The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-10

own people many of her lovers people.
perhaps her father or brother, perhaps her
betrothed. Her lip trembled, but she
looked up braveIy and met the eyes Of the
silent women. She pitied them. she
knew what they were, as she herself
might have been if these happy years o
school life in Cape Town had never CONE
to her-stolid, ignorant Of ali IN ngs save
their Bibles unable to judge their enemy
only to hate him Yet they were grand IN
their faith and simplicity, trusting in the
Lord for victory on the next day. She, too
although she knew what the red soldiers
could do. feared. yes feared, that her com
trymen would win, for if they did, fore
telling a crushing blow, she guessed the
fate of her daring lover, so conscious OF his
own mems fighting powers, so contemptu-
Gus of those OF the farmer soldiers.
So she looked bravely into he eyes Of
the Boer women. They might cal her
"traitress'' and grOan as they did now bat
she had done the best she knew, the only
thing she could do 10 warn Venable that
he was fighting against no foe to laugh at.
Let God Judge" she murmured, IF she
was a traitress. Could Il be treachery to
try to save the life of the beloved Very
simple she was, very innocent OF the
grandeur motives of heroines for all her
studies-nttle better tAan a child, acting
by hearts impulse and loves prompting,
and these alone. This she had done but
that was bitter, and her home was closed
forever against her. and the women whom
she had played and worked among hooted
her A small boy threw stone, and her
brother cried sullenly to her 10 hurry.
When they had driven out of the village
and out of the quiet valley and were on the
rough trek crossing the veldt, she booked
at him gently, for he was younger than
she. a boy of 49, and asked;
''Where are you taking me, Peter?"
He never looked at her as he answered
sullenly: ITO old Van Belts farm 1t Is
out of the line of fighting, and thence you
can get 10 the frontier on horse. Father
gave me this money to give to you. With
il you can get easily among your friends
in your own country"
"But the-the Transvaal is my country,
Peterr'
Never" cried the boy with a ferocious
sternness bred of his fathers fathers
blood, never againl If you were a man
II would be your country-to be shot and
buried in You are lucky that my father.
and not the general, discovered your trea-
son-spy."
Martha shivered and the veldt swan in
her eyes. Dom Jan cried "Traitress," and
Peter. her own young brother, called her
spy"
"Brother, brotherr' she stammered, pit
eously. Il told him alone, the man who
is to marry me-"
Peter laughed loudly.
Marry! Marry you! When that YER
daniter Ntlander knows he has got out
of you all the information he ever can
get he will-despise you"
The boy was not naturally brutal, any
more than her father, Jan De Kalb, had
ever before been harsh with her Martha
at her brothers words began 10 realize
for the first time how great was her sin
in the eyes Of her own kinsfolk. She had
hidden her love from her mother; that
was an offense. but trivial
She had loved an Englishman; that was
serious. She had sent news of the army to
her English lover; that was more than I'M
pardonable. Henchforth she was an out
cast. God, country, home"-all had been
sinned against. No Boer could forget
that: no Boer could ever forgive that.
at least let us part in kindness, broth
err Peter" she cried In despair And he
answered, without looking at her:
you have no brother!"
1t was dark when they drove into old
Van Belts farmyard, but lanterns were
moving about in the shadows, and voices
were calling to each other in subdued ex-
element The farmer himself came up to
the cart in surprise-a very Old man
Are the rooineks in Spriugbokfontein?'
he asked with alarm. Has Martha come
to me for safety?"
mo, no. Oom," Peter answered hur-
riedly. "She needs a good horse. She
has far to go Dom Jan, my father.
sends her on important business. No
one else can go-every man from the
village is with the army, and ! must hur-
~ back to Join them"
"Our maidens are brave" cried the old
man proudly. when God gives even the
girls such strength of heart, we shall
surely conquer in his name. You shall
| have my best horse Martha, but wait
| ,r,A NsRffaa
Martha tried to press Peters hand in
recognition of the unexpected kindness
| with which he had saved her from more
| shame but he roughly drew 1t away, as
! II himself ashamed at displaying so much
mercy. They went into the house, and
1 there a surprise awaited them. Old Van
| Belts only son hay on a bed grievously
wounded. The former spoke of him with
solemn quietude.
"They just brought him home before you
came" said the old man, who had bled
many time himself for fatherland. and
was now content to offer up his boy at the
altar. 1.-THE fighting has begun. There
have been one or two skirmishes. Ste
| phen here is badly hurt and one or tive
| patriots are dead, but for every one of ours
| God has snitten three of the invaders"
Martha did not hear the last sentence
| She had stepped swiftly to the bedside
leaning over the patient
Where, en-where-how-how die
you come by this?"
She touched an embroidered kerchie
tied round the young soldiers arm, stained
with his blood. The man opened his eye!
and smiled recognition.
Martha de Kalb," ne said, you wo
men are doing good work among III,
wounded. That? o, that l crawled owe
to when l was shot down, and took from
a dead Englishman's neck. You see,
was bleeding bad, and had to take tn
first thing ] saw
She knew il. She had embroidered /
herself. She had given it 10 Lieut. Ven
able She drew back without faintins
but now with a dumbness at her hear
that was more deathly than her previou
despair.
She was away at last Peter, her broth
err, helped her in that. lie was anxiou
to be done with ihis work-a kind of ex
ecutloner's work. Beside, like every youn
Boer, he was eager to get back to hi
father and the leaders In the decisive figh
which they all knew must be close a