Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-06-08


you adopted the wrong Interpretation.
You left Grave mountain too soon. 1t was
by Jane Beach's help that you were TO re-
cover Outram, not by mine" And shc
laughed bitterly.
Don't talk like that, dear" said Leon
ara in heavy voice. 1T pains me"
flow else shall ever talk again after
reading that letter. she answered. "Oh,
did well to be afraid of Jane Beach. Ev-
cry word she writes is true. She still holds
you fast from the grave. You love her
now, rs you loved her in the past and as
you will love her in the future, for what
woman can hold her own against dead
rivals Now l must be indebted to her
bounty all my days. Oh, if / had not lost
the jexels--if only I had not lost the
;ewclsl'f
And the unfortunate Juanna flung her
self face downward on the bed and burst
into passion of tears, but history does
not relate how Leonard dealt with this
unexpected and yet natural situation.
A week had passed, and Leonard, with
Juanna at his side, found himself once
more in the great hall at Outram, where,
on bygone night, many years ago, he and
his dead brother had sworn their oath. All
was the same, for in this hall nothing had
been changed. Jane had seen to that.
There, chained to its stand was the Bible
upon which they had registered their vow.
There were the pictures of his ancestors
gazing down calmly upon him, as though
they cared little for the story of his strug-
giles and his strange triumph over for
tune "by the help of a woman" There
was the painted window, with its blazoned
coats of arms and its proud notices, For
Heart, Home and Honor, and Per Ar
Qua ad Astra.'' He had won the heart and
home, and be had kept his honor and his
oath. He had endured the tolls and dan
gers, and the crown of stars was his.
And yet was Leonard altogether happy
as he stood looking ON these familiar
things? Perhaps not quite, for yonder in
the churchyard there was grave, and
within the church monument in white
marble that was wonderfully like one who
had loved him, though time and trouble
had written a strange difference on her
face; also no had failed. He had kept his
oath indeed and fought on till tho end
was won, but himself he had not won it.
What now belonged to him had once be-
longed to the jew, his successful rival,
who doubtless little dreamed of the pay
ment that would be exacted from him by
the decree of fate.
And was Juanna happy She had worn
out the bitterness of her first passion, and
she knew well that Leonard loved her
truly; but, OH it was hard that she who
had shared the struggles should be de-
prived of her reward; that it should be left
to another, who if not false had at least
| been weak, to give to her husband that
which she had striven SO hard to win, that
which she had won and lost. And harder
still was it that in this ancient place which
would henceforth be her home by day and
by night she must feel the presence of the
shadow of woman, woman sweet and
pale, who stood between her and that
which she desired above all things-the
complete and absolute possession of her
husbands heart. Doubtless she overrated
the trouble. Men do not spend their lives
in broodin2 upon the memories of their
| first loves. If they did this would be
somewhat melancholy world But to her
1t was real eAough and remained SO for
many years. And if thing is true to the
| heart it avails little that reason should
give it the lie.
In short, now in the hour of their full
prosperity Leonard and Juanna were max
/
tune never gives with both hands, as the
French say, but loves to rob with the one
while she bestows with the other TO few
is it allowed to be completely miserable;
to none to be completely happy. Their
good luck had been SO overwhelming in
many ways that it would have partaken
of the unnatural and might well have ex-
cited their fears for the future had its
completeness been unmarried by these
drawbacks, which, such as they We're, prob
ably they learned to disremember as the
years passed over them, bringing them
new trials and added blessings.
Perhaps peep into the future will tell
us the rest of the story of Leonard and
Juanna Outram better and more truly
than any further chronicling of events.
Ten years or SO had gone by, and Sir
Leonard, now a member of parliament
and lord lieutenant of his county, comes
out of church on the first Sunday in May
accompanied by his wife, the statelicst
matron in the countryside, and some three
or four children, boys and girls together,
as healthy as they are handsome After a
| glance at certain grave that lies rear to
tho chancel door they walk homeward
across the budding park in the sweet
spring afternoon till, hundred yards or
| more from the door of Outram Hall, they
| pause at the gates of a dwelling shaped
| like a beehive and fashioned of straw and
| sticks, known as the kraal and built by
the hands of Otter alone Basking in the
| sunshine in front of this hut sits the dwarf
himself, cutting broomsticks with a knife
| out of the straightest bundle of ash sap
lings that lie beside him.
Greeting, baas,'' he says rs Leonard
comes up. is Baas Wallace here yet?'
NO; he will be down in time for dinner
Mind that you are there to wait.
Il shall not be late, baas, on this day of
all days -
"Otter," cries little maid, "you should
not make broomsticks on Sunday. 1t is
very wrong"
The dwarf grins by way of answer, then
speaks to Leonard in tongue that none
but he can understand.
What did l tell you many years ago,
baass" he says. ibid l not tell you that
by this way or by that you should win the
wealth, and that the great kraal across the
water should be yours again, and that the
children of strangers should wander there
no more? See, it has come true, and he
points to the happy group of youngsters.
"Wowi l. Otter, who am fool in most
things, have proved to be the best of
prophets. Yet l will rest content and
prophesy no more lest l should lose my
name for wisdom"
A few hours later and dinner Is over in
the larger hall All the servants have
gone except Otter, who, dressed in a white
smock, stands behind his masters chair.
There is no company present save Mr.. Wal
lace, who has just returned from another
African expedition and sits smiling and
obseryant, his eyeglass fixed in his eye as
of yore. Juanna is in full evening dress,
however, and great star ruby blazes upon
her breast.
why have you got the red stone on to-
night, mother" asks the eldest son,
come down to dessert
Hush, dear, = she answers as Otter adj
vances to that stand on which the Bible is
chained, holding glass filled with port
In his hand.
'Deliyerer and Shepherdess, !" he says,
speaking in Sisutu, ION this day II years
gone Baas Tom died out yonder. l, who
drink wine but once year, drink to the
memory of Baas Tom," and swallowing
the port with single gulp he throws the
glass behind him, and it skaters on the
floor.
"Ameni" says Leonard. "Now, love,
your toast"
Il drink to the memory of Francisco,
who died to save me, says Juanna in a
low voice.
"Amen!" repeats Leonard