Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

gone through a wearying and exciting day.
were Of course, with Thomas. How had he
had helped him? Where was he now
Could he get safely out Of the country. or
would he be reeaptured and dragged ig,,
fears tormented her.
"M Mn Il was low whisper borne
feet. listening intently.
Then she heard a footstep outside the
window. II was soft and stealthy. but she
Wrapping cloak closely round her she
Softiy opened the door and stepped outside
For e moment she was inclined to think
false. but the next Instant both her hands
were ere srasped In a tight clasp.
'1 sY Il s; It L you'"
"Oh! why did you Gomez" she cried in
risk? Go! Oh. go at oncer' 'D'A Terrible
am going instantly; but 1 could not go
tranI ! had seen you once more. Do not
one dreams that am still here"
How did you escape? Who helped your
"A man who is almost a stranger. and on
waiting with horses in the next street now
We shall travel through the night. and in
the morning he will conceal me in the
go on again. He has provided me a dis
sTise and given me money. He planned it
who is her"
He is-but, no. I will not tell you. You
may be questioned. and what you do not
know you cannot tell"
haps you had better not tell me that. for
III Il could o., not ten you if would. my sar,
run away, Minnie, but I could not face
death on the scaffold."
Minnie shuddered.
Thank God you are free. Thomas. from
that danger. They could not have taken
your life. for the president has ordered q
computation .gnS Of your sentence"
who hf As asked him to"
brave darling. But now must CO. "
Yes 60; there is danger in every mo-
ment that you linger here. Good bye. Tho
Good bye! May heaven bless you and
keep you. my darling" And, with a loving
embrace, they separated.
would they ever meet again on this
earth? 1t seemed very improbable.
GARRISON went out into dark night and
into darker future. Minnie was left
alone-alone in great misery.
CHAPTER Won THE BANKS OF THE
VAAL.
The blazing sun Of December noon cast
its fierce rays on the dry diamond dig
gings at Hebron. on the broad sluggish Vaal
on the rough red and brown Kopjes with
their glaring gravel heaps. and on the
square shallow claims where the digger
gaZed eagerly over his sleeves. In claim
at the bottom of the Natal Kopje was a
young man. He was not sorting or digging,
nor In fact, doing work Of any kind. He
was sitting idly on a huge rock, his elbows
on the edge of his gravitating .ub his chin
resting on his hands. Do you know him?
Do you recognize the tall slight figure, the
fa he x,n6
with such weird, dark. far-away look in
them? You have met him before. Once,
wandering through the streets of Johannes
burg. hungry. friendiess. penniiess. OR ce
again you saw him in the crowded court
house. and heard him sentenced TO death.
YOU heard him. too; reader. in the mid
what seemed to be a tender final farewell.
You know him, for he Is Thomas Ciarkson.
1t is year and half since all that
happened. and he has been at the Hebron
dlsgings ever since. Christmas Eve Is 1T
hand. and he is thinking of the past with
a dull aching pain at his heart pain
to be ut first. for the shame and hopeless
ness have become familiar to him now
grown to be part OF himself. lonely.
dreary life he has lived at Hebron-an ex-
istence bereft Of every Joy, hope and cheer
to day. not in the hope Of finding a fortune;
for OF what use was money to him now?
He was disgraced-his name a scorn and a
know him in former days. 1t WAS well he
did not wish for wealth, for. like the other
diggers. he found but few stones and those
for months and only found what was
barely surficient to pay for his coarse food
and the rough clothes he wore
A week before, however. greatly to his
surprise. he had found In his baby sieve
a large and beautiful diamond 1t was a
brilliant of the first water-a stone which
would have meant fortune to any other
digger. But to him II was useless. He
could not sell Il; for reports of its beauty
and value would sure to be spread and the
finder would become person Of conse-
quence and concern. He dared not risk
being thus talked about. So he put 1t away
Strange and stern necessity. but in
human life there is no contending with ne
cessity. and We should be very tender how
We censure those who submit to II. 1t Is
one thing to be at liberty to do what We
will. and another to be tied DIP to do what
Alas, what had he to do with Christmas
and its associations? He had written once
to Minnie and to his mother telling them
that he was well and safe. but giving them
no hint to his whereabouts.
Was Minnie thinking of him that day, he
wondered. Was his mother praying for her
ruined son as she did in the old days?
Clarkson left his claim and walked away
to his little lonely, dusty tent and. throw
Ing himself down on a heap OF rugs and
sheepskins that served him for bed he
covered his eyes with his hands. as IL to
shut out the memory of those faces that 50
often haunted his waking hours ami his
sleeping dreams. He gave way to a mighty
grief.
Presently Clarkson was aroused by
tap at the tent pole.
May I come in?" asked a voice. and
without waiting for a reply a tall man, car
rying a sieve in one hand and q roll Of
newspapers in the other. entered.
Not well?' he inquired, CHANGING at the
bed.
Yes. I'm well enough" Thomas answer
ed, YEARLY.
''Oh! Taking holiday because its Christ
mas Eve. suppose. I've knocked off
come to ask you to come along with US to-
morrow II you've nothing better to do"
Where are you going?"
MY wife and l are going for bit of
picnic. to give the youngsters a treat, you
Know, and We want you to come along.
cannot promise you anything grand" he
added with a laugh, but 1t will be better
than moping here alone all day. Will you
come"
Il don't think So Thank you, Mr.. Rock;
m FOND Of moping, you know; and should
only spoil the children's pleasure If l took
my gloomy face among them"
THAT'S all nonsense. The youngsters
Will be disappoin ted II you don't come.
They think there is no one like you"
But Siarkson still persisted in his refusal.
Well if you won't you won't, 1 sup
pose. / won't press you to come against
looking rather vexed. He returned In a few
minutes and threw a roll of newspapers on
the bed.
'"They are a week. old Roch cold sshut