The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-01-02
NE St'9Iy Of On African Form.
By OLIVE sOHREINER.
IcoNTINuED.l

proceeded to prepare his bundle. He
never thought of entering protest
against the loss of his goods. Like
child he submitted and wept. He had
been there II years, and it was hard to
so away. He spread open on the bed
a blue handkerchief and on it put one
by one the things he thought most
necessary and important-a little bag
OF curious seeds which he meant to
plant some day, an old German hymn
book, three misshapen stones that he
greatly valued, a Bible, shirt and two
handkerchiefs Then there was room
for nothing more. He tied up the bun
die tightly and put it on a chair by
his bedside.
THAT is not much. They cannot say
l take much" he said, looking at 1t.
He put his knotted stick beside ii.
his blue tobacco bag and his short pipe
and then inspected his coats. He had
two left, a moth eaten overcoat and a
black alpaca out at the elbows. He
decided for the overcoat. 1t was warm
certainly, but then he could carry it
over his arm anu enly put it on when
he met some one along the road. 1t
was more respectable than the black
alpaca. He hung the greatcoat over
the back Of the chair and stuffed hard
bit of rooster cake under the knot of
the bundle, and then his preparations
We're completed. The German stood
contemplating them with much salts
faction. He had almost forgotten his
sorrow at leaving in his pleasure at
preparing. Suddenly he started. An
expression of intense pain passed over
his face He drew back his left arm
quickly and then pressed his right hand
upon his breast.
"Ah, the sudden pang again." he
said.
His face was white, but it quickly re-
gained it's color. Then the old man
busted himself in putting everything
right.
IL will leave it neat. They shall not
say l did not leave it neat" he said.
Even the little bags of seeds on the
mantelpiece he put in rows and busted.
Then he undressed and got into bed.
Under his pillow was a little story
book. He drew 1t forth. To the old
German story was no story. Its
events We're as real and as important
to himself as the matters of his own
life. He could not go away without
knowing whether that wicked earl re.
Tented and whether the baron married
Emilina. So ne adjusted his spectacles
and began to read. Occasionally, us
his feelings became too strongly NOV.
ed, he calculated: "Ah, l thought So
That was rogue. 1 saw it before ]
knew it from the beginning" More
than half an hour had passed when he
looked up to the silver Watch at the
top Of his bed.
''The march is long tomorrow. This
will not do he said. taking off his
spectacles and putting them carefully
into the book to mark the place. "This
will be good reading as l walk along
tomorrow he added as he stuffed the
book into the pocket of the greatcoat.
every good reading" He nodded his
head and lay down. He thought lit
| tie of his own troubles. a good deal of
the two little girls he was leaving, of
the earl of Emilina, Of the baron, but
he was soon asleep, sleeping as peace
fully as little child upon whose inno-
cent soul sorrow and care cannot rest.
1t was very quiet in the room. The
Goals in the fireplace threw dull red
light across the floor upon the red
lions on the quilt. Eleven O'Clock
came, and the room was very still One
o'clock came. The glimmer had died
out, though the ashes were still warm,
and the room was very dark. The gray
mouse which had it's hole under the
tool box came out and sat on the sacks
IN the corner Then, growing holder,
The room was so dark, it climbed the
chair at the bedside, nibbled at The
rooster cake, took one bite quickly at
the candle and then sat on it's haunch-
es listening. 1t heard the even breath
ing of the old man and the steps of the
hungry kafir dog going his last round
in search of bone or skin that had
been forgotten, and it heard the white
hen call out as the wildcat ran away
with one of her brood, and it heard The
chicken cry. Then the gray mouse
Went back TO it's hole under the tool
box, and the room was quiet And =
O'Clock came. BY that time the night
was grown dull and cloudy The wild
cat had gone to it's home Oh the "kop-
je' The Kaffir dog had found bone
and lay gnawing it.
| AL intense quiet reigned everywhere.
Only in her room the Boer woman toss
| ed her great arms in her sleep, for she
dreamed that dark shadow with out
stretched wings fled slowly over her
| house, and she moaned and shivered.
And the night was very still.
But, quiet as all places were, there
was quite peculiar quiet in the Ger
mans room. Though you strained
your ear most carefully, you caught
no sound Of breathing.
He was not gone, for the old coat
still hung on the chair, the coat that
was to be put on when he met amy
one, and the bundle and stick were
ready for tomorrow's long march The
| old German himself lay there, his wavy