Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-03-20

river and will be one water there. They
will go up into the clouds again in the
mists of morning, and there will again
be as they have been. We are the drops
OF rain, Macumazahn. When we fall
that is our life. When we sink into the
ground that is death, and when we are
drawn up again to the sky, what is that,
Macumazahn? No! no! when we find we
lose, and when we seem to lose then we
shall really find. am not Christian,
Macumazahn, but I am old and have
watched and seen things that perhaps
Christians do not sec. There, 1 have
spoken. Be happy with your star, and
if it sets, wait, Macumazahn, wait till it
rises again. 1t will not be long; one
day you will go to sleep, then your eyes
will open on another sky, and there your
star will be shining, Macumazahn."
made no answer at the time. could
not bear to talk Of such thing. But
often and often in the after years 1 have
thought of Indaba-zimbi and his beau
tiful smile and gathered comfort from
1t. He was strange man, this old rain
making savage, and there was more wis
dom in him than in many learned athe-
ists-those spiritual destroyers who, in
the name OF progress and humanity,
would divorce hope from life, and leave
US wandering in lonesome, self-conse-
Grated hell.
"Indaba-zimbi," sid, changing the
subject, 81 have something to say"
and told him of the threats Of Hen
drika.
He listened with an unmoved face,
nodding his white lock at intervals as the
narrative went on. But saw that he
was disturbed by it.
"Macumazahn," he said at length, ST
have told you this is an evil woman.
She was nourished on baboon milk, and
the baboon nature is in her veins. Such
creatures should be killed, not kept.
She will make you mischief if she
can. But 1 will watch her, Macuma-
zahn. Look, the Star is waiting for you;
go, or she will hate me as Hendrika
hates you"
So Invent, nothing loath, for attractive
as was the wisdom of Indaba-zimbi,
found deeper meaning in Stella's sim
plest word. All the rest of that day
passed in her company, and the greater
part Of the two following days. AT last
came Saturday night, the eve of our
marriage. 1t rained that night, so we
did not go out, but spent the evening in
the hut. We sat hand in hand, saying
little, but Mr.. Carson talked a good deal,
telling US tales of his youth and of coun-
tries that he had visited. Then he read
aloud from the Bible and babe US good
night. 1 also kissed Stella and went to
bed. reached my hut by the covered
way, and before 1 undressed opened the
door to see what the night was like. 1t
was very dark, and rain was still falling,
but as the light streamed out into the
gloom fancied that caught sight Of
a dusly form gliding away. The
thought of Hendrika flashed into
my mind; could she be skulking
about outside there2 Now, I had said
nothing of Hendrika and her threats
either to Mr.. Carson or Stella, be-
cause did not wish to alarm them.
Also I knew that Stella was attached to
this strange person, and 1 did not wish
TO shake her confidence in her unless 1t
was absolutely necessary. For q min
ute or two I stood hesitsting, then, re-
hecting that If it was Hendriks out
there, there she should stop, went In
and put up the stout wooden bar that
was used to ecure the door. For the
last few nights old Indsba-zimbi had
made habit Of sleeping in the covered
passage, which was the only other pos
sibie way of access. As came to bed 1
stepped over him rolled up in his
blanket and to all appearances fast
asleep. So it being evident that 1 had
nothing to fear, promptly dismissed
the matter from my mind, which, as may
be imagined, was indeed fully occupied
with other matters.
1 got into bed, and for awhile Law
awake thinking of the great happiness
IN store Tor me, and of the providential
course OF events that had brought it
Within my reach. A few weeks since
ana was wandering in the desert a dy-
ing man, bearing a dying child, and
with scarcely possession left in the
H1<lo excert sture Of buried irurY