Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-01-16
THE STRANGE STORY
 or Allan Quatermain' Wife
BH ". EIprE EAGGAKD,


 Carson dozing on the couch. The night was warm and lovely, and without speaking we walked up tho garden to the orange grove and sat down there upon rock. There was a little breeze which shook tho petals of the orange bloom over us in showers, and bore their delicate fragrance far and wide. Silence reigned around, broken only by the sound of the falling waterfalls that now died to faint murmur, and now, as the wavering breeze turned, boomed loudly in our ears. The moon was not yet vis- ible, but already the dark clouds that foated through the sky above us-for there had been rail,-showed a glow of silver, telling us thatshe shone brightly behind the peak. Stella began to talk in her low, gentle voice, telling me of her life in the wilderness, how she had grown to love it, how her mind had gone on from idea to idea, and how she pict- ured the great rushing world that she had never seen as 1t was reflected to her from the books which she had read. It was curious vision of life that she had; things were out of proportion in it; it was moro like a dream than reality a mirage than the actual face of things. The idea of great cities, and especially of London, had kind of fascination for her; she could scarcely realize tho rush, the roar and hurry, the hard crowds of men and women, strangers each to each, feverishly seeking for wealth and pleas ure beneath a murky sky, and treading one another down in the fury of their competition.
 "What is it all for?" she asked, earnestly. What do they seek? Hav- ing so few years to live, why do they waste them thus?"
 I told her that in the ma iority of in stances it was actual hard necessity that drove them on, but she could scarcely realize 1t. Living as she had done in the midst of tho teeming plenty of the fruitful earth, she did not seem to understand that there arc millions who from day to day know not how to stay their hunger.
 'I never want to go there," she went on. II should be bewildered and fright ened to death. It is not natural to live like that. God put Adam and Eve in a garden, and that is how He meant their children to livc-in peace, and looking always on beautiful things. This is my idea of perfect life I want no other."
 II thought that you once told me that you found 1t lonely," l said.
 ''So 1 did," she answered, innocently, but that was before you came. Now am not lonely any more, and it is per- fect-perfect as the night
 Just then the full moon arose above the elbow of the peak, and her rays stole far and wide down the misty valley r1ao ,irr fIn To hr0o1irr ho plain, searching out the hidden places of the rocks, wrapping the fair form of nature as in silver bridal vail through which her beauty shone mysteriously.
 Stella looked down the terraced val ley; she turned and looked up at the scared face of the golden moon, and then she looked at mo. The beauty of tho night was about her face, the scent of the night was on her hair, the mys- tery of the night shone in her shadowed eyes. Sho looked at me, looked at her, and all our hearts love blossomed with in us. We spoke no word-we had no words to speak, but slowly we drew near, till lips were pressed to lips as we kissed our eternal troth.
 It was she who broko that holy si- lence, speaking in a changed voice, in soft deep notes that thrilled me like the lowest chords of a smitten harp.
 "Ah, now l understand" she said. 'Now I know why we are lonely, and how we can lose our loneliness. Now know what 4O Is that stirs us in the beauty of the sky, in the sound of water and in the scent of flowers. It is love that speaks in every thing, buy till We hear his voice me understand nothing. But when we hear, then the riddle Is answered, and the gates of our heart arc opened, and, Allan, we see the way that Wends through death to Heaven, and is lost in the glory of which our love Is but a shadow.
 "Let us go in, Allan. Let us go be. fore the spell breaks, so that whateYeg comes to us. sorrow, death or separa- tions we may always have this perfect memory to save us."
 1 rose like a man in a dream, still holding her by the hand. But as rose my eye fell upon something that gleamed white among the foliage of the orange bush by my side. Isaid nothing, i but looked. The breeze stirred the or ange leaves, the moonlight struck for @ , moment full upon the white object
 It was the face of Hendrika, the bab yan-woman, as Indaba-zimbi had called her, and on it was glare of hate rha, made me shudder.
 I said nothing; the face vanished, and just then heard a baboon bark in the rocks behind.
 Then we went down the garden, and Stella passed into tho center hut. I Saw Hendrika standing in the shadow neal the door, and went up to her.
 "Hendrika," I said, "why were yor watching Miss Stella and myself in the garden?'
 She drew her lips up till her teetl gleamed in the moonlight.
 "Have I not watched her these man. years, Macumazahn? Shall l cease t: watch her because wandering Whit' man comes to steal her? Why were yo' kissing her in the garden, Macuma zahn? How dare you kiss her who is starr"