The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08

very charming to him. He, of course, was
conscious that he was going to marry be-
meath him; still he got on with her better
than LIE did with the few ladies he had ever
met; for though he was a gentleman or ex-
cellent family he was not very refined
person. They were to have been married
in a few weeks when the Zulu war broke out,
and Jack was O. cred q commission in an
irregular cavalry regiment and he accepted
it and went OF again TO the war, leaving
Kitty to wait for his return and look after
the Frozen Bar" She prospered fairly
well, thou. b she Logan to encourage class
of custom which was not very remunera-
tive The warriors who had served with
Jack and had plenty of stories to tell about
him and themselves took to frequenting the
Lar, and Kitty would listen to these stories,
somewhat to the neglect of gentlemen of the
diamond market who, i: their lives were less
romantic, paid with grea;e regularity for
what they had to drina.
There was good deal to do in Zululand
for irregular horse, and when there was
anything to be done Jack Hope was in the
right place. He was present at ZloblaEi
Hill on that fatal day on which so many
of the light horse were killed There were
a good many brave deeds done that day,
comrade risking life to save comrade in that
wild rush from the Kafirs who had again
out-manouvred their white foes. Hope
was cool and collected on that day. as he
usually was in danger. As he rode
down the hill for his life he heard shout
behind him. young guardsman, who had
come out on spe II service, had come to
grief, his horse LAi been killed and the
Kafirs were almost upon him. How Jack
no Kati IN cyot
away with the man he saved he hardly
knows, but he did, and he brought him
back to safety On his horse. A good deal
was made of this, and perhars all the more
because the man he saved was the son of a
great man. So Jack was much written
about by special correspondents and talked
about by society at home, and in time the
news came out to South Africa that he was
to be rewarded with the Y. c.
One day Kitty heard this news at Kim
berley, and was lent packet OF English
papers which were full of accounts of Jacks
deeds She had taken tine papers and one
of Jacks letters which she had received
some time before and walked up to the
Gardens las a waste of land was called on
which a few trees had oeen planted and a
feeble attempt at gardening had been made;
she wanted to be by herself to think it all
over. She read about Jack in the papers
that he was the nephew Of the Gen. Hope
who was so distinguished in the Crimea,
that he had been educated at Harrow and
had afterwards gone to South Africa Every
one at home seemed to be proud of him, she
thought, as she read gushing letter about
him in one of the English papers.
Kitty was sitting Oh bench by cactus
hedge; there were two men on the other sile
who were talking about him as a good many
people in Kimberley were. u know all
about him." one man said, she CONS from
the same part of the country that do.
He would have had his uncle, Gen.
Hopes property, only he got into
some row at Sandhurst and his
uncle said be had disgraced himself AMI
turned him adrifr My people tell me that
the general intends to have him back again
and forgive him, he is so pleased at his get
ting the V. c. So he'd be all right only be
has been fool enough to have got engaged
to some woman out here. What's her names
That woman who keeps the Frozen Bar"
by Jove! what pity. She is not bad
little woman in her way, but one wouldn't
care to introduce her to ones people at home
as ones wife," said the other
yes; spoke to him about it when he
i
said over WELL l fancy he knew he was
making fool of himself and was sick of it,
though it didn't matter then as there wasn't
much chance of his uncle making it I'D with
him"
Kitty did not hear any more as the two
men walked on, little knowing who had
overheard them and what cruel wound
their words had given
Of I,aJ e.,
and the war was over Jack Hope was sit.
ting in an armchair at the Crown hotel at
Maritzburg reading letter from England.
1t was from his uncle, Gen. Hope, and was
to the point, as the old gentleman's letters
usually were. He had heard of Jacks gal
lent conduct and was very pleased. He was
to come back and live at the hall and he
would have the place eventually. The gen.
eral went on to say that he had met some
one who knew of Jack at Kimberley,
and had heard an absurd story of his in
tending to make disgraceful marriage with
barmaid. If he intended to do that he need
not answer the letter, otherwise he had bet
ter come home as soon as the war was over
Jack read the letter over and over again
with troubled expression on his face He
remembered, and it was not very pleasant
memory, all she had done for him and what
he probably would have been if she had not
again and again helped him up after be had
slipped down. Then, what a jolly little
woman she was anu how devoted she was to
him He had lots of money in his pocket:
every one thought him very fine fellow:
he would do what he liked He would not
give Kitty up and he would tell the general
So He would SIT down and write at once.
As he sat down to write he began to see
the other side of the question. How much
he was giving up-a fine old place, as good
position as man could want, and instead
of that he was to end his days in South
Africa or in some other colony. His V. c.
would not be much good to him unless he
stuck to colonial soldering, which was
poor life. No, he would put off writing the
letter. Then he remembered that he had
not heard from Kitty for some time She
used to send him every weea q funny Ill
srelt letter, in which the news of the camp
was told very humorously. He would walk
to the posteffice. On his way he met several
men he knew who were just going home.
How he would like to go too; it was useless
trying not to regret. There was a letter
from Kitty. 1t was dated from Cape Town
At first he hardly understood it as he
read it:
@DEAR JACK: 1t is all a mistake there
being anything between you and ma We
don't suit Your people would have nothing
to do with me, and you had better go home
to them, now that every one must be proud
of you. You would break down as q re-
turned prodigal if you had to answer for
me as well as yourself Don't answer this
letter, for am sick of the country and
before you get this shall have cleared.
KITTY"
Jack read the letter again and again; it
would be difficult to describe what his feel
ings were. He felt half mortified to think
that she could have persuaded herself to
give him nm Then ha Saw that sha xuas