The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-31

Z rose, ne rapidly gathered together MS
properties and stepped forth into the full
Hight Of day. He did not attempt TO an
alyse his Impressions. and was convinced
he had more than dreamt- Phantoms, he
believed, are visible only 10 those who
ought TO see them. But he left the locality
as rapidly as possible; ne was anxious for
human cOmpaniOnship now.
A journey of about an hour brought him
TO a square built residence. and few min
utes later he was comfortably seated be-
meath roof answering the series Of inqui-
ries no Boer omits TO make. Name. ma
I tiOnality, trade, destination. last place
all were suitably replied 10. But when
where did you sleep last night?" was
asked. John faltered. He did not feel in
the humor TO talk Of the dreadful time he
had passed at the deserted dwelling. so
thought to evade further catechising by
remarking that he had slept just beyond
the bushes indicating the direction by a
wave Of his hand.
This seemed to arouse the erst-while
phlegmatic Boer to something like ex-
element, for he calculated:
Surely not at the abandoned homestead
not at old Jacob Mostert's?"
John, somewhat surprised at his hosts
manner, replied that he did not know the
name OF the place, but that II was a di-
/ lapidated old shanty, and looked as If no
! one had inhabited IL for a score years pre-
I viously; and that considering the rough
/ night any kind Of protection or shelter
| would have been welcome to a benighted
/ traveller.
The Boer pulled slowly at his pipe. and
| after a short pause inquired:
"'And what sort OF a night had your"
Not very grand" replied John, with a
melancholy smile; and then, in order to
divert the conversation, he asked If the
Boer wanted any repairs on his farm?
An engagement was made. and for a
few days the subject dropped, until Johns
/ curiosity induced him to inquire of the
Boer why such a good. we'll wooded. well
watered farm as Mostert's was allowed to
be idle.
The Boer replied mo wonder you are
astonished a seeing such a splendid prop
erty running to waste but there is an aw-
full story connected with it which, If you
| like, ! will tell you"
John said he would very much like to
hear it.
So in solemn and impressive manner
the Boar related, in his own patois, the fol-
/ lowing narrative.
II was always very friendly with old
Jacob Mostert, and when his wife. kind
| and good woman, died. | was greatly
/ shocked, and made every effort to console
/ him. We had at the funeral observed
somewhat bold-looking, but fair and hand
! some young woman. She was tall and
| shapely, and appeared about 25 years old.
| Dressed In more pretentions style than is
/ usual in this country she attracted the at
tention of the neighbors and it trans
/ pired that she was an Eastern Province
4 woman. a connection of the late Mrs.
! Mostert, and unmarried. She made her
4 self very active after the sad ceremony,
| handed about refreshments to the guests
/ which is a custom at funerals in this coun-
/ try-and assidiously attended the agitated
4 and grieving widower.
| THE young woman was apparently de-
sirous of gaining everyones good opinion.
/ She was to stay with old Jacob until he be
! came more reconciled to his loss, and
then. said She I return to Coesberg and
civilization She professed a dislike to
the Transvaal. although she gushed good
! deal about its people. We men did not
! take especial notice of her, but the women
/ folk as is their wont, observed her very
closely, and seemed to agree that her de-
! meanor was assumed that she had an OBJ
! ject in view. and ment 70 be old Jacob s
| second some fine day or other. He was
a reputedly wealthy man, getting well in
| to the sixties, and of a complacent, credu-
| lous and kind nature. The women proved
to be right, as they often are regarding
| the movements of their own sex.
I'm little while the widowers grief
| became visibly subdued, but his former
/ quiet and regular habits changed. The
! fair stranger stayed with him so long
| and they were seen so much together
| that a mild sort of scandal was aroused
| AS you are aware we have the proto-
/ type of your Mrs. Grumpy even here.
The neighbors gradually ceased visiting
! and at last, as we had begun to expect
| the Unmatched pair rode to Heidelberg
| and got married. Whether they lived
happily or even peaceably none of us
4 knew. But IL soon became whispered that
a fast young Boer named Van Rooyen, a
sandy-whiskered rascal with passion for
women and horses, called at the place
very frequently. This simultaneously
gave rise to all sorts of gossip, and I'M
pleasant predictions fell from the women
folk as to what the end of 1t was likely to
be- So few of the old mans former
| friends decided to wait upon him, and
| point out how affairs were viewed by
| the neighbors around. But he took tho
| friendly intentioned visit as an imperten-
ence, considered himself insulted, and
| ordered us to the door without ceremony.
| Such treatment naturally ranked in the
| minds of his acquaintance, and although
some of them affected to pity him they
left Mostert severely alone. All viii
come right, said some of the more hope
full, but the others shook their heads sug-
gestively. Old Jacob began to shun So
ciety altogether. neglected his church
duties-he was an elder-and only went
to the village to purchase grog in con-
siderable quantities at a time
Red Rooyen, as the youths called him,
went to live on the farm. and the scan
dal grew until Vierfontein, for such is
the name of the place, acquired quite an
evil reputation. Winter came on, and,
as is our CUSTOM we trekked with our
fiocks and herds to the bush veldt, so
as to get better pasturage for the ami
mails. About four months afterward some
dozen of us were returning home in COM
pany, and we had to pass Mostert's farm
to reach our various destinations. l shall
never forget that evening. 1t was raining
heavily and growing dark. Suddenly, as
we approached the place, the oxen draw
ing my wagon became unaccountably rest
less. and there appeared TO be something
in the air which made all of us fearful
and miserable. l know that you English
people do not believe much in this sort
| of thing, but the old Beers have witnessed
many strange things that all your sciep-
tifc books do not explain. We observed
with some establishment that old Most
ert's house appeared deserted; there were
no cattle in the kraals, not even dog or
a fowl about. The whole place looked
as dreary as a ditch. and silence hung
over II as of a graveyard.
ut was quite evident that Jacob. wife,
rfx~fr, kfraey Navar