Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-08-17
looked after Nim. with mlngfsl agony

looked after MIN. with mlngfsl agony
and humiliation in her heart.
He had not always been like this.
Bluebell could remember her early
years Of childhood in far-oh Scot
land, when a sweet-faced, brown
haired woman ruled 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
him had offended him. and decided
him to act more merciful part than
he had at first intended.
Meantime, too, they had heard no
further news of the invading Beers.
One night Bluebell had gone to her
own room rather earlier than usual.
She had had headache-an uncom-
mon ailment with her-and, saying to
her aunt that she felt sure that there
was a thunderstorm coming, she babe
her goodnight and went to bed; but
for a long time she could not sleep.
The night was very hot-an unusual
thing at that season, when, though
the days are swelteringly warm, the
nights are correspondence cold-and
there was the strange stiffness in the
air which precedes thunderst torn.
Bluebell lay waiting for the first sud-
den clap of thunder, the first dazzling
blaze of lightning, all her nerves UNI
strung, not by fear, but by the over
charged electricity in the air, and her
own throbbing temples.
At last Bluebell's ears, strained I'd
catch any noise, detected strange
throbbing sound; but it seemed to be
very far away. 1t was certainly not
the rumbling of thunder. Was 1t a
real sound, or did it exist only in her
fancy, in the throbbing tympanum Of
her ear? Bluebell lay still and lis
tened.
No, it was no fancy: She heard It
again, and this time more distinct
1t was the sound of horses hoofs-d
many horses hoofs-Bluebell we'll
knew, though the noise produced was
not that of several distinct sounds
but Of one galloping along the wagon
path Of the veldt.
Bluebell started up in bed. sudden
trembling Selling her. The Beers! OF
course it was the Beers! She did not
have a doubt on the subject. But in
what direction were they going. All!
they were coming towards New Kelso!
She could hear their horses approach
ing every moment.
Almost mechanically Bluebell threw
herself out of bed and dressed herself
quickly, then thrust her feet into her
slippers. All the house was silent. 1t
was about 1 o'clock in the morning,
and every one was in bed. Should
she go to wake them? Bluebell hesl-
tated. Perhaps the horsemen would
pass right on; they must be going
towards Ladysmith. Was it not bet
ter that her father should sleep on in
ignorance that the hated Beers were
so near. If he knew of their prox-
unity, who could tell what bad step
his hatred of them might induce him
to take?
Bluebell determined to remain where
she was and watch. She stood behind
the muslin curtains, which alone pro-
tected the unshuttered window, watch
ing. Her heart beat fast and I'M
evenly, and nervous little shoots Of
pain ran through the palms of her
hands.