Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-03-22

M er satisfaction than the
actual results would warrant, Tor
met with but meager success. Men
there were who did now and then find
q diamond that recouped them for
their outlay and hard work, but in
stances were rare. regret to say |
was not one of them, although for
years wrought as a digger, barely
paying my way, full OF hope and
sanguine that sooner or later l
should yank out a stone that would
repay me all and send me on my
homeward way rejoicing.
After about four years ofdiamond-
digging l began to feel somewhat
lonely in my domestic life. Quite I'M
expectedly opportunity served me
Tor lettering my condition in that
respect.
Ifell in love. Stupid people have
asked, "Who on earth could you find
out there to fall in love with?"
My reply has invariably been: III
you could have seen Norah Kildare,
your contempt would have been as
keen as mine for such questions.
People at home here, in England,
never seem to understand that cir
cumstances provide compensation
for all draw backs connected with
them, if we only wait their time.
Circumstances had brought Colonel
Kildare to the banks of the Vaal
River in search of that with which he
could recoup himself for losses in
CURED by injudicious speculation at
home. His was not a lone case; there
were other families-some of them
very good families, two. in all res
pects-otEers in some, but not in all.
At the time / met Norah first of all
she was but eighteen or nineteen
years of age-a splendid specimen OF
! girlhood, tall, of a proud bearing,
though not by any means naughty
"a royal type of blonde; such n
wealth of hair, and eyes too softly
blue" vying with the heavens ceru-
lean tint. A capital horeewoman,
fearless and therefore graceful. Rid
ing the widest of horses, she would
sometimes start off on mad burst
across the veldt, and ride for miles
returning some hours later with the
horse blown but tanned, guided and
controlled with nothing but a thin
switch in her hand.
The reader may smile incredulous.
". Does he think exaggerate! Not
a bit.
/ can assure him, if Norah hadn't
been a. bit different to the rest OF her
sex, she couldn't have stood the life
we led after we were married, forced
as we were, to enter upon what some
folks call more legitimate means ot
accommodating money.
Colonel Kildare-or, as he was 10,
cally known, The Colonel'-and
myself entered into trading part
nership. He was to remain behind
and look after the digging interests
while adventured upon trading
trip to the Zambesi. Norah, against
whose wishes there was no one tC
demur, decided that our marriage
should take place before my depart
ure, in order that, should ] see fit
l may accompany my husband.
The Colonel broke up his establish
ment and went to live at the hote
the very morning | started with thu
wagons-I had two, laden with al
kinds of Kaffir truck, which included
beads, wires, fancy-colored blankets
and mirrors, with which to trade, il
return for skins, ivory and feathers
Norah had been a general favorit'
all along the river; the diggers being
divided into communities, varyin.
in number according with the pros
poets held out by the returns iron
. the different claims. Not one of TIL
camps but Norah had visited on he
sturdy gray mare-generally for tn
purpose of enacting the "ministerint
angels" role.
: Norah on this, to us, eventful morn
, ing held quite levee at the wagons
, and many we're thesouvenirs handed
, her by men who had rallied, unde
her ministration. from the tryin;
fever or the bed where accident hat
laid them prone and helpless, ant
who, in all human probability, wouI'
be separated by unknown distance
{ from the chance of seeing her ugnil
) long ere the time for our return from
the interior.
! After a variety of adventure b.
food and field. we arrived Mt K'gwani
, a native kraal some forty or fit.
miles south OF the river Zambesi. A
this place we remained some tw,