Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-18

| ally got at the root of the disease which
[ bothered him. After all, Rowe might
have been misnformed, and ut any rate
the will had no binding weight upon
him; there was something else, and it
| was very soon borne in upon him that
the real cause of his misery WAS Mary
! Rath.
When Dalston and his men returned
from Kopje Aileen, the young lleuten-
ant was full of enthusiasm about the
rare and radiant maiden he had dis
covered in an out of the way corner.
by the way, Blaine, she was inter-
ested in you, but, lor' bless you, man,
you need not hatter yourself-she Is just
| as genuinely concerned about everyone
| of US, from the captain downwards.
Cad, Blaine. you should have seen Dali
s;on, he glowered upon US like Othello.
BetwiX you, me and the tent pole he has
left his heart at Kopje Alleen. and a
mighty gloom YDent house OF shady me-
mories il is.
Not going, are you. say it would
he an Internal shame il that black
proved individual won Dinna-dash me,
If would not enter the lists against him
If were marrying man. i say. Blaine.
take up the running, you re good look
Ing enough fellow, don 't-cher-know, il
you d only drop that dashed melancholy,
greenery, yel!ery look that's come over
you lately
Blaine put himself out of the range OF
that Gathering tongue and looked more
gloomy and melancholy than before.
"I'll get leave and visit her, - he
muttered finally, and went straight oil
o-the colonel's tent.
eyes, go, but be back in four days
time, rs there be some fighting atoot.
l am tired of this sitting down behind
mud walls You had better take couple
Of men with you, and keep along the
line of forts
In another hour Captain Blaine, feel
ing like his own gay self again, was
galloping away with Basuto Dick behind
him.
"Huilo, Blane's in harness again, -
said Dalston. "What duty is he on, do
you kuow''
"Duty,' SAID the young lieutenant,
ready TO tease the unpopular captain;
"wby he's on leave. Going to Kopje
Alleen. Believe he means to propose.
Knew her before, you know
Dulston looked black at his tornentor,
then strobe away TO some point where
he could watch Blaine out of sight. He
lnpuIleu HIS uOTst tuti IN lIic dNO"cu
intention of inspecting the outlayins
pickets, but when he reached the fur
therest point, lie tracked Blaine for an
hour through his field glass.
''He has left the rond and shaped for
KoI ie Alleen, D." he muttered. 81 will
be here Tomorrow too, ana let him be-
ware how he crosses me. ~
CHAPTER Xv.-TuE PHOTOGRAPHS.
When Capt. Blaine and the Basuito
left the beaten track and branched off to
Mss Rath S homestead. they climbed a
sharp ridge, which runs along the north
ern boundary of Iululand. A few miles
10 the north stood out kopje Alleen with
the white walls of the farmhouse gleam-
ing near il in the sun, while to the south
they glanced back over the rolling sun
scared, water-worn plain, to another
ridge out of which doomed the square
mount, so full of painful memories TO
Blaine.
"Well,' murmured the young officer
turning his back upon the mountain and
looking down upon the little white house,
al ain leaving the darker side behind
and entering on IL new, and l hope
brighter path.
AS he spoke there flashed out suddenly
q brilliant ball OF light from the rocky
summit of kopje Alleen. A moment it
cleaned like planet from a dark sky,
something marvellous, aud then van
ished.
.'Yoh," exclaimed the Bnsuto. "Did
baas see, wot was it. -
"A star OF hope, said Blaine, with a
smile at the suddenness with which the
strange beam had answered his train of
thought.
Joip ~ fyar-
of fact Dick, 'no sir, dat an spirit eye.
Spook, dots So
cit is Il friendly spook anyway and
Blaine headed his horse down q steep in
cline.
As he approached the lonely house he
noticed the smoke curling up in u thin,
blue line from the chimney, and marked
signs about (in the stack of fuel in the
wicker cage filled with maize cots, in the
barricadiDg of the windows and protec-
ton of doors by walls of sods y of the
presence of some active spirit. He
looked sharply around then for other
and more evident traces of this person,
whom he AT once put down as Rowe, but
could see none.
Dick had no eye but for the grim peak
of stone, at which he glanced half-tim-
IDLY, Us though expecting to see that
strange light flame out and perhaps
scorch him up.
Blaine dismounted. and with an eager
but somewb bat confident look on his face.
went up 10 the door, the upper half of
which, nfter the manner of farmhouse
doors, was open, swinging on its own
hinges independent of the lower half.
He knocked, but without reply, and
looking In saw that the room was empty.
As he turned away disappointed
murmur of voices from the brook reach
ed hin-and thither he went-pausing
when near to drink in the scene he had
CHANGED upon.
Beneath the shelter OF n dropping will
low, where long, tremuious, whip-like
twigs, with spear-shaped Leaves, swayed'
10 the ground softly as n woman g hair.
Within the grateful shade ot this canopy
OF green were group of three MIR Rath,
the central figure, sat on low chair,
his left arm bound up in splints, but his
fine, old face, calm and restful as the
surface of the pool at his feet. Paia
lounged on the brink of the pool. weav-
ing long PUSHES into plaits, with nimble
fingers, while Mary stood leaning against
the stem of the tree, with one hand
gently laid on her fathers shoulder and
hrar