Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-03-13
CONTINUED trom Last Week.
THE STRANGE STORY
OF
Allan Quatermain'S Wife
By III. RIDER HAGGARD,
AUTHOR OF "SuE," "KING SoLoMoN'l
MIXES" "JEss," CLEO
PATRA," Ere.
A NEW AFRICAN ROMANCE.

''Sir, am that bog. and my name is
Allan Quatermain. Those children who
lay sick are all dead, their mother is
dead, and my father, your old friend, is
dead also. Like you, he emigrated, and
last year he died in the Cape. But this
is not all the story. After my advent
ures !, one Kaffir and little girl, lay
senseless and dying in the bad lands
where we had wandered for days with
out water, and there we SHOULD have
persisted but your daughter, Miss
Call her Stella he broke in, hastily.
az can not bear to hear that name I
have forsworn It."
Miss Stella found US by chance and
saved our lives"
by chance, did you say, Allan Qua
termain?" he answered. There Is lit
tie chance in this; such chances spring
from another will than ours. Welcome,
Allan, son of my old friend. Here we
live as 1t were in hermitage, with nature
for our only friend, but such as we have
is yours, and for as long as you will
take it. But you must be starving, talk
no more. Stella, it Is time for food
Tomorrow we will talk"
To tell the truth can recall very lit
tie more of the events of that evening.
A kind of dizzy WEAKNESS overmastered
me. remember sitting at table next
to Stella, and eating heartily, and then
l remember nothing more.
awoke to find myself lying on COM
Portable bed in hut built and fashioned
on the same model as the center one.
When was wondering what time it was,
g native came bringing some clean
clothes on his arm, and, luxury of lux
uries, produced a bath followed from
wood.
1 rose, feeling a very different man,
my strength had come back again to me;
dressed, and following a covered pas
sage found myself in the center hut
Here tho table was set for breakfast
with all manner of good things, such as
I had not seen for many a month, which
contemplated with healthy satisfac-
ton. Presently looked up, and there
before me was more delightful sight,
for standing in one OF the doorways
which led to the sleeping huts was
Stella, leading little Tota by the hand
She was very simply dressed in a loose
blue dress, with wide collar, and Cir
died in at the waist by little leather
belt In the bosom of her robe was q
bunch of orange blooms, and her rip
ping hair was tied in single knot be-
hind her shapely head. She greeted me
with smile, asking me how had slept,
and then held Tota up flr me to kiss
Under her loving care the child had
been quite transformed. SIC was neatly
dressed in a garment of the same blue
stuff that Stella wore, her fair hair was
brushed; indeed, had it not been for the
sunblisters on her face and hands one
would scarcely have believed that this
was the same child whom Indaba-zimbi
and had dragged for hour after hour
through the burning, waterless desert.
we must breakfast alone, Mr.. Allan, 4"
she said; my father is so upset by your
arrival that he will not get up yet. Oh,
you can not tell how thankful l am that
you have come. have been so anxious
about him Of late. He grows weaker
and weaker; it seems to me as though
the strength were ebbing away from
him. Now he scarcely leaves the kraal;
have to manage every thing about the
farm, and he does nothing but read and
think"
just then Hendrika entered, bearing a
Jug Of coffee in one hand and of milk
in the other. which she sat down under
the table, casting look of little love at
me Is she did so.
"Be careful, Hendrika; you are SPILL
Ing the coffee, said Stella. Don't you
wonder how we come to have coffee
here. Mr.. Allanq 1 viii tell you've
grow it That was my idea Oh, have
lcts Of things to show you. You don't