Rocky Ford enterprise., 1900-06-08
CHAPTER |.


Ii wa evening-a glorious evening,
! such as 'nly tropical countries know.
The ho. wind that had blown all day
had now died down. and there was u
| great stiffness: but u pleasant cool
| ress in the air made At delightful after
the swelterlng heat.
There had been no rain for a long
time. and the ground was parched and
| dry. Outside the pretty homestead
the red sand Of the veldt lay thick and
line In the dry grass which covered
the wagon track. But inside the grass
looked green enough. Perhaps 1t had
received an artificial shower. All
round the grassy lawn were flower
beds. mostly OF tropical flowers. among
which the succuient blue lily raised Its
| ong. trumpet-shaped flowers; but
there were n few English flowers. too
stately holiyhocks. sweet-scented
Teses. queenly dahiias.
Beyond the lawn an avenue OF blue
| gum and black ncttle led to the vcldt
without. Behind the house. which was
nuIit of stone. and looked quaint and
pretty with yoranda running round
| AAs 4oa' boiA' W Wv pNs@' -
th. Drakcnsbcrg. 4 It'll. to the left
ran the river Kip.
On this evening the r;in. too near
Its settin. to be hot now. was shining
right into the sleepy brown eyes OF u
gl.I who lay full length In the shade
%! sum-,rrc. book on the grass be-
| side her. Her head was supported by
q plump little brown hand. and she
was smilins a very happy. coni-n'-d
smile. rs II some happy thought passed
through her mind.
II was \ pretty face. too. with iis
saTmth and hcaiihincsS o. eoloTins.
as softly grounded. Eiriish contour. It's
smiling. half-opca. rcd lips. Its clear.
open. .hilaIshiy smooth forehead. over
which little euris of the brown haif
sho; with rudiy sold came s;rayins.
The haif-sha,. smiling eyes ~css very
so:; and happy JUS, now: eu; who
:ouid say whether they might not
tome day be iilisi with burning pas
sioa. with biindiHs tears. or with the
.nId. set expression Of despair
"piucbeii. BlacSeiI: where arc you.
rhiid-''
The voice came across the little
avn. clear and dis;lae; on the evening
air: and the EiFi. Eisiag up from her
/ comfortable position. shook herself.
srry much as sct spaniel might do
after eominE out ot the water. and
started at a quick run for the house.
A tall. angular. spins;es lady stood
gpon the doorstep.
What a head. shiid'" Was the saia'
t.,iou. "'ifave you forgotten NC arc
To have company tonight
Well. do believe I had" Ec;of'e''
the Girl. Don; he angry with me.
viii you. aun,iev Really eoulan
help II. III never. never do It again.
Now dads going to bring some one
from Masi;sbuss. is hcG Who !s II.
auntier No; anyone very great. hope
MIR. Rhodes. for instanec9
Don't talk nonsense, child" re-
turned Miss Elizabeth Leslie. No. mol
las no one so great "a that. only some
very rich man. believe. who has
made his money a, Kimberley or
somewhere. but run away and ircss
yourself. child. have a sood sup
per ready. so 1 hope your father wont
keep US waiting. He wished US TO have
dinner: but why should II We don't
call 1, dinner when NC arc alone. and
why should We change our customs
for s;ranscrsT'
Quit. right. auntie dear" Blucscil
rattcd her aunt's bcny shoulder with
spntic hand. Besides. likely enough
he's some coarse. horrid man They
are always the kind that become mil
I;onaircs. oh. aantie. l hope father
won't make a great friend OF him II he
!s'"
we shall soon see him. dearis. so
there's TO use thinking beforehand
w hat his Ways are" said Miss Eliza
;,p,h--shc was always called Miss
.sl,zabcth-soothingly
BIuobsli ran upstairs to her own
room. II was a pretty little room.
no, containing much furniture. su, as
dainty as feminine fingers could make
IL. Biucbell did not spend all her time
lying drcamily under the sum-tree.
sas had just donncd her pretty white
muslin trock. drawn in at the waist by
q bIuc bandit was rather strange
,tat Biucbeli should smile and blush
n little TO herself as she fastened the
uiur band-whcn the sound of horses
sopfs galluping mp the avenue drew
her attention. She ran to the window.
aiding behind the window curtains.
Presently two riders emerged from
;hc avenue. S~i rode up the graveled
ra,h TO tho house. BiueJell could see
them distinctly.
Tn, FIRST was her father. Bluebell
know him we'll enough not to require
30 take a second look at him: yet she
did take a second look.
Adam Lcolie. ESQ.,. Of Tinlaverstock.
Scotland. who had emisrated TO South
Africa 10 years ago. was man OF mid
die age. heavily built. stout. and red
faced. with a heavy chin. a stubborn