The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1890-04-26
clouds that floated through The sky
above us-for there had been rain
showed a glow of silver, telling us that
sha chopo hrirht1v t,o1,;,,d 4 %l,o ,,a,l.

she shone brightly behind the peak.
Stella began to talk in her low, gentle
voice, telling me of her life in the will.
derness, how she had grown to love it,
how her mind had gone on from idea to
idea, and how she pictured the great
rushing world that she had never seen
as it was reflected to her from the books
which she had read. 1t was curious
vision of life that she had; things were
out of proportion in it; it was more like
a dream than reality-a mirage than
the actual face of things. The idea of
great cities, and especially of London,
had a kind of fascination for her; she
could scarcely realize the rush, the roar
and hurry, the hard crowds of men and
women, strangers each to each, fever.
ishly seeking for wealth and pleasure
beneath murky sky, and treading one
another down in the fury of competition.
"What is it all for?" she asked, earn
estly. "What do they seek? Having SO
few years to live, why do they waste
them thus?"
i told her that in the majority of in.
stances it was actual hard necessity that
drove them on, but she could scarcely
realize it. Living as sho had done, in
the midst of the teeming plenty of the
fruitful earth, she did not seem to under.
stand that there are millions who from
day to day know not how to stay their
hunger.
81 never want to go there" she went
Oh. II should be bewildered and fright
ened to death. 1t is not natural to live
like that. God put Adam and Eve in a
garden, and that is how he meant their
children to live-in peace, and looking
always on beautiful things. This is my
idea Of perfect life. want no other"
II thought that you once told me that
you found it lonely" l said.
$50 I did," she answered innocently,
"but that was before you came Now i
am not lonely any more, and it is per-
fect-perfect as the night"
Just then the full moon rose above the
elbow Of the peak, and her rays stole far
and wide down the misty valley, gleam-
ing on the water, brooding on the plain,
searching out the hidden places of the
rocks, wrapping the fair form of nature
as in silver bridal veil through which
her beauty shone mysteriously.-
Stella looked down the terraced valley:
she turned and looked up at the Scared
face of the golden moon, and then she
looked at me. The beauty of the night
was about her face, the scent of the night
was on her hair, the mystery of the night
shone in her shadowed eyes. She looked
at me, looked at her, and all our hearts
love blossomed within us. We spoke no
word-we had no words to speak, but
slowly we drew near, till lips were
pressed to lips as we kissed our eternal
troth.
1t was she who broke that holy silence,
speaking in changed voice, in soft deep
notes that thrilled me like the lowest
chords of smitten harp.
''Ah, now / understand" she said,
"now know why we are lonely, and
how we can lose our loneliness. Now
know whatit is that stirs us in the beauty
of the sky, in the sound of water and in
the scent of flowers. 1t is love that
speaks in everything, but till we hear his
voice we understand nothing. But when
we hear then the riddle Is answered and
the gates Of our heart are opened, and,
Allan, we see the way that wends through
death to heaven, and is lost in the glory
of which our love is but shadow.
"Let us 60 in, Allan. Let us 20 before
the spell breaks, 80 that whatever comes
to us, sorrow, death or separation, we
may always have this perfect memory to
save u.s."
I rose like man in dream, still hold
ing her by the hand. But as rose my
eyes fell upon something that cleaned
white among the foliage of the orange
bush at my side. l said nothing, but
looked. The breeze stirred the orange
leaves, the moonlight struck for mo
ment full upon the white object.
1t was the face of Hendrika, the babyan
woman, as Indaba-zimbi had called her,
and on it was glare of hate that made
me shudder.
l said nothing; the face vanished, and
just then heard baboon bark in the
rocks behind.
Then we went down the garden. and
Stella passed into the center hut. saw
Hendrika standing in the shadow near
the door and went up to her.
"Hendrika," I said. "why were you
watching Miss Stella and myself in the
garden?"
She drew her lips up till her teeth
cleaned in the moonlight.
"Havc not watched her these many
years, Macumazahn? Shall I cease tc
watch her because wandering white
man comes to steal her? Why were you
kissing her in the garden. Macumazahni
How dare you kiss her who is starr"
II kissed her because love her, and
because she loves me-" l answered.
"What has that to do with you, Hen.
drika?"
because you love her," she hissed in
answer, "and do not love her also, who
saved me from the babyans? am a
woman as she is, and you are man, and
they say in the kraals that men love
women better than women love women.
But it is a lie, though this is true, that il
a woman loves a man she forgets all
other love. Have I not seen it? Igathe1
her fowers-beautifu flowers; climt
the rocks where you would never dare tc
go to find them; you pluck piece Of
orange bloom in the garden and give ii
her. What does she do? She takes the
orange bloom, she puts it in her breast.
and lets my flowers die. I call to her
she does not hear me-she is thinking.
You whisper to some one far away, and
she hears and smiles. She used to kiss
me sometimes; now she kisses that white
brat you brought, because you brought
it. Oh, see it all-all: l have seen it
from the first; you are stealing her from
us, stealing her to yourself, and those
who loved her before you came are for
gotten. Be careful, Macumazahn, be
careful. lest am revenged upon you.
You, you hate me; you think me half a
monkey; that servant of yours calls me
baboon woman. Well, have lived with
balloons, and they are clever-yes, they
can play tricks and know things you
don't, and am cleverer than they, for