Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-06-29
CHAPTER XXXIII.

VENGEANCE
For threa or four minutes more they whis-
pered together. after which the Hottentot
rose to go and find out how things were
among the Beers l,elow, and see when Frank
Muller retired TO his tent. As soon as he had
marked him down he was to come back and
report to jess and then the final steps were
TO be decided on.
When he was gone jess gave a sigh Of re-
lief This stirring up of Jantje to the boiling
point of vengeance had been a dreadful thing
to nerve herself to do; but now at any rate it
was done, and the deed settled upon But
what the end of it would be none could say.
She would practically be a rurdcress, and
she felt sooner or later her guilt would find her
out, and then she would have little mercy to
hope for Still she had no scrupIes, for after
all Frank Muller's would be a well merited
DOOM But when all was said and done it
was a dreadful thing to be forced TO steep her
hands in blood, even for Bessie's sake. II
Muller were slain Bessie would marry John,
provided John escaped from the Beers,
and be happy: but what would be-
come Of herr Robbed Of her love, and
with this crime upon her mind, what
could she do, even if she escaped
except Gle. 1t would be better to die and
never see him again. for her sorrow and her
shame were more than she cnuld bear. And
then she began to think of John till all her
poor, bruised heart seemed to go out toward
him Bessie could never love him as she did,
she felt sure of that, and yet Bessie was to have
him by her all her life, and she-she was to
20 away. Well. it was the only thing to do.
She would see hisdeed done and set her sister
free, and then il she happened to escape she
would go-go right away, where she would
never be heard of again. Then at any rate,
She would have behaved like an honorable
woman. She sat up and put her hands to
her face. 1t was burning hot, though she
was wet through, and chilled to the bone
with the raw damp of the night A fierce
fever OF mind and body had taken hold Of
her, worn out as she was with emotion,
hunger and protracted exposure But her
brain was clear enough; she never remem-
bered its being SO clear before. Every
thought that came into her mind seemed to
Yresen. itself with startling vividness, stand
ing ont by itself against black background
Of nothingness, not sof.ened and shaded down
one into another as thoughts generally are.
She see,ned TO see herself wandering away
the far distance John stood holding Bessie by
the hand and gazing after her regretfully.
Well, she would write to him, sincajt must
be so, end bid him one word Of farewell. She
could not 60 without it. She had pencil,
and in tho breast of her dress was the Boer
pass, the back Of which, stained as it was with
water, would serve the purpose Of paper.
She drew it out and, bending forward toward
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Good by" she wrote. good BY! We car
never inset again, and It Is better that we
never should, in this world. Whether there
il another do not know. n there Il, / shall
wult for you there II not, then good BY for
ever. Think Of mo sometimes. for havs
loved you very dearly, and a. nobody win
ever lovc you again; and while l live In this
or any other world, and am myself. shall
always love you and you only. Don't forgot
me- never shall bereally dead to you unt0
am forgotten. J.n
She lifted the paper Of her knee and than
put It back again and began to scribble In
worse, quickly and almost without correction.
1t was habit Of hers, though she nsvsr
showed what aha wrote, and now Il asserted
itself irresistibly and half unconscioualy:
When hands that clasp thine own In seeming
truth,
Or linser in cares upon thy bead.
Have rudely hroke Dc idols q thy youth
Aud cat them down amid thy treasured Dad
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