Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-06-14
CHAPTER XXI.
THE "KOPJE. F"

GOOD morning."
EN-, who was in the storeroom meas
uring the KafIir's rations. looked up
and saw her former lover standing be-
twixt her and the sunshine. For some
days after that evening on which he
had ridden home whistling he had
Stunned her. She might wish to enter
into explanations, and he Gregory
Rose was not the man for that kind
of thing If woman had once thrown
him overheard, she must take the con-
sequences and stand by them. When,
however, she showed no inclination to
revert to the past and Stunned him
more than he Stunned her, Gregory
softened.
You must let me call you EN- still
and be like n brother to you till co."
he said, and EN- thanked him so hum
bly, that he wished she hadn't. 1t
wasn't so easy after that to think him
self an injured man
On that morning he stood some time
in the doorway switching his whip and
moving rather restlessly from one leg
to the other.
the camps and see how your birds are
getting on. Now Waldo's gone you've
no one to see after things. Nice morn
ing, isn't itT' Then he added sudden
ly, I'm Just go round 10 the house and
get n drink of water first" ana some
what awkwardly walked off He might
have found water in the kitchen, but
he never glanced toward the buckets.
In the front room n monkey and two
tumblers stood on the center table, but
he merely looked round, peeped into
the parlor, looked round again and then
walked out at the front door and found
himself again at the storeroom without
having satisfied his thirst. "Awfully
nice morning this" he said, trying to
pose himself in a graceful and indtf-
ferent attitude against the door. 1T
isn't hot, and 1t isn't cold. It's awfully
nice"
YES" said EN-.
"Your cousin, now," said Gregory in
an aimless sort of way-"I suppose
she's shut up in her room writing let
ters."
NO" said EN-.
"Gone for a drive, 1 expect? Nice
morning for q drive"
"No."
"Gone to see the ostriches, l sup
pose?"
NO" After little silence EN- add
ed, II saw her go by the kraals to the
kopte.'"
Gregory crossed and uncrossed his
legs.
"Well, l think I'll just go and have
look about" he said, "and see how
things are getting on before | go to the
camps. Goodby So long"
EN- left for awhile the bags she was
folding and went to the window, the
same through which, years before,
BOnaparte had watched the slouching
figure cross the yard. Gregory walk
ed to the pigsty first and contemplated
the pigs for few seconds, then turned
round and stood looking flxedly at the
wall of the fuel house as though he
thought 1t wanted repairing. Then he
started off suddenly, with the evident
intention of going to the ostrich camps,
then paused, hesitated and finally
walked off In the direction of the
"kopje."
Then EN- went back to the corner
and folded more sacks.
On the other side of the 'kopje'
Gregory caught sight of a white tail
waving among the stones, and a sue
cession of short, frantic barks told
where Doss was engaged in bowling
imploringly to a lizard who had crept
between two stones and who had not
the slightest intention of resunning
himself at that particular moment.
The dogs mistress sat higher up,
under the shelving rock, her face bent
over n volume Of plays upon her knee.
As Gregory mounted the stones she
started violently and looked up, then
resumed her book.
II hope am not troubling you," said
Gregory as he reached her side. "1f l
am, viii go away. l JUST
''No; you may stay"
81 fear l startled you"
Yes; your step was firmer than it
generally is. l thought it was that of
some one else"
''Who could 1t be but me?" asked
Gregory, seating himself on a stone at
her feet.
''Do you suppose you are the only
man who would find anything to at
tract him to this kopjeP"
"Oh. no." said Gregory
He was not going to argue that point
with her nor any other, but no old
Boer was likely to take the trouble Of
the "kopje," and who else
was there?
She continued the study of her book.
Miss LyndalI," he said at last, Il
don't know why it is yoir never talk
to me-"
I'VE had long conversation yester
day" she said without looking up.
Yes; but you ask me questions about |
sheep and oxen. | don't call that talk |
ing. You used to talk to Waldo, nOw," |
he said in an aggrieved tone of voice. /!
I've heard you when | came in. and !
then you've just left off. You treated |
me like that from the first day, and |
you couldn't tell from just looking at |