The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-08-01

house. At any rate. I am not a pau.
per. l have mended that little fault =
Then he looked at her as though he
thought that there was nothing for him
but to begin the conversation where il
!; had been SO roughly ended at their last
meeting.
Did ii not occur to him that some
thing might have come across her life
during period of nearly three years
which would stand in bis way and in
hers? But, as she gazed into his face,
it seemed as though no such idea had
fallen upon him. But during these two
or three minutes multitude OF
thoughts crowded on poor Mary's mind.
Was it possible that because of the com
ing of John Gordon Mr.. Whittlestaf
should withdraw his claim, and allow
this happy young hero to walk off with
the reward which he still seemed to de-
sire? She felt sure it could not be SO.
Even during that short space she re-
solved it could not be so. She knew
Mr.. Whittlestaff too well, and was sure
her lover had arrived too late. 1t all
passed through her brain. and she was
sure no change could be effected in her
destiny. Had he come yesterday, in
deed! But, before she could answer.
Mr.. Whittlestaff entered the room.
She was bound to say something,
though she was little able to speak at
all. She was aware some ceremony
was necessary. She was ill able to in
troduce these two men to each other,
but it had to be done. mir. Whittle-
staff" she said, ''this is Mr.. John Cor
don, who used to know us at Norwich
..Mr. John Gordon" said MIR. White.
staff, bowling very stiffiy. -
''Yes, sir; that is my name. l never
had the pleasure of meeting you at Nor
witch, though often heard of you there.
And since left the place / have been
told how kind you have been to this
young lady. l trust l may live to
thank you for it more warmly, though
not more sincerely, than l do at this mo-
ment."
John Gordon, since he left Norwich
little better than pauper, collected
what means he had been able to gather
and had gone to South Africa. Thence
he made his way to Kimberly, and had
been at work among the diamond-felds
for two years. If there be place on
earth on which man can thoroughly
make or mar himself it is Kimberly. /
know no spot more odious. 1t is foul
with dust and flies; it reeks with bad
brandy; it is fed upon potted meats; it
has not tree near it. 1t is inhabited in
part by tribes of South Africans, me-
groes, who have lost all picturesqueness
in working fer the white mans wages.
The white man is insolent, addressed
and ugly. The weather is very hot,
and from morning till night there is
no occupation other than that of
looking for diamonds, and the work at
tending it. Diamond grubbers want
food and brandy, and lawyers and po-
licemen. They want clothes also. and a
few horses; and some kind of education
is necessary for their children. But
misunderstanding is the occupation of
the place; and if a man be sharp and
c,ever, and able to guard what he gets,
he will make a fortune there in two
years more readily, perhaps, than else
where. John Gordon had gone to Kim
berly, and had returned the owner of
many shares in many mines.
CHAPTER VII
JOHN GORDON AND MR.. wHITTLEsrAfr.
Mr.. Gordon had gone to South Africa
with the settled intention of doing some
thing that might enable him to marry
Mary Lawrie. and he had carried his
purpose through with manly resolu-
ton. He had lot found Kimberley
much to his taste. and had not made
many dear friends among the inhabit-
ants. But he had worked on, buying
and selling shares in mines, owning a
quarter of an eighth there. and half a
tenth here, and then advancing till he
was the possessor of many complete
shares in many various adventures
which were quite Ineligible to him,
though to the ordinary Englishman they
seem to be so iull of peril as not to be
worth possessing. The profit is shared
monthly, and the system has the ad-
vantage of possessing twelve quarter
DAYS in the year. The result is that
time is more spread out, and the man
expects TO accomplish much more in
twelve months than he can at home.
In two years man may have made a
fortune and lost it, and be on his way
suffered no reverses, ana with twenty
four quarter-days, at each of which he
had received ten or twenty per cent.
he had had time to become rich. He
had by no means abandoned all his
shares in the diamond mines; but, hav-
ing wealth at command. he had deter
mined to carry out the purpose for
which he had come to South Africa.
Therefore he returned to Norwich, and
having there learned Mary's address,
now found himself in her presence at
Croker's Hail.
Mr.. Whittlestaff, when he heard John
Gordon's name, was as much astonished
as had been Mary herself. Here was
Mary's lover-the very man whom
Mary had named to him. 1t
had all occurred this very morning,
so that even the look of her
eyes and the tone of her voice were fresh
in his memory. He used to come to
our house at Norwich-and l loved
him. Then she had told him that this
lover had been poor, and had gone
away. He had, since that, argued it
out with himself. and with her, too. on
the theory, though not expressed, that a
lover who had gone away now nearly
three years ago. and had not been heard
of, and had oeen poor when he went,
was of no use, and should be forgotten.
LET there be no mention of him be-
tween u.s." he had intended to say,
land the memory of him will fade
away" But now on this very day he
was back. and there was Mary, hardly
able to open her mouth in his presence.
He had bowed twice very stiffiy when