Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-05

and her sensations when she heard the mes
sage in English. Then she described her
rescue from the kraal, her fight through the
woods, her concealment in the cave, her es-
cape from the Amatolas, the ride with the
trooper holding her on his saddle, and the
final dash through the Kafirs. Her hearers
had thrown in many interjections OF horror
and pity, loud on the part of Hesba, mere
murmurs on that of Ruth, who had taken
Mary's. hand in hers, but the sympathetic
pressure told more than words.
"And you shot three of them, Miss Arm
strong" Hesba CALCULATED in wide-eyed as
tonishment. To think that young girl
like you should have the death Of four men
on her hands. don't say as it's unchris-
tian, because Christians are not forbidden
to night for their lives, but it does seem
downright awful"
moment" Mary said; "they tried to kill me.
and killed them. That Is the light saw
it in, and so would you if you had been liv-
ing in the colony"
"But you have not finished your story. {"
Ruth said earnestly. ''Surely that is not
the end of it,
mo, my father recovered from his wound.
and so did the soldier who had saved me.
and as soon as my father was able to travel.
he and went down to the coast and came
home"
'"That cannot be ALL" Ruth whispered:
there must be something more to tell.
Mary"
II will tell you another time, Ruth"
Mary said in equally low tones, and then
rising, put on her hat again, said goodby
and went out.
"Did you ever, Ruth?" Hesba Powlett
exclaimed as the door closed. 81 never did
hear such story in all my life, and to think
Of her shooting four men; It quite made my
fish creep; didn't it yours?"
There were other parts Of the story that
made my flesh creep a great deal more,
mother"
''Yes, it was terrible; and she didn't saw
single word in praise of what the soldier had
done for her. Now that seems to me down
right ungrateful, and not at all what I
should have thought of Miss Armstrong.
u suppose she thought, mother, that there
was no occasion to express her opinion of
his bravery or to mention her gratitude.
The whole story seemed to me a cry of praise
and hymn OF gratitude
"Lord, Ruth, what fancies you do take In
your head, to be sure; never did hear such
expressions.
Two days passed without Ruth going nm
to the Armstrong;; on the third day Mary
again went down.
swell, Ruth, as you have not been to
see me, 1 have come to see you again"
81 was coming up this afternoon; IL Won
don't mind 1 win go back with you now in.
stead Of your staying here. We are ouieter
there you know. Somehow one cannot think
or talk when any one comes in and out of the
room every two or three minutes"
i quite agree with you, Ruth, and If you
don't mind my saying so, l would very much
rather have you all to myself"
The two girls accordingly went back to the
cottage. Mary, who was rather an industrious
brought out a basket Of work
Ruth, who for long time had scarcely taken
up her needle. sat with her hands before her
When two people intend to have a serious
with each other, they geperaIlv
steer wide of the subject at first, and the pres.
ent was no exception.
II think it would be better for you, Ruth, to
occupy yourself with work little as / do.D
Il used to be fond Of work." Ruth replied.
''but don't seem to be able to give my atten-
tion to it now. begin, and before nave done
~ stitches somehow or other my thoughts seem
to go away, and by the end Of the morning the
first ~ stitches are all have done"
but yon oughtn't to think so much. Ruth.
lt Is bad for anyone to be always thinking"
es, out can't help it. have so much to
think about, and it gets worse instead Of better,
Now after what you said to me the other night.
don't know what to do. 1t seemed right be-
fore. did not think was doing much harm
In keeping silence; now see have been, OBJ,
50 wrong" and she twined her fingers in and
out as II suffering bodily pain.
MY poor kuth," Mary said. coming over 70