Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1890-02-22


guish of mind, and the terror that she
had endured during that dreadful night,
combined with her delicate state of
health, had completely broken her down.
To make matters worse also, she was
taken with an attack Of fever, contracted
no doubt in the unhealthy atmosphere of
| that accursed valley. In time she shook
the fever off, but it left her dreadfully
weak, and quite unfit to face the trial
before her.
think she knew she was going to die;
she always spoke of my future, never of
our future. 1t is impossible for me to
tell how sweet she was; how gentle, how
patient and resigned. Nor, indeed, do I
| wish to tell it, it is too sad. But this I
viii say: believe that, if ever woman
drew near to perfection while yet living
on the earth, Stella Quatermain did so.
The fatal hour drew on. My boy
Harry was born, and his mother lived to
kiss and bless him. Then she sank. We
did what we could, but we had little
skill, and might not hold her back from
death. All Though one weary night
watched her with breaking heart.
The dawn came, the sun rose in the
east. His rays falling on the peak be-
hind were reflected in glory upon the
bosom of the western sky. Stella awoke
from her swoon and saw the light. She
whispered to me to open the door of the
hut. did so, and she fixed her dying
eyes on the splendor Of the morning sky.
She looked ON me and smiled as an angel
might smile. Then with last effort she
lifted her hand, and, pointing to the
| radiant heavens, whispered:
"There, Allan, therei'
1t was done, and / was broken hearted,
and broken hearted must wander till
| the end. Those who have endured my
! loss will know my sorrow; it cannot be
written. In such peace and at such an
hour may also die!
Yes, it is a sad story, bat wander
where we will about the world we can
never go beyond the sound of the pass
| ing bell. For me, as for my father be-
| fore me, and for the millions who have
been and who shall be, there is but one
word Of comfort. "The Lord hath
given, and the Lord hath taken away"
Let us, then, bow our heads In hope, and
add with humble heart, "Blessed be
| the name of the Lord"
/ buried her by her fathers side, and
the weeping of the people who had loved
her went up to heaven. Even Indaba-
| zimbi wept.
On the second night from her burial I
| could not sleep. rose, dressed myself,
| and went out into the night. The moon
was shining brightly, and by Its rays I
shaped my course towards the graveyard.
| / drew near silently, and as / came I
| thought that heard sound of moan
ing ON the further side of the wall. I
looked over it. Crouched by Stella's
grave, and tearing at its sods with her
hands, as though she would unearth
| that which lay within, was Hendrika.
| Her face was wild and haggard; her
| form was so emaciated that, when the
pelts she wore slipped aside, the Shout
| der blades seemed to project almost
through her skin. Suddenly she looked
up and saw me. Laughing a dreadful
| maniac laugh, she put her hand to her
| girdle and drew her great knife from 1t.
Il \ bhO0Ehb Shde oLAC wac <bDO0o w dbS<AS6
me, and prepared to defend myself as
best could, for was unarmed. But she
made no effort to do so. Lifting the
knife on high, for moment she held it
| glittering in the moonlight, then plunged
it into her own breast, and fell headlong
| to the ground.
sprang over the wall and ran to her.
She was not yet dead. Presently she
opened her eyes, and I saw that the mad
ness had gone out of them.
| "Macumazahn," she said, speaking in
English and in a thick difficult voice
like one who half forgot and half remem-
bered - "Maoumazahn, remember
now. have been mad. Is she really
| dead, Macumazahn?"
| eyes," said, "she is dead, and you
| killed her."
81 killed herr the dying woman fall
4 tered, land loved her. Yes, yes-I
I know now. / became brute again and
| dragged her to the brutes, and now once
| more 1 am woman, and she is dead,
| and l killed her-because loved her SO.
l killed her who saved me from the
brutes. am not dead yet, Macu-
| maZahn. Take me and torture me to
| death, slowly, very slowly. TWAS jeal-
ousy of you that drove me mad, and I
have killed her, and now she never can
forgive me-"
"Ask forgiveness from above" said,
For Hendrika had been Christian, and
the torment of her remorse touched me.
81 ask no forgiveness" she said. "May
God torture me for ever, because killed
her; may become a brute forever till
she comes to find me and forgives mel l
only want her forgiveness" And wall
| ing in an anguish of the heart so strong
that her bodily suffering seemed to be
forgotten, Hendrika, the baboon woman,
died.
went back to the kraals, and, waking
IDdaba-zimbi, told him what had hap
pened, asking him to send some one to
= Il \ y