Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-03-20

"sHE Is DEAD, AND YOU HAVE KILLED
HER
Jnen plunged IL into ner own breast and
fell headlong to the ground.
l sprang over the wall and ran to her.
She was not yet dead. Presently she
opened her eyes, and saw that she mad
ness had gone out Of them.
"AIacumazahn, shs said, speaking in
English and in thick, difficult voice,
like one who half forgot and half remem-
bered, "Macumazahn, / remember now.
I have been mad. Is she really dead,
Macumazahn?"
Eyes, said, she is dead, "and you
killed her"
81 killed herr the dying woman
faltered, and loved her. Yes, yes-I
know now. became brute again and
dragged her to the brutes, and now once
more ! am a woman, and she is dead,
and killed her-because loved her so.
| killed her who saved me from the
brutes. / am not dead yet, Macuma-
zahn. Take me and torture me todeath,
slowly, very slowly. 1t was jealousy of
you that drove me mad, and / have
killed her, and now she never can for
give me-"
"Ask forgiveness from above" / said,
for Hendrika had been a Christian, and
the torment of her remorse touched
me.
II ask no forgiveness, she said.
s'May God torture me forever, because
killed her; may | become a brute for
ever till she comes to find me and for
give mel only want her forgiveness"
And wailing in an anguish of the heart
% strong that her bodily suffering
seemed to be forgotten, Hendrika, the
Baboon-woman, died.
went back to the kraals, and, wax
ing Indaba-zimbi, told him what had
happened, asking him to send some
one to watch the body, as proposed to
give it burial. But next morning II
was gone, and found that the natives,
hearing of the event, had taken the
corpse and thrown it to the vuitures
with every mark of hate. Such, then,
was the end of Hendrika.
A week after Hendricks death left
Bsbyan krasls. The place was hateful
to me now, it was haunted place. /
sent for old Indaba-zimbi and told him
that 1 was going. He answered that it
was we'll. The place has served your
turn" he said; here you have won that
JOY which it was fated you should win,
and have suffered those things which 1t
was fated you should suffer. Yes, and
though you know it not now, the Joy and
the suffering, like the sunshine and
storm, are the same thing. and will rest
at last in the same heaven, the heaven
from which they came. Now go, Ma
cumazahn."
/ asked him If ne was coming with
me.
NO. he answered, 'our paths lie
apart henceforth, Macumazahn. We met
together for certain ends. Those ends
are fulfilled. Now each one goes his
own way. You have still many
years before you, Macumazahn; my years
are few. When we shake hands here it
will be for the last time. Perhaps we
may meet again, but it will not be in
this world. Henceforth we have each of
us friend the less"
Heavy words, said.
True words" he answered.
Well, have little heart to write OF
the rest of it. went, leaving Indaba-
zimbi in charge of the place, and max
ing him a present of such cattle and
goods as did not want
Tota /, of course, took with me- Fort
unately by this time she had almost re-
covered the shock to her nerves. The
baby Harry, as he was afterwards
named, was fine, healthy child, and /
was lucky in getting respectable ma
killed in the fight with the balloons, to
accompany me as his nurse.
Slowly, and followed for distance by
all the people, trekked away from
Babyan kraals. My route towards
Natal was along the edge Of the Bad
Lands, and my first nights outspan was
beneath that very tree where Stella, my
lost wife, had found US as We lay dying
of thirst.
/ did not sleep much that night And
jet was glad that had not died in the
desert about eleven months before. /
felt then, as from year to year | have
continued to feel while | wander
through the lonely wilderness of hfe,
that had been preserved to an end. /
had won my darling's love. and for lit
tie while we had been happy together.
Our happiness was too perfect to endure.
She i lost to me now, but she is lost TO
be found again.
Here on the following morning babe
farewell to Indilba-zimbi.
Goodbye, Macumazahn. he said. |
nodding his white lock at me. Good |