Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-03-21
The Strange Story
OF
ALLAN QUATERMA|N'S WIFE.
A NEW AFRICAN ROMANCE.
BY Il. RIDER HAGGARD.
CHlprER I


written of her fully elsewhere.
When his death was known his papers
were handed to myself as his literary ex-
ecutor. Among them | found two manu-
scripts, of which the following is one.
The other is simply a record of events in
which Mr. Quatermain was not PERSONAL
ly concerned-a Zulu novel, the story of
which was told to him by the hero many
years after the tragedy had occurred.
But with this we have nothing to do at
present.
have often thought (Mr. Quatermain's
manuscript begins) that | would set down
on paper the events connected with my
marriage, and the loss of my most dear
wife Many years have now passed since
that event and to some extent time has
softened the old grief, though Heaven
knows it is still keen enough. On two or
three occasions | have even begun the
record. Once | gave it up because the
writing of it depressed me beyond bear
ing once because / was suddenly called
away upon a journey, and the third time
because Kaffir boy found my manu-
script convenient for lighting the kitchen
fire.
But now that / am at leisure here in En-
gland, | will make a fourth attempt. If
succeed, the story may serve to interest
some one in after years when l am dead
and gone. 1t is a wild tale enough, and
suggests some curious reflections.
am the son of a missionary. My father
was originally curate in charge of a small
parish in OXfordshire. He had already
been some years married to my dear moth
er when he went there, and he had four
children, Of whom | was the youngest.
remember family the place where we
lived. 1t was au ancient long gray house,
facing the road. There was very large
tree Of some sort in the garden. It was
hollow, and we children used to play
about inside of it, and knock knots of
wood from the rough bark. We all slept
In kind of attic, and my mother ALWAYS
came up and kissed us when we were in
bed. l used to wake up ard see her bend
ing over me, a candle in her hand. There
was a curious kind of pole projecting
from the wall over my bed. Once [ was
dreadfuIly frightened because my eldest
brother made me hang to it by my hands
That is all | remember about our old
home. 1t has been pulled down long ago,
or would journey there to see it.
A little further down the road was a
large house with big iron gates to IT, and
on the top of the gate pillars sat two stone
lions, which were 50 hideOus that / was
afraid of them. One could see the house
by pceping through the bars of the gates.
vow bad'ca ronnd #. Int -, 3D., .,I,,,,' ,['n'
tip,a com. fo,,,o,, ,,,e,, ,.,,,,,3 II,
in the grass plat. This house WINS c,IIad
the Hall and Suuira C,rsop Iiv.d tLor,
One Christmas-it musf have bno, tho
Christmas before NV rotbcr arpiyr,toJ
or should not remember i've cbildren
went TO a Christmas tra. nj tho I'm
There was a great party there and foot
men wearing red wnistcoats stood ,t the
door In the diuiug-room. which WAS
pauelled with black oak. WIS TIE Christ
mas-tree. Squire Carson stood in front of
it. He was tall, dark mau, very auiet
in his manners. aud he wore a bunch Of
seals ON his waistcoat. We used to think
him old, but as a matter of fact he was
then not more than forty He had been.
rs afterwards learned, a great traveller
in his youth, but some six ar seven wears
hcfnrn 'tl,is ,,tn b,d r,ot.ricd , l,d,. Who
,,r,a half =, ..,,,i,,J , ,,.,,,ist r,. r,,,or
r,IIrd bar r,r rnn,c,,hcr hon. ,,nII
She was small and very nr,.ttv with -
rounded figure, LARGE black eyes and ,rIit-
tcrfur teeth. She smoke EurIish with =
curinIIs accent sununsr that nus+
buvr been a funny child 10 look ot and 7
know that mv hair stood up ON my head
then as il does now, for | stHI have a
sketch of myself that NJ. mother made of
mo 8, ,,,,;,,, .,,i. .,.,I;..,.,- ., o+,.,,,,,,,
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Sba reached II dawn from. oranftb tho Io,var
bou,rhs. of t,n fro, and bordad II IN mo
saving
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Inn, Az O,,+a,.,,,,;,, y
Assbn ,IiI sn hs,. sIao,-, ,,-t,f,,t, ,,-o, nov
cred with cotton wool sr,p,rI,1 ,,,-o,. ,,itI,
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fo,,,.s ba,,T ,,,+ - 49,, -.
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10 "S','' "''" ~ "se' CoHSi"e!lnS NV
be.fin NJ tSn f,r nv, 's C'l', "m
rnIIy snccaeJai II, ovtipr,,,i.bin,r - h,rcra
n ,.s,Il, ,r,t hoId Nv. ,,-.ists ,,,-r 81, had
IL burned tb.t tha, nd +, ta ,,-r.,,,,,,I nm,
IN wool f,,. -, Ior,, tir,c ,fto,.,rorIs bT+
With tho ex,aDti,,n of -, sin,rI, b,,,.r ma,
bcr fhroat litfIe StoIIa Carson ,ros not
n,ncb brrt
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