Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-02-08

INV CIOWu VI HALVES
d|H\ usss, wn1ss I.ss sssI ! hay, .S,,
10 determine accurately; they belonged
to the Basutu and peaceful section Of the
Bantu peoples rather than to the Zulu
and warlika Several of these ran up to
take the horses, gazing on us with aston.
ishment, not unmixed with awe. We
dismounted- speaking for myself, moi
without difficulty-indeed, had II NOT
been for Stella's support I should have
fallen.
Snow you must come and see my
father" she said. 81 wonder what he will
think Of It, it is all 80 strange. Hendrika,
take the child to my hut and give her
milk, then put her into my bed; will
come presently"
Hendrika went of with a somewhat
ugly grin to do her mistress bidding,
and Stella led the way through the mar
row gateway in the marble wall, which
may have inclosed nearly half an ''erf," T"
or three-quarters of an acre of ground In
all. 1t was beautifully planted as gar
den, many European vegetables and flow
er were growing in it, besides others
with which I was not acquainted. Pres
emily we came to the center hut, and it
was then that I noticed the extraordinary
beauty and finish of the marble masonry.
In the hut and facing the gateway was
modern door, rather rudely fashioned of
Bucken pont, beautiful reddish wood
that has the appearance Of having been
sedulously pricked with pin. Stella
opened It, and we entered. The interior
Of the hut was the size of Q large and
lofty room, the walls being formed of
plain polished marble. It was lighted
somewhat dimly, but quite effectively,
by peculiar openings in the roof, from
which the rain was excluded by over
hanging caves. The marble floor was
strewn with native mats and skins of
animals. Bookcases filed with books
were placed against the walls, there was
q table in the center, chairs seated with
rimpi or strips of hide stood about, and
beyond the table was a couch on which
man was lying reading.
"Is that you, Stellar" said voice, that
even after SO many years seemed famil-
lar TO me. "Where have you been, my
dear? began to think that you had
lost yourself again."
mo, father, dear, have not lost my
self, but have found somebody else."
At that moment stepped forward so
that the light fell on me. The old gen.
tleman on the couch rose with some
difficulty and bowed with much court
esy. He was fine-looking old man,
with deep-set dark eyes, pale face, that
bore many traces Of physical and mental
suffering, and long white beard.
"Be welcome, sir" he said. "It is
long since we have seen a white face in
these wilds, and yours, if am not mis-
taken, is that Of an Englishman. There
has been no Englishman here for ten
years, and he, grieve to say, was an
outcast flying from justice" and he
bowed again and stretched out his hand.
Hooked at him, and then of sudden
his name flashed back into my mind. /
took his hand.
t Elbow do you do, Mr.. Carsonp' I said.
He started back as though he had been
stung.
"Who told you that name?' he cried.
"It is dead name. Stella, is it you2 I
forbade you to let it pass your lips"
~ did not speak it, father. l have
never spoken it," she answered.
"Sir,"I broke in, "if you will allow
me, will show You how came to know
your name. Do you remember many
years ago coming into the study of
clergyman in Oxfordshire and telling
him that you were going to leave Eng
land for ever?"
He bowed his head.
"And do you remember little boy
who sat upon the hearthrug writing
with q pencilf' --~--+
~ do," he said.
"Sir, was that boy, 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 many ad-
ventures I, 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.
II cannot bear to hear that name.
have forsworn it,"
"Miss Stella found us by chance and
saved our lives"
"By chance, did you say, Allan Quater-
mainr' he answered. "There is little
chance in this; such chances spring from
another will than ours. Welcome, Allan,
son of my old friend. Here we live as it
were in hermitage, with Nature for
our only friend, but such as we have is
yours, and for as long as you will take
1t. But you must be starving, talk no
more. Stella, it is time for food. To
morrow we will talk"
To tell the truth can recall very little
more Of the events of that evening. A
kind of dizzy WEAKNESS overmastered
me. I remember sitting at table next
to Stella, and eating heartily, and then ]
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.
While was wondering what time it was,
q native came bringing some clean
clothes on his arm, and, luxury Of luxu.
ries, produced a bath followed from
wood. rose feeling a very different
man; my strength had come back again
to me. dressed and, following COW
cred passage, found myself in the center
hut. Here the table was set for break.
fast with all manner of good things, such
as had not seen for many a month,
which contemplated with healthy sol.
isfaction. Presently / looked up, and
there before me was more delightful
sight, for standing in one Of the door
ways which led to the sleeping huts was
Stella, leading little Tota by the hand.
She was very simply dressed in loose
blue dress, with wide collar, and girdled
in at the waist by little leather belt.