Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-03-20
Sgg RetIettor.
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1880.
CONTINUED :rsen Last Week.
THE STRANGE STORY
OF
Allan Quatermain'SW Wife
BY II. RIDER HAGGARD,
AUTHOR OF "SHE," "KING SoLoMoN'a
Miles," "JEss," "CLEo-
PATRA," ETC.
A NEW AFRICAN ROMANCE.


Shaking of my presentiments Of evil,
I entered the center hut. Mr.. Carson
was resting on the sofa, and by him
knelt Stella holding his hand, and her
head resting on his breast. / saw at
once that she had been telling him of
what had come about between US, nor
was sorry, for it is task that a would
be son-in-law is generally glad to do by
deputy.
'Come here, Allan Quaterman," he
said, almost sternly, and my heart gave
jump, for 1 feared lest he might be
about to require me to go about my
business. But came.
''Stella tells me-" he went on, "that
you two have entered into a marriage
engagement. She tells me also that she
loves you, and that you say that you love
her."
81 do indeed, SIR" broke in; 81 love
her truly; If ever woman was loved in
this world, love her."
81 thank Heaven for it, said the old
man. Listen, my children. Many
years ago great sorrow and shame fell
upon me, so great a sorrow that, as
sometimes think, it affected my brain.
At any rate, l determined to do what
most men would have considered the
act of a mailman, to go far away into the
wilderness with my only child, there to
live remote from civilization and its
evils. did so; found this place and
here we have lived for many years, hap
PLY enough, and perhaps not without
doing good in our generation, but still
in a way unnatural to our race and
status. At first 1 thought that would
let my daughter grow up in state of
complete ignorance, that she should be
Natures child. But as time went on 1
saw the folly and the wickedness of my
plan. l had no right to degrade her to
the level Of the saw yes around me, for,
If the fruit OF the tree of knowledge is
bitter fruit, still it teaches good from
evil. So educated her as well as was
able, till in the end knew that in mind,
as in body, she was in no way inferior to
her sisters, the children of the civilized
world. She grew up and entered into
womanhood, and then it came into my
mind that l was doing her a bitter
wrong, that 1 was separating her from
her kind and keeping her in a wilder
ness where she could find neither mate
nor companion. But though 1 knew
this, could not yet make up my mind
to return to active life; I had grown to
love this place. dreaded to return into
the world 1 had abiured. Again and
again 1 put my resolutions aside. Then
ut the commencement of this year felt
Ill. For awhile waited, hoping that
might get better, but at last realized
that 1 should never get better, that the
hand of death was upon me-"
'Ah, no, father, not thatp Stella said,
with cry.
Eyes, love, that, and it is true. Now
you will be able to forget our separation
in the happiness of new meeting" and
he glanced at me and smiled. "Well,
when this knowledge came home to me
I determined to abandon this place and
trek tor the coast, though I we'll knew
that the journey would kill me. 1 should
never live to reach 1t But Stella would,
and 1t would be better than leaving her
here alone with savages in the wilder
ness. On the very day that had made
up my mind to take this step Stella
found you dying in the Bad Lands,
Allan Quatermain, and brought you
here. She brought you, of all men in
the world; you, whose father had been
my dearest friend, and who once with
your baby hands had saved her life from
fire, that she might live to save yours
from thirst At the time I said little,
but saw the hand of Providence in this,
and 1 determined to wait and see what
came about between you. At the worst,
II nothing came about I soon learned
that could trust you to see her safely
to the coast after was gone. But many
days ago knew how it stood between
you, and now things have come about as
I prayed they might. God bless you
both, my children; may you be happy in
your love; may it endure till death and
beyond 1t. God bless you BOTH" and he
stretched out his hand towards me.
took 1t, and Stella kissed him.
Presently he spoke again:
1T is my intention" he said, 'if you
two consent, to marry you next Sunday.
wish to do so soon, for do not know
now MUCH LONGER Will Dc S11OW6Q 70 me.
believe that such ceremony, solemn
ly celebrated and entered into before
witnesses, will, under The circumstances,
be perfectly legal; but of course you
will repeat it with every formality the
first moment it lies In your power so to
do. And now there is one more thing.
When left England my fortunes were
in a shattered condition; in the course
of years they have recovered themselves;
the accumulated rents, as 1 heard but
recently when the wagons last returned
from Port Natal, harc suficod to pay of
all charges, and there is considerable
balance over. Consequently you will not
marry on nothing, for of course you, Stel-
Ia, are my heiress. ard 1 wish to make a
stipulation. It is this: That so soon as
my death occurs You shall leave this
place and take the first opportunity
returning to England. Go not ask yor
to live there always; it might prove too
uuch for people reared in the wilds,