The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-07-22

mission in an irregular cavalry regiment
and he accepted it ald went of again t
the war. leaving Kitty to wait for his 10
turn and look after the Frozen Bar Sh.
prospered fairly well, thou ia she began &
encourage class OF custom which was 40
| very remunerative. The warriors who haC
served with Jack and had plenty of storie:
to tell about him and themselves took L
frequenting the bar. and Kitty would liste;
TO these stories. somewhat to the neglect o
gentlemen Of the diamond market who, i
their lives were less romantic. paid witt
greater regularity for what they had u
drink.
There was 4 good deal to do in ZululanC
: for the irregular horse and when there wa
any thing to be done Jack Hope was in hi
right place. He was present Mt Zloban
HUI on that fatal day on which so many o.
the light horse were killed. There were
good many brave deeds done that day
comrade risking life to save comrade il
that wild rush from the KafirS who had
again outmaneuvered their white foes
Hope was cool and collected on that day
as he usually was in danger As he rode
down the hill for his life he heard q shou
behind him. A young guardsman, who haG
come out on special service, had come to
grief: his horse had been killed and the
ks1irs wero aim It upon him. How Jack
got through the katirs and managed to get
knows, but he did and he brought him back
to safety on his horse. A good deal was
made of this and perhaps all the more be-
cause the man h Saved was the son of a
great man. So jack was much written
about by special correspondents and talked
| about by society at nome, and in time the
news came out t. South Africa that he was
to be rewarded with tie V. c.
One day Kitty heard this news at Kim
bsrley, and was lent packet of English
papers which wore fall of accounts of
! Jacks deeds She had taken the papers
and one of Jack letters which she had re-
ceived some time before and had walked up
| TO the Gardens. (aS a waste of land was
| called on which few trees had been plant
| ed and feeble attempt at gardening had
! been made;) she wanted TO be by herself to
| think it all over She read about Jack in
! the papers that he was the nephew of the
! General Hope who was so distinguished i'll
| the Crimea, that he had been educated at
Harrow and had afterward gone to South
| Africa. Every one at home seemed to be
| proud of him, she thought, as she read a
| gushing leader about him in one of the En-
| glish papers. OF course she thought it
very beautiful piece of writing aud Won
| dered what all the classical quotations
! meant, and who the long named persons to
| whom Jack was compared were. And this
was the man who loved her-thiS hero this
| brave soldier. How she wished she was
uaISTtnG iTOH "udb sue was. u 461H WHO
would be fit for him, not a poor half taught
woman. who had lived a hard life among
rough, course people, and got the little ed
| ucatiOn she had from the bits of plays she
had learned and the novels she had read.
and the queer side of society which she had
seen. Well, If she was the finest lady in
the world, she thought. she would not be
worthy of him. Cynical little Kitty, who
was so well able TO sum any one up at
their right value, and whose esti-
mates were seldom too favorable, had
at last set up an idol which she
bowed down before and worshiped
none the less reVerentlY because her eX-
periencs ought to have Taught her that it
was made of rather poor clay. She had
been sitting some time thinking over her
past and wondering what her future would
be- tortUring herself by doubling whether
he really did care for her or could care for
her, and reading over his letter again and
again when she heard Jack Hopes name
spoken by soma one. She was sitting on Il
bench by cactus hedge; there were two
men on the other side who were talking
about him as a good many people in
Kimberley were: Il know all about him."
one man said, ''hs comes from th- same
part of the country that | do. He would
have had his uncle'S General Hope'sl
property, only he got into some row at
SandhurSt aud his uncle said he had dis
graced himself and turned him adrft. Nv
have him back again and forgive him, he
is SO pleased at his getting the V. c. SO
he'd be all right, only he has been fool
enough to have got engaged to some
woman out here. What's her name! That
woman VINO keeps the 'Frozsn Bar"
by Jovs! what pity. Shs is not bad
little woman i'll her way, but one wouldn't
care to introduce her to ones people as
ones wife, said the other.
Yes; spoke to him about it when he !
was here last, but he didn't take what |
said over-well. | fancy he knew he was |
IN liking fool OF himself and was sick OF |
it. though it didn't matter then, as there |
wasn't much chance of his uncle ever max |
ing it up with him.
Kitty did not hear any mora, as the two |
III IN walked on, little knowing who had |
overheard them and what q cruel wound |
their words had given. Yes, he could not |
get out of it-hs was making a fool of him |
self. That is what people would say, and |
it would bs true"
He had always talked of his English life |
as something that was past and gone which |
could never return to him: but now she |
understood that was all different She |
could remember som sthing in his manner
when she last saw him which she did not |
quite understand then; now she knew what |
il IN sant-he knew he was making fool of |
himself. Now, when he had distinguished |
himself he would feel this all the IN ore.
She alone was keeping him from the life lie
was born for. Now, when he knew what
be was giving up, what would he do!
Would he come back to her out of pity or
duty or sense of honor, or would he
desert her: No, he never should do that;
she would never give him the chance. IL
ne IN arried her how often he would repent
It: how often be would think of what he
lad given up for her. Yes" she thought
10 herself as shs walked b lck to her house
with all the gaysty and happiness taken
Il,
VII ere it would lead her she did not know"
Some weeks after Uiundi had been fought
and the war WAS over, Jack Hope was
sitting in an armchair at the Crown Hotel
1T Maritzburg reading letter from En-
gland 1t was from his uncle, General
Hope, and was to the point as the old gen
leman's letters usually were. He had
heard of Jacks gallant conduct and was
7ery pleased. He was content to let by
zones be by-gones and receive him again. ,
lie WAS to coms back and live at the Hall,
md he would have the place eventually. |
net some one who knew of Jack at KIM
,erley, and had heard an absurd story of ,
lis intending to make diSgraceful mar /
'iage with barmaid. If he intended to
10 that he need not answer the letter,
otherwise he had better come homo as soon I
S the war was over. Jack read the lettsr (
'ver and over again with troubled ex- !
,resSiou on his face. He did not like to
i've Kitty up. h was bound not to- He {
and it was not very pleasant {
memory, all she had done for him and what {
e probably would have been il she had ,
lot again and again helped him UP after
le had slipped down Then, what e jolly !
title woman she was and how devoted she
vas to him. He had lots of money in his
'ocket; every one thought him very fine
elbow; he would do what he liked He
you'd not give Kitty up and he would tell
he General So He would sit down and