The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-09-10
here YOU are. Madeleine, you'll nave to

/
| ly 200 miles. Sinclair has been on detach-
ment duty at Coiesberg. rather conven-
lent for me. l think we may do the jour.
| ney in four or five days, with the llSn-
| cart and pair of stout horses, after
| Colesberg. there are great facilities for
travelling" Erie paused after this unusu-
ally long speech and drew a letter from
his pocket. Madeleine being somewhat
stunned by the imminence of the parting
| before her
Colonel Sinclair writes very. civilly.
| and his wife adds n postscript.
| The letter was frank and kindly, ana
very soothir % Madeleine's depressed.
Then we must leave on Monday at
| latest!' s. said TREMENDOUSLY.
Better 1t Sunday, If the weather
IL fine ed Erie.
! BLESS al save u.s." calculated
| Mrs. Suti~ that only gives us three
days to finish up everything and pack
| Just so. you must pack everything
| finished and unfinished and prepare Us
provisions at any rate for the last two
days. Wen pass some farms at the out,
| set! | wish | knew where Elliott Is:
want to see him badly. His people say
he is away In the marshy country north
west from I,akahari. but do not know
when he will return
| From this evening there was no time FOR
| thought; everyone was busy, and so far
| the excitement of the scramble kept the
children from tears or teasing and Mrs.
| Sutton was too hurried to weep. Thine
| enough for that when you're gone"
Late on Saturday, to John Erle's great
satisfaction. DIR. Elliott rode up and was
very cordially welcomed.
! did you hear that | particularly want
| ed to see you?" asked Erie, when greet
ings had been exchanged.
| mo, | have heard nothing"
| where have you come from, thenY
| From North. on whom i stumbled
partly by accident, fortunately for him!
specimens, rather remarkable specimens.
| when a native L met on the edge of the
| big karo ldry deserO told me mat DadS
was hunting lions not far off to the
| south, so L rode on to try and meet him,
and after nightfall the next day reached
| that stretch of hill and forest just below
the swampy district. where you often find
| lions. Suddenly 1 noticed the glare of a
big fire against the sky. and pushing On.
l came to an open space where a big hut,
all grass and leaves and branches such
| as the Lakahari men make so quickly, all
| in a blaze, so | thought it just possible
that North might be within supplied with
| the sleep of a fatigue so / dashed in and
| found the poor fellow in the very nick Of
| time My boy and / between us dragged
| him out. half an hour. nay, quarter OIL an
| hour later. would have been too late. as
It is his left hand and arm are badly
| burnt
Then Elliott recaptuated Norths ac-
| count of how the tire had occurred and
| what led up to 1T, outside at little dis
| lance two empty calabashes lay on the
| ground evidently dropped by the native
| after-rider who had gone In search of
| water and fled in terror from the burning
| hut.
IL have left Numjala and my Malay
| with North. They are travelling slowly
down and | have ridden ahead to give
you notice"
Madeleine could not speak, What GU
/ RIOTS crisis of fate Impended over North
| Twice he had narrowly escaped death,
would n third break the spell which had
/ hitherto preserved him? Whatever might
| be hidden behind the curtain of the tu-
ture she mus leave without seeing him,
| without meeting those caressing eyes OF
! his which affected her no other eyes
ever had; should she ever meet him
| again?
Much talk between Erie and the doctor
| eEsued, the latter agreed to remain in
charge of the house and household till the
| Master returned, tho Elliott did not think
matters looked so threatening as his host
did In fact it was some years later
than the date of this story before the
| real troubles began.
! Next morning early the cart, provision
ed ard provided with Il thick canvass tilt,
! was broad to the door, spare horse was
tied to the end and Ghamba, one of the
Eorsekcepers. attired and armed for ac-
tive service to accompany, next appeared,
and then Madeleine accompanied by y
! fearful procession, Mrs. Sutton, Dolly, an
/ old Kaflir woman who cleaned the sauce
pans, and two girls who assisted IN the
house and wore somewhat grimy petit
CO ats having Uhey Said embraced the
/ Christian religion; they were deeply NOV
/ ed and no Nled aloud. The mastin SEEM
GU To KNOW lie WIS ioSllb iiithu anu
/ stuck close to Madeleine with an ex-
| pressive droop in his tail She was quite
| past speech the kaiiir girls kissed her
| hand and Mrs. Sutton and Dolly embrace
| ed her with abundant tearS-Jim permit
| ter her to kiss him and actually kissed
! her back and she even put her arms
/ round DIR. Eliott's neck. Then she
| n ounted the cart, looked round at the
| well-known charming scene visible from
! the entrance and kissed her hand re-
/ pCatedly To the group on the steps. John
| Erie took the reins and cracked MS TOR
! midable whip. and Madeleine was swept
! away from the home where If she had
| known some sorrow she had also tasted
! some mon ents of exquisite pleasure,
| which she felt she should never see again.
Mrs. Sutton sat down on the doorstep
and burying her face in her handkerchief
sobbed aloud, and Jim, hitherto stolcal,
broke down and rolling his pocket hand
kerchief into hard ball thrust IL Into
each eye alternately, his shoulders heav-
ing Mrs. Sutton suddenly dropped hers,
and gazing stecnly at the little culprit
v HON she SUSPECTED of hooking her. said
in dignihed rebuke, "yOG nasty, hard
hearted mCcking little unbelieving heath
en-. I'll have We to know
"Grannie! whispered Dolly. "he Is cry
ing really o.
me arrums mo poor darlin! Shure I'm
/ n beast to mistake we. We're all desolate
afther the loss of her. the sweet kind
crcaturel It'll be long before we see heI
like again! Don't mind ne. Doctor. dear
come indoors and I'll mako You a fresh
hot cup of tea, sure sorrow Is bitter colo
at any season of the year. Ay my pies
sin go with you wherever you are, Mad
| eleine my heart