be ene again, they will never again fall side by side! But I am a rain maker, and 1 knew the ways of rain. It is net true. The drepi will drain into the river and will be ene water there. They will go up into the clouds again in the mists of morning, ti"d there will again be as they liavs lieen. We are the drops of rain, Ma cumazahn. When we full, that is out life. When we sink into (he ground, that is death, and when we are drawn up again te the sky, what is that, Macuma zahn? Net nel when we find, we leso; and when we seem te leso, then ,we shall really find. I am net a Christian, Ma cuiuazahn, but I am old, and have watched and been things that jierhupa Christians de net bee. There, I have spoken. Be happy with your star, and If it sets, wait, Macuiiiazalui, wait till It rises ngain. It w III net be long; ene day you will go te sleep, then your eyes will e;K.n en another sky, and there your star will be shining, Macumazahn." I made no unswer at th tlmn I could net lar te talk of such a thing. But often and often in the after years I have thought of Indaba-zimbi and his beautiful simlla and gathered comfort from it. He was a strange man, this old rain making savage, and there was mero wisdom in him than in many learned atheists these spiritual destroyers who, In the name of progress and humanity, would divorce hepe from life, and leave us wandering in a lonesemo, self con secrated hell. -Si-rA,-' "indaba-zimei,- i said, cnenging tne tubject, "I have something te say," nnd I told him of the threats of Hendrika. He listened with an unmoved 'face, nodding his white lock nt interval as the narrntive went en. But I saw that he was disturbed blt. "Macutnazahn," he said at length, "I have told you this is an evil woman. She was nourished en baboon milk, and the baboon nature is in her veins. Such creatures should be killed, net kept. She will make you mischief if she can. But I will watch her, Macvmazahn. Loek, the Star Is watting for you; go, or she will hate me as Hendrika hates you." Se I went, nothing loath, for attrac tive as was the wisdom et Indaba-zimbi, I found a deeper meaning iu Stella's simplest word. All the rest of that day I passed in her company, nnd the greater part of the two following days. At last came Saturday night, the eve of our marriage. It rained that night, se we did net go out, but spent the evening in the hut. We sat hand in hand, saying little, but Mr. Carsen talked a geed deal, telling us tales et his youth, aud of countries that he had visited. Then he read aloud from the Bible, and bade us geed night. I also kl.ssed Stella and went te bed. I reached my hut by the cov ered way, and before I undressed opened the deer te bee what the night was like. It was very dark, nnd rain was bMII fall ing, but as the light streamed out into the gloom I fancied that I caught sight of a dusky form gliding away. The thought et Hendrika fiashed into my mind; could she be skulking about eutside there? New I had said nothing of Hendrika and her threats cither te Mr. Carsen or Stella, because I did net wish te alarm them. Alse I knew that Stella was attached te this strange ier ier sen, and I did net wish te shake her con fidence in her unless it was absolutely necessary. Fer a mliiute or two I steed hesitating, then, reflecting that, if it was Hendrika out there, there she should step, I went hi nnd put up the stout wooden bar that was used te secure the deer. Fer the last f ew nights old Indaba zimbi had made n habit of sleeping lit the covered possage, which was the only ether posslble way of access. As I came te bed I had stepped ever him rolled up in Ills blanket, and te all appearance fast asleep. Se, it being evident that I had nothing te fear, I promptly dismiss ed the matter from my mind, which, as may be imagined, was indced fully oc cupied with ether matters. I get Inte lied, and for nwhile lay awake thinking of the great happiness iu store for me, aud of the providential ceurse of events that had brought It within my reach. A few weeks since and I was wandering in the desert a dying man, bearing a dying child, and with scarcely a possession left in the world.exccpt n storeof buried ivory that I nevcr expected te see again. And new I was about te wed oue of the sweetest nnd loveliest women In the whele world a woman whom I loved mera than I could have thought posslble, and who loved me back again. Alse, ns though that were net geed fertune enough, I was te acquire with her considerable possessions, qulte sufficiently large te onuble us te fellow any plan of life we found agree able. As I lay and reflected en all this I grew afraid of my geed fertune. Old Indaba-zlmbl'H melancholy prophesies came into my mind. Hitherto he had always prophesied truly. What If these should be true also? I turned cold as I thought of It, and prayed te the power abeve te preserve us both te live and leve together. Nevor was prayer mero need ed. While its words were still upon ray lips I dropped asleep and dreamed a most dreadful dream. I dreamed tli.it Stella and I were stand ing together te lx married. She was dressed In white and radiant with licau ty, but it was a wild, spiritual beauty which frightened me. Her eyes shene like stars, a pale flame played about her features and the wind that blew did net stir her hair. Ner was this all, for her white robes were death wrappings, and the altar at which we steed was formed of the piled up earth from an opengrave that yawned between us. Se we steed waiting for ene te wed us, but no ene came. Presently from the open grave sprang the form of Hendrika. In her hand was a knlfe, with which she slabbed at me, but pierced the heart of Stella, who, without u cry, fell backwards into the grave, still looking at me as she fell. Then Hendrika leaped after her into the grave. I heard her feet striLe heavily. "Awake, Macumazahn! awake!" cried the voice of Iudaba-zimbl. I aweke and lieunded from the bed, the cold perspiratien-peuritt frem-mer Iu the darkness en the ether side of the hut I heard sounds of furious struggling. Luckily I kept my head. Just by me was a chair en which were matches and a rush taper. I struck a match und held it te the taper. New in the glowing light I could see two forms rolling ene ever the ether en the fleer, and from be tween them came the flash of steel. The fat melted and the light burnt up. It was Indaba-zimbi and the woman Hen drika who were struggling, and, what was mere, the woman was getting the better of the man, btreug as he was. I rushed toward them. New she was up up jicrmest, new she had wrenched herself from his flerce grip, and new the great knlfe she had in her hand Hashed up. But I was behind her, and, getting my iiands beneath her arms, jerked with all my strength. She fell backwards, and, in her effort te save herself, most for tunately dropped the knlfe. Then we flung ourselves upon her. Heavens! the strength of that ehe devill Nobody who has net experienced it could bollevo It. She fought and scratched nnd bit, and at one time nearly mastered the two of u. As it was she dhl break loose. She rushed ut the bed, sprung en it, and bounded thence straight up ut the reef of the hut I never saw such a jump, and could net conceive what she meant te de. In the reef were the peculiar holes which I have described. They were designed te admit light, and cov ered withevcrhanglngeaves. She sprung straight and true like u moukey, nnd, catching the edge of the hele with her hands btrove te draw herself through It But here her strength, exhausted with the long struggle, failed her. Fer a mo ment she swung, then dropped te the ground and fell seuscletu. "0u!" gnsped liidaha-zliubi, "Let us tie the devil up befere bhe comes te life again." I thought this a geed counsel, fee we took n rein that lay in the corner of the room, and lashed her hands and feet in such u fashion that even she could scarcely escape. Then we carried her into the passage, and Indaba-zimbi eat ever iter, the knife in his hand, for I did net wish te raise an ularm at that hour of the night "De you knew hew I caught her, Macu mazahn?" he said. "Fer sevcral nights I have slept here with oue oye open, for I thought she had made a plan. To night I kept wide awake, though I pre tended te be asleep. An hour after you get into the blankets the moon rose, and I saw u beam of light ceme into the hut through the hele in the reef. Present I saw the beam of light vanish. At I thought that a cloud was passing ever the moon, but 1 listened and heard u nolse us though boiue ene was squeezing himself through n narrow place. Pres ently he was through and hanging by hidJiandB, TljeUbql'gh1 cauejujigalu, tutu lit me iinuuie ui it sat tut) unujmsf frau swinging from the reef, and abort t drop into the hut. She clung by both hands, and In her mouth was a great knife. She dropped, and I ran forward te seize her as slie dropped, nnd gtlppad her round the middle But she hsard me ceme, and, seizing the knife, struck at me in the dark and missed me. Ths" we struggled, and you knew the rest Yeu were very nearly dead te-night, Macumazahn." "Very nearly, indeed," I answered, still panting and arranging the rags of my night dress around me as best I might. Then the memory of my horrid dream flashed into my mind. Doubtless It had lieen conjured up 'by the sound of H-nd'Ika dropping te the fleer In asjr dream it had been n gra've that shia dropped into. All of it had been expert enced In that second of time. Well, dreams are swift; perhaps time Itself Is nothing but a dream, and events that seem far apart really occur .simultane ously. We passed the rest of the night watch ing Hendrika. Presently she came te herself and struggled furiously te break the reiu. But it was tee strong even for her, and, moreover, Indaba-zimbi uncer emoniously Bat upon her te keep her quiet. At last she gave it up. Iii;due ceurse the day broke my mar-' rlage day. Leaving Indaba-zimbi te watch my weuld-be murderess, I went nnd fetched some natives from ths stables, nnd with their aid bere Hen drika te the prison hut that same hut in which bIie had been confined when she had lieen brought a baboon child from the reeks. Hore we shut her up, and, leaving Indaba-zimbi te watch out eut eut sieo, I returned te my steeping place mid dressed in the bent garments thai bnbyan kraals could furnish. But when I looked nt the reflection of my face, 1 was horrified. It was covered with scratches inflicted by the nails et Hen drika. I doctored them up as best I could, and went out for n walk te calm my nerves, which, what between the events of the past night and of these pending that day, were net a little dis turbed. When I returned it was breakfast time. I went into the dining hut, and then Stella was waiting te greet me, dressed in simple white and .with erange flowers en her breast She came forward te ma shyly enough; then, seeing the condition et my face, started back, "Why, Allan! what have you been doing te yourself?" she asked. As I was about te answer, her father came In leaning en his stick, and catch ing sight of me instantly asked the sams question. Then I told them everythlng, both of Hendrika's threats and of her fierce at tempt te carry them into execution. But I did net tell my horrid dream. Stella's face grew white as the flowers en her breast, but that of her father be came very stern. "Yeu should have spoken of this be be be eoeo, Allan," he said. "I new see that 1 did wrong te attempt te clvillze thU wicked and revengeful creature, who, 11 she la human, has all the evil passions el the brutes that reared her, Well, I will make an end of It this very day." "Oh, father," satf Stella, "don't hav her killed. It Is all dreadful enough, but that would be mero dreadful still. 1 have been very fend of her, aud, bad ai alie Is, she has loved me. Don't have her killed en my marriage day." "Ne," her father answered, "she shall net be kllled, for, though she deserves te die, I will net have her bleed upon our hands. She Is n brute nnd has followed the nature of brutes. She shall go back whence she came." Ne mero was said en the matter at th time, but when breakfast which was rather a farce was done, Mr. Carsen sent for his head man and gave him cer tain orders. We were te be married after the ser vice whieh Mr. Carsen held every Sun day morning in the large marble hut set apart for that purpese. The service be gan at 10 o'clock, but long before that hour all the natives en the place came up iu troops, singing as they came, te be present nt the wedding of the "Star." It was a pretty sight te see them, the men dressed in all their finery, and carrying shields nnd sticks in their hands, and the women and children bearing green branches of trees, ferns nnd flowers. At length, about half-past nlne, Stella rose, pressed ray hand, and left me te my re flections. At a few minutes te ten she reappeared again with her father, dressed in a white veil, a wreath of erange flowers en her dark curling lialr, a Ixmquct of erange flowers in her hand. Te me she seemed like u dream of loveli ness. With her came little Teta In a high stnte of gtce and excitement She was Stella's only bridesmaid. Then we all passed out towards the church but. The bare space in front of it was filled with hundreds of natives, who set up a song as we came. But we went en into the hut, which was crowded with such of the natives as usually worshiped theie. Here Mr, Carsen, as usual, read the service, though he was obliged te sit down In order te de se. When It was dqjie and te me ft seemed interminable Mr. Carsen whispered te me that he meant te marry us eutside the hut In sight of all the peeple, se we went out nnd took our stand under the shade of a large tree that grew near the hut facing the bare space whcre the natives were gathered. Mr' Carsen held up his hand te enjoin silcnce. Then, speaking in the native dialect, he told them that he was about te make U3 man and wife after the Chris tian fashion nnd in the sight of all men. This done, he proceeded te read the mar riage service ever us, and very solemnly and beautifully he did It. We said the words, I placed the ring it waa her futher'a signet ring, for we had no ether upon Stella's finger, and it was dene. Then Mr. Carsen speke. "Allan and Stella," he said, "I beliove that the cere mony which has been performed makes you man and wlfe in the sight of Ged and man, for all that is necessary te make a marriage binding is, that it should be celebrated according te the custom of the country where the parties te it reside. It is according te the custom that has been in ferce here for fifteen years or mero that you have been mar ried in the face of all the people, and in token of it you will both 6lgu the registry that I have kept et such marriages, among theso of my own peeple that have adopted the Christian faith. Still, in case there should be any legal flaw, I again demand the solemn proiuise of you both that en the first opportunity you will causa this marriage te be re-celebrated in seme civilized land. De you premise?" "We de, we answered. Then the book was brought out and we signed our names. At lirst my wire signed hers "Stella" only, but her father bade her write it Stella Carsen for the first and List time In her Ufe. Then sov sev cral of the indunas, or head men, in cluding old Indaba-zlmbl, put their marks in witness. Indaba-zimba drew his mark in the bhape of a little star, iu humorous .allusion te Stella's native uame. That register is befere me new as I write. That, with a lock et my darling's liair that lies between its leaves, is my dear est possession. There are all the names nnd marks as they were written many years age beneath the shadow of the tree ou Babyan Kraals In the wilder ness, but alas) and alast where are these Milin wrnt thorn? . . . . Omdmteii next Saturday 'V 11; ia "$ "tff m aa IS m 4 -M m , l; -&.-,. -.-. it tec v- -vVv4fei
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