Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-02-15

ed little. Then it was still, then NOV
ed again. Then through the gap a
small nose appeared and yellow ear
overlapping one eye. Then the whole
head obtruded, placing itself critically
on one side, wrinkled its nose disap-
provingly at Gregory and withdrew.
Through the half open door came a
fair scent Of vinegar, and the room
was dark and still.
Presently the landlady came back.
"Left the door open," she said, bus
Ting to shut it, ''but darky will be
darby and never carries a head on his
shoulders like other folks. Not i'll, /
hope, sir?" she said, looking at Greg
DRY when she had shut the bedroom
door.
"Who,"t asked Gregory, sis in that
room?"
Glad to have little innocent piece of
gossip to relate and some one willing
to hear 1t, the landlady made the most
of a little story as she cleared the ta-
BILE. Six months before lady had
come alone to the hotel in wagon,
with only a colored leader and a driv-
er. Eight days after little baby had
been born. If Gregory stood up and
looked out at the window, he would
see blue gum tree in the graveyard.
Close by it was little grave. The ba-
by was buried there, tiny thing, only
lived two hours, and the mother her.
self almost went with it. After awhile
she was better, but one day she got up
out Of bed, dressed herself without
saying word to any one and went
out. 1t was a drizzly day. A little
time after some one saw her sitting on
the wet ground under the blue gum
tree, with the rain dripping from her
hat and shawl. They went to fetch
her, but she would not come until she
chose. When she did, she had gone to
bed and had not risen again from it;
never would, the doctor said.
She was very patient, poor thing!
When you went in to ask her how she
was, she said always Better" or
Nearly well" and lay still in the dark
ened room and never troubled any one.
The Mozambiquer took care of her,
and she would not allow any one else
to touch her; would not so much as al
low any one else to see her foot uncov-
cred. She was strange in many ways,
but she paid well, poor thing! And
now the Mozambiquer, was going, and
she would have to take up with some
one else.
Before dinner he had ridden out of
the town to where on q rise number
of transport wagons were ,'outspan-
ned" The Dutchman, driver Of one
wondered at the strangers eagerness
to free himself Of his horses. Stalen
perhaps, but 1t was worth his while to
buy. them at so low price, SO the
horses changed masters, and Gregory
walked off with his saddlebags slung
across his arm. Once out of sight Of
the wagons, he struck out of the road
md walked across the "veld," the dry,
Towering grasses. waving everywhere
about him. Half way across the plain
he came to deep gully which the rain
torrents had washed out, but which
was now dry. Gregory sprang down
into its red bed. 1t was a safe place
and quiet. When he had looked about
him, he sat down under the shade Of
an overhanging bank and famed him
self with his hat, for the afternoon
was hot, and he had walked fast. At
his feet the dusty ants ran about, and
the high red bank before him was COW
cred by a network Of roots and fbers
washed bare by the rains. Above his
head rose the clear blue African sky.
At his side were the saddlebags full Of
women's clothing. Gregory looked up
half plaintively into the blue sky.
cam I, am Gregory Nazianzen
Rose?" he said.
1t was all so strange, he sitting there
in that "sloot' in that up country
plaiH-strange as the fantastic, chang
ing shapes in summer cloud. At last,
tired out, he fell asleep, with his head
against the bank. When he woke, the
shadow had stretched across the
"sloot," and the sun was on the edge
Of the plain. Now he must be up and
doing. He drew from his breast peck
ct little sixpenny looking glass and
hung it on one of the roots that stuck
out from the bank. Then he dressed
himself in one of the old fashioned
gowns and a great pinked out collar.
Then he took out razor. Tuft by tuft
the soft brown beard fell down into
the sand, and the little ants took it to
line their nests with. Then the glass
showed face surrounded by frilled
cap, white as woman's, with little
mouth, very short upper lip and a
receding chin.
Presently rather tall woman's fig
ure was making its way across the
weld" AS 1t passed a followed out
ant heap it knelt down and stuffed in
the saddlebags with the mans cloth
ing, closing up the ant hill with bits of
ground to look as natural as possible.
Like sinner hiding his deed Of sin, the
hider started once and looked round
but yet there was no one near save a
"meerkat," who had lifted herself out
Of her hole and sat on her hind legs
watching. He did not like that even
she should see, and when he rose she