Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-05-26

light on him might be playing on the luKu-
rious couch of the woman he had faith in even
through faithlessness
The next morning l induced him to leave
his companion and come with me- was writ
ing book, and ! assured him, and truly, that
his artistic talent, of which convinced myself
before engaging him, would be invaluable to
me in illustrating 1t, my own artistic produc-
tions being rather unsatisfactory.
He proved very agreeable companion, and
l enjoyed my wanderings much more after he
became my guest
About two months after my meeting with
Frank Heathcote, wo two we're riding in ad-
vance Of the wagon over the brow Of wood
cd hill, from whence we looked down a gorge
and over q wide expanse Of forest which
stretched below US. "Stop a moment" said
Heathcote. "What is it that this scene re-
minds me of It seems so familiar TO mo-"
Then suddenly he exclaimed "By jove
dreamed of this place years ago when l was a
boy, only that there were a number of ele-
plants ranging about among the brushwood
and trampling it down"
There were numbers Of elephants here un-
til lately, 1 said; "it is curious coincidence,
and we rode on.
At the bottom of the gorge we crossed
small stream, oG.sadded, and watched the
horses browsing until the wagon came up and
crossed the rivulet, when the oxen were out
spanned. Night came on and we had supper,
saw to the horses and oxen being settled for
the night and then sat down by the fire. 1t
was very dark, for there was no moon, and
there were a great many overshadowing
trees.
Presently we heard the creaking sound made
by a wagon moving at some distance. II was
evidently coming from the opposite direction
to the way we had come, and after a while
we heard not only it but the tramp of the
horses, the rider being evidently little in
advance of the wagon. Then horses and rider
passed into partial view for a moment, irradi-
ated by sudden flame that sprang up from
the FIRE. The solitary figure had something
unusual about its appearance which excited
my curiosity. / stood up and walked toward
it. II was q woman mounted on q handsome
horse, and with led horse by her side. She
sat with one hand on the animals crupper,
leaning back and half turning to see the wag-
on go through the drift.
STEADY with the break there" she cried,
in Boer lingo as the foremost oxen took the
water and the numbering oxen slowly slid
down the incline. handsome figure she
made as she sat there carelessly, with her
wide sombrero hat shading her face COM
pletely from the flashes of light that came
from our neighboring campfire.
walked over to her, and she asked, in the
same language she had used before, whether
there was a good outspan on the other side.
could tell from her mode of speech that she
was English, so 1 answered in our common
| tongue.
She laughed pleasantly and thanked me,
then cantered through the rivulet, and heard
her give the order to outspan. There did not
| appear TO be any European with her.
After my return to our fire, good deal of
| speculation went on between Heathcote and
myself as to this unusual apparition. We saw
her camp fire lighted, and could make out that
she saw to her horses being fed and blanket
ed, and 10 her oxen being tied up, before hav-
ing her supper. When CLEAN from her fire
showed US that she was no longer occupied,
our curiosity could not be restrained any
more and we went over the rivulet to intro
duce ourselves in the free -and-easy fashion of
| the country.
Her wagon was drawn up in q clearing,
round which the forest made a dark semicir-
Gle. Three Kafre boys were crouching over
the fire and eating their supper out of large
Gypsy pot; the shapes of the oxen and
horses doomed out Of the darkness behind her,
as she stood full in the blaze of the fre-light,
her form erect, her hands clasped loosely be-
fore her, her head little thrown back, and
her eyes looking dreamily out into the dark
ness
Heathcote seized my arm convulsively, and
/ could hardly repress an exclamation, but at
that moment her eyes fell on us, and she
started.
l saw their faces change as they looked
earnestly at each other while 1 spoke, the col
or fading from each, then Frank :" "Luoy ="
broke from their lips, and their hands were
knit together.
left them to their happiness, and sat long
by my own fire, pondering over the strange
ness of this life, over how few are those bless
ed with the power of evolving from Nature
her latent romance, and over what is the es-
sence of that which we call by this name, and
of which most of us know so little.
Heathcote Joined me at last. He had much
to tell me. She had been promised in mar
riage by her father, and had refused to bow
to his decision in spite of her mothers tears.
She had told the suitor that her heart belong
ed to another, and that she would not be
faithless to him but it was of no avail He
replied that he would abide by her fathers
word, and hoped TO win her heart after he
had bought her hand. Then she solemnly
assured him and her father that she would re-
fuse to pronounce her marriage VOWS before
the altar Her threat was disregarded as an
idle one.
She wrote to the clergyman who was to of.
fc;ate, but her letter was intercepted.
She was jealousy watched, and the prepara-
tions for her sacrifice went on.
At last the fatal morning came, and SO self
possessed was she that her father murmured
words Of praise as he handed her from the
carriage, and passing her arm through his,
led her up the aisle of the church, wherC
roses and lilies were strewn before her. There
she stood between the two men who had bar
tered her body and thought they could barter
her soul, and looked up into the kind face ol
the old clergyman.
His lips were parted 10 commence the ser
vice, when, with rapid gesture, she threw
back her veil startling him and attracting hi
notice, while her voice rang out the words
81 am here against my will / appeal tt
you and to your Master"
The next moment her father had falleI
. PROSTATE, and was struggling on the steps o.
the altar. He was removed unconscious anC
died the next day.
Her mother lived for a short while after
always in very feeble health and suffering
: greatly from nervous depression, and Luc!
was her faithful nurse.
II was only after her mothers death tina
she felt at liberty to make any inquiries as Il
; where Heathoote might be, but all clew t
his whereabouts seemed to have been lost at
ter he left Italy.
1t was about two years after her mother
death that met her at my friends house.
Before that she had travelled good deal ol
the Continent of Europe, then feeling o
o restlessness came over her and she visite
first North and then South Africa
8 The wild life in the more. remote parts o
l the latter had charm for her. She picke'
I, up the patois of the Beers and little of tn
r Zulu languages, and, although often intendin
d to return to her English home, still fingered
J. She had her own travelling wagon and he
J, horses, but from a love of adventure travele'
a alone, except for her native attendants, fear
less, because caring little for life, and at la'
:, her wanderings had led her to him for who's
u sake life henceforward would be dear to hei
II That night could not sleep, and | stoo
e beside Heathcote's couch looking at him b
the rays of late moon. Two short month
4 ofoomparative ease and happiness had wrougl
d a change In him, but the greatest change Q