The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-07-21

with him p
"well, Jack, have drink before you 60.
am sorry for what said just nov; we
she took down q bottle Of whisky and some
soda water. Jack did not refuse-he seldom
did refuse such an offer.
Heaven forgive me ~ said Kitty to her
self as she more than half filled q tumbler
Of whisky. THAT will just about finish
him, but he shan't 60 up there tonight"
THAT is rather stiffish drink" he said
as he finished it. Then he had another and
forgot all about going up to Sloeman's, and
Kitty called her Kafir boy to shut up the
place and put Jack to bed in the spare
room.
'The baas in the spare room he plenty
bad this morning, misses" said kitty's
Kafir servant to her next morning as she
was having her breakfast.
said Kitty, giving him some brandy in
glass and bottle of soda water. ''That
won't hurt him, though he will have to
knock II off and pull himself together. for
this child is going to look after him." she
Very soon the Kafir came back "The
bdas he drank the brandy and throw de
soda at me. ! think him going mad" he
said. rubbing his head.
Kitty was not much alarmed; she had
seen good deal Of that sort Of thing. He
wanted some one to keep him straight, she
thought, and woman like, she began to be-
lieve that one Of her sex could do 1t. After
some time Jack came out Of his room He
nothing, but walked into the street without
his hat on. He was evidently queer, very
queer, Kitty thought, as she led him back
to his room and then sent her boy for the
doctor.
"He is in for bad go Of fever; rather a
nasty case-typhoid symptoms: knocked
his constitution to bits with drink" said
the doctor. He will want lot OF looking
after He had better 60 to the hospital
the free ward-the paying wards are full
not that they would be much in his line il
they were not" he added.
II think he had better stay here. doctor"
answered Kitty. 81 will see after nursing
my forte"
"No one can see after him better than
Kitty we'll. II fancy, however, he won't
be very profitable boarder for you, but
that's your lookout"
20, that is all right" said Kitty. "Come
and see him again soon, doctor; remember
The doctor said he would come round
again soon and drove off-thinking what
good little woman Kitty was and wonder
ing whether there was any thing more than
pity in her feeling for that ne'er-do-well
Jack Hope.
thrust she don't care for him, for am
afraid there would be only trouble in it for
her however it turned out" he thought to
himself.
The doctorwas right; it turned out very
nasty. case of fever, and for weeks it looked
very black. For the time the "Frozsn Barr
lost its popularity. Kitty was hardly ever
there, and when she was, there was very
little fun in her. She was always afraid
that her customers would make too much
look had left her and there was a more
tender and soft expression in her face. She
spent most of her time in room behind
the house-the coolest and best bedroom
she had Perhaps the hours that poor little
Kitty spent nursing him as he got better
were some Of the happiest in her life. Then
hs was never happy when she was away
from him. and he used to watch her as q
sick dog watches its master. He seemed SO
different, SO much more like what he had
come on the Diamond Fields. As he grew
stronger she began to think that he knew
her secret and there was something in his
face seemed to tell her that he felt sons
thing more than gratitude for her. Then
she hardly ever came near him. He did not
want any more nursing, she thought. One
day he had got up. and she had sen talk
ing to him in her old CHEEKY manner, telling
him that he could pull him together,
and do as we'll as any one else, when what
was the only influence, he said, which could
keep him straight Hs knew she cared for
him. II she would marry him he would be
able to keep away from drink.
She told him the truth; she did care for
him. She would marry him il he wanted
it and would cara to marry her. But he
must show her first that he could reform
She knew that she was no great shakes"
she said, but she wasn't going to marry a
man she could not trust to keep away from
drink. He promised that he would re-
form, and it was agreed that they were to
be married and leave the Diamond Fields
and go to some other colony. He was no
great prize, this shattered invalid, who was
far more likely than not to return to his
hard struggle with herself not to take him
as he was, Instead OF waiting and perhaps
losing him altogether. ''No, she would not
marry him there; it wouldn't be fair to
him." she said, "she would wait till he was
drink, and then il he cared to marry her
she would be the proudest woman in tbs
world"
Then she talked over plan shs had for
him. She had Ought soms claims in the
mine; he must work them for hsr. shs
and they would make lots OF money. That
y how Jack Hope, who had utterly gone to
the bad iu the opinion Of most men who
who knew him, got start again. OF
course their claims ought to have turned
big diamond which would have made their
fortune all at once. But Kitty's belief in
the claims proved to bs rather unfounded;
some weeks they paid expenses, some
they did not. Jack Hope ought at once to
have become a reformed character, but he
did not. More than once work was at
standstill in their claims for DAYS, and he
had to come to Kitty, shame-faced and
haggard, with Q sad story Of transgression
to tell. But she persuaded him to try
again, and did her bsst to keep him
straight, and at last he became stronger
and better. Men began to think that he
long time. Kitty was going to succeed
In making something OF him. He began
to take soma pride in him self aud at the
end Of twelve months he was better man
than he had been for years.
At that time there was an outbreak of
Kafirs and Griquas on the border Of the
province, and troops were raised on the
Diamond Fields There was plenty of mill
tary enthusiasm. Times were bad and the
Diamond Fields answered to the call for
mon to serve their country at IS. day.
who could supply uniforms
and transport riders who had wagons and
oxen came forward to help their, country
to themselves. For Hope the chance was
just what he longed for Kitty did not try
to prevent him from going out, for she
thought it was the best thing he could do.
She knew all his history now. How he had
got into some trouble Ssasd at siIdhu md and
uncle, who had determined not to leave
the family acres to ono who, he thought,
was certain only to bring disgrace upon
his family. She thought 1t only natural
that he should wish to volunteer and take
tho chance OF showing that there was some.
horse left the camp she went out to see
them off, and felt proud of her lover, as