Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-03-23
CHAPTER XIII.

CHAPTER MIL
FRANK MULLER SHOWS HIS hand.
Presently Muller turned round. do you
know why have told you this, ON Silass'
he asked.
NO"
because l want you to understand that
you and all the En5ishmcn in this country
are in a very dangerous position. The war
Is a coming, and whether it goes for You
or against you, you must suffer. You
EnSlishmen have many enemies. You have
got all the trade and own nearly half the
land, and you are always standing up for the
black people, whom the Beers hate. 1t will
go hard with you if there is war You will
be Shot and your houses will be burned, and
if you lose the day, those who escape will be
driven out of TIE country. 1t will be the
Transvaal for the Transvaalers, then, and
Africa for the Africanders."
"Well, Frank Muller, and if all this should
come to pass what of it? What are you
driving at, Frank Muller? You don't show
me your hand like this for nothing"
The Boer laughed "Of course l don't, ON
Silas. Well, if you want to know, will tell
you what mean. l mean that alone can
protect you and your place and people in the
bad times that are coming I have more in
nuence in the land than you know of. Per-
haps, even, l could stave off the war, and if
it suited me to do so l would do it. At the
least l could keep you from being harmed,
that know. But have my price, ON Silas,
rs we all have, and it must be money down
and no credit"
Il don't understand you and your dark say
ings," said the old man, coldly. II am n
straightforward man, and if you will tell me
what you mean will give you my answer; if
not, don't see the good of our going ON talk
ing"
"very well; will tell you what mean.
mean Bessie. I mean that love your niece
and want to marry her-ay, mean to marry
her by fair means or foul-and that she will
have nothing to say to me-"
"And what have l to do with that, Frank
Mullerl The girl is her own mistress. lean
not dispose Of her in marriage, even if |
wanted to. as though she were colt or an OK
You must plead your own suit and take your
own answer"
II have pleaded my suit and have got my
answer" answered the Boer, with passion.
"Don't You understand she will have nothing
to say to me. She is in love with the id
rooibaatje Mel. whom you have brought up
here. She is in love with him, say, and will
not look at me-"
"Ah," replied Silss Croft, calmly, sis that
sol Then she shows very good taste, for
John Mel is ON honest man, Frank Muller,
and you are not. Listen to me-" he went on,
with q sudden Outburst of passion; II Tell
you that you are O dishonorable man and
villain. l tell you that you murdered the
Hottentot Jantje's father, mother and uncle
in cold blood when you were yet lad.
tell you that the other day you tried to muir
der John Mel, pretending to mistake him for
buck! And now you, who petitioned for
this country to be taken over by the queen,
and have gone round singing out your loyal
ty at the top of your voice. come and tell me
that you are plotting to bring about an insur-
rection and to plunge the land into war, and
ask me for Bessie as the price of your pro-
tectionl And now will tell you something
in answer, Frank Muller" and the old man
rvse up, MS Keen eyes L~amg In wrath, and
Strengthening his bent frame, pointed toward
tho door, "Go out Of that door and never
come through it again. I rely upon God and
the English nation to protect me, and not on
such as you, and would rather see my dear
Bessie dead in her coffin than married to o
knave and traitor and q murderer like
FRANK Muller Cor
The Boer turned white with fury rs be
listened. Twice he tried to speak and failed,
and when the words did come they were so
choked and laden with passion as to be
scarcely audible When thwarted he was
liable to these accesses OF rage, and they,
fisuratively speaking. spoiled his character
Gould ho have kept his head. he would have
been perfect and triumphant villain; but as
it was, the carefully planned and audacious
NJ ~ <<~I
away by the sudden gale Of his furious passion
IL was in such an outburst Of rage that he
had assaulted John in the inn yard at WAX
kerstroom, and thereby put him on his guard
against him and now it mastered him once
mora
very well, Silas Croft, HE said at last, II
will go; but mark this, will come back, and
when come it shall be with men armed with
rifles. will burn this pretty place Of yours,
that you are SO proud OF, over your head. and
/ will kill you and your friend tho English
man, and take Bessie away, and very soon
she will be glad enough to marry Frank
Muller: but then will not marry hcr-no
not IL she goes on her knodS to me-and she
shall 20 on her knees often enough. We will
then sec what God and the English nation will
do to protect you God and tho English ma
toni Call on tho sheep and the horses; call
ON the rocks and tho trees, and you will got a
better answer"
@Go!" thundered tho old man, cor BY the
God you blaspheme win put . bullet
through you," and be reached toward rifle
that hung over the mantelpiece, Tor my KAT
frs shall whip you of the place"
Frank Muller waited for no more. He
turned and went It was dark now, but
there was still some light in the sky ct the end
OF the blue gum avenue, and As he rode away
against it he made out Bessie's tall and grace
full form softly outlined upon the darkening
night. John had left her to sec about some
pressing matter connected with the farm,
and there she stood, filed with the great Joy
OF q woman who has found her love, and
loath ns yet to break its spell by entering
again into the daily round of common lifo.
There she stood, q typo and symbol Of all
that is beautiful and gracious in this rough
world, the lovclight shining in her blue eyes
and thoughts of happy gratitude to tho Giver
Of all good rising from her heart to heaven,
drawn up thither, as it were, by the warmth
Of her pure passion, as the dew mists Of the
morning arc drawn upward by the sun.
Presently she heard the horses hoofs, and
looked up, so that the faint light foil full
upon her face, idealizing 1t and making its
passion breathing beauty seem more Of heaven
than Of earth. There was some look upon it,
some indefinable light that day-such is the
power that love hos to infuse all human things
with the tint Of his own splendor-that it
went even to the heart OF the wild and evil
man who adored her with the deep and savage
force Of his dark nature For moment he
paused, half regretful, half afraid. Was it
well to NEEDLE with her and to build No plans
for her overthrow and that Of all she chung
tol Would it not be better to let her be, to
60 his way and leave her to 60 hers, in peacel
She did not look quite like a woman standing
there. but more like something belonging to
another world, some subject Of q higher
power. Men of powerful but undisciplined
intellect like Frank Muller arc never entirely
free from superstition, however free they
may be from religion, and he grew supersti-
tious, a. no was apt to do. Might there not
be an unknown penalty for treading such Q
flower rs that into the mire-into miro mixed
perchance with the blood Of those she loved!