Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-06-08
VI nsi is il what Is it, he said 1Ah,
rocollect What is all this smell of fret

u usI is III what Is it, he said. @Ah,
rocollect. What is al this smell of fret
Surely the have not burned the place."
Yes. uncle" sobbed Bessie they have
The Old Elan groSnei 1t took me ten
years 10 b;..,,l lit BY bit. almost Store 10y
stone, and now they have ics:royc1 i. We'll.
why notf Gods VIII be done. Give me- your
nrni, love; want 10 Sc. TO the water. /
feel FAINT aCd sick"
Shn did as ho babe her soLbing bitterly.
Within fifteen yards, on tho edge of the plan
tatioa, was Z little spruit or ru:ncl Of water,
and of this he drank copiously and batned his
wounded head and face.
There, love-" he said, don't fret; feel
quite myself again. fear made fool of
myself. | haven't learned to bear misfortune
and dlshonor as should yet, and, ike Job,
felt as though God had foraai.cn US But, as
l said, his viii he done. What is tho next
move wonder. All. we shall soon know,
for here cones our friend Frank Muller"
Il all glad to see that You have recovered,
uncle said Muller politely, and am sorry
to have TO tell you that the house is beyond
help Believe me. if knew who fired it l
would shoot him. 1t was not my wish or in
ten,ion that the property should be de-
stroyed"
The old man merely bowed lis head and
made no answer His fiery spirit seemed to
be crushed cut of him.
What is it Your pleasure that we should
do sirF said Bessie at las. Perhaps, now
that we are ruined, You VIII allow us TO go to
Natal, which, suppose, is still an English
country
"Ies, Miss Bessie, Natal is sill English, for
the present: soon it will be Dutch: but nm
sorry that cannot lot you go there now. My
orders are to keep ycu both prisoners and to
Try your uncle by court martial. The wagon
house, he went On, quickly. with the two
little roonls on each side Of Ii, has not been
touched by She fire. | will have them made
ready for You, and rs soon rs the heat is less
you can 20 there and, farming TO the men
who had followed hin, he gave some rapid
orders, which two of them departed to carry
ont
Still the Old rinn made no comment; lie did
not even seem ind grant or surprised; but
poor Bessie wGs utterly Frustrated and stood
helpless, no: knowing what to say to this ter
rsle, renlorseicss man, who stood SO calm
and unnioved there before them
Frank Muller paused while to think
strokinS his beard as he did so, then turned
again and addressed the two remaining men
behind him.
You will keep guard over the prisoner"
indicating Silas Croft. land suffer none to
communicate with him by word or sign -
soon IS it is ready you will place him in the
little room to the left of the wagon house.
and see that he is supplied with all he wants
If he escapes, or converses, or is i'll treated,
viii hold You responsible. Do you under
stand"
Yah, meinheer" was the answer
Every good; be careful you do not forget.
And now, Miss Bessie, shall be glad if yon
can give me a word alone
NO." said Bessie; no. will not leave my
uncle"
n fear you will have to 90 that" be said
WIN MS cola hiuiIc. II ns ,uu to think
again. 1t viii be very much t. your advan-
tage to speak to ME, and to your uncles al
vantage also. should advise you to come =
Bessie hesitated. She hated and nistrusteti
the man, as she had good reason to do, and
feared to trust herself alone with him
While she hestated the two Beers under
whose watch and ward Muller had placed her
uncle came and stood between him and her
cutting her of from him. Muller turned
and walked few paces-ten or SOTO the
right, and in desperation she followed him.
He halted behind a bushy orange treo Of some
eight years growth. Overtaking him, she
stood silent waiting for him to begin They
were quite close to the others, but the roaring
of the flames Of the burning ho;,se was still
sufficiently loud to have drowned u much
moro audible conversation than theirs.
What is it you have to say to met" she
said ct length, pressing her hand against her
heart to still its beating Her woman's in
stinct told her what was coming and she was
trying to nerve herself to meet it.
Miss Bessie, he said slowly, ut is this. For
years have loved you and wanted to marry
You. Iagain ask you to be my wife"
"AIr. Frank Muller" she answered, her
| spirit rising to the occasion. II thank you for
your offer, and the only answer that can
give you is that once and for all decline it. y
Think" he said, Il love you as women are
not often loved. You are always in my mind
by day and by night, too. Everything do,
every step 60 up the ladder, have said and
say to myself, 4 am doing it for Bessie Croft.
whom I mean to marry Things have
changed in this country. The rebellion has
been successful. It was I who gave the cast
ing vote for 1t that l might win you. am
now a great man and shall one day be a
greater. You will be great with me. Think
what you say
II have thought, and will not marry you
You dare to come and ask me to marry you
over the ashes of my home, out Of which You
have dragged me and my poor old unclei
bate you, tell you, and viii not marry
you! had rather marry Kafir than marry
you, Frank Muller, however great you may