The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-08-16
CHAPTER v.

CHAPTER V.
Bluebell had come down prepared to
give her father her answer, and to
make her proposal to him, in the
morning; but to her surprise and con-
sternation, she learned that he had
gone off on horseback. no one knew
whittier, not saying when he should
return.
ut was Sam who saw him co." said
Miss Elizabeth, in frightened tone,
land he says he went in the direction
of Ladysmith; but of course he may
be going much farther than that-he
may be going by train. Do you know
nothing about It, Bluebell?"
Bluebell shook her head She was
more put about even than her aunt by
this new move. What could it mean?"
Dear auntie, you're not afraid of
the Beers, are you? They have never
done us any harm, why should they
now? Though they are fighting with
Britons, it is with British soldiers
armed themselves, not with helpless,
unarmed people, especially women"
The day passed, the women going
about their usual avocations; but
Adam Leslie did not return. 1t was
not till late in the evening that he rode
at hard pace up the avenue and into
the stealing, right up underneath the
stoop or veranda. Bluebell went down
to meet him, then turned away with
shudder, for she could see he was deep
ly flushed and his eyes blazing, while
he staggered slightly as he got off his
horse.
"Sam!" cried Bluebell to the Zulu
servant who had appeared at the
sound of the horses hoofs, ''take my
fathers horse. Father, take my arm"
she said, in low voice.
But he flung her off with an oath.
away into the house! You are a
disobedient creature, and will have
nothing to do with you!" he snarled.
He himself staggered into the sitting
room, where he lay down on couch
and fell asleep, without even remov-
ing his great riding boots.
Bluebell could not speak to him that
night. She crept away, bitterly hui
inflated and distressed; and Miss
Elizabeth came in and endeavored to
comfort her; but it was such comfort
as one who is ignorant of the real ma
ture Or depth of wound can give.
By the morning her father had slept
off his drunken fit. Bluebell managed
to get few minutes alone with him
after breakfast, during which he was
sullen and silent, not exchanging
| word with the women
Bad as Adam Leslie was, he had still
few instincts of a gentleman, and
one of these told him that he had been
guilty of base and dishonorable act
in selling the information which was
| to betray the Boer leaders into the
| hands of an enemy.
Father, l must speak to you for a
minute" Bluebell said, very pale but
very determined. II have been think
ing over what you said last night.
cannot do what you wish. 1t would be
crime to sell myself to a man
loathe and fear But-but you must
escape. This is the time to do it, when
all the country is in confusion, and
people are leaving every day. You
must go down to Durham and get to
England. Aunt Elizabeth and l shall
stay on here, and we can send you the
money we make. The only thing we
have to do is to throw Mr.. Moore off
the scent"
He had been glazing at her with
look that vaguely terrified Bluebell up
to this moment. Now he interrupted
her in hoarse, sullen tone.
"You are mad, child! You don't
know what you are talking about!
am not going to escape, or to do any
such thing, in the meantime. AS for
you, you will have to make up your
mind sooner or later to marry Gerald
Moore; but he is not going to insist
at once. You will have week or two
in which to accustom yourself to the
idea that seems so disagreeable to
you"
He turned without another word,
and walked out of the room. Bluebell
looked after him, with mingled agony
and humiliation in her heart.
He had not always been like this.
Bluebell could remember her early
years of childhood in far-off Scot
land, when a sweet-faced, brown
haired woman ruleu the house, and
Adam Leslie had been as different
from what he was now as day is from
night
Then the sweet mother had died,
and Leslie had been turned out Of the
| inheritance he had thought would be
his, by a cousin, long supposed to be
dead, turning up; and, in sullen, de-
faint mood, the man had set off for
South Africa, taking his sister with
him. The passion for making money
had entered his heart, which seemed
to have no longer any sweet home
affection to soften it since his wife
died; and he had become harder and
more sullen and more immersed in
money making until this fearful end
had come.
A day or two passed. Gerald Moore
seemed to have disappeared, and Blue
| bell began to breathe more freely.
Perhaps, after all. he was not SO bad
as she had thought: perhaps her evil
dent aversion to the idea of marrying