Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-02-15
The Story Of
An African Farm.

Continued from Page 81

to dress"
She finished all he had brought her
eagerly.
81 am sitting up quite by myself"
she said. "Give me his meat" And
she fed the dog herself. cutting his
food small for him. She moved to the
side Of the bed.
"Now bring the chair near and dress
me. 1t is being in this room so long
and looking at that miserable little bit
of sunshine that comes in through the
shutter that is making me so ill. AL
ways that lions paw!" she said, with
look of disgust at it. "Come and dress
me-" Gregory knelt on the floor be-
fore her and tried to draw on one
stocking, but the little swollen foot re-
fused to be covered.
1T is very funny that should have
grown so fat since have been so i'll"
she said, peering down curiously. per
haps it is want of exercise" She look
ed troubled and said again, Perhaps
it is want of exercise" She wanted
Gregory to say SO. too, but he only
found a larger pair and then tried to
force the shoes-oh, SO tenderly!-on
to her little feet.
'"rherew she said, looking down at
them when they were on with the de-
light Of small child over. it's first
shoes. 81 could walk now. How nice
it looksv'
NO" she said, seeing. the soft gown
ho hod nraporod For how. tsT will NOT
put that on. Get one Of my white
dresses, the one with the pink bows.
do not even want to think l have
been i'll. 1t is thinking and thinking
of things that makes them real," she
said. when you draw your mind
together and resolve that thing shall
not be, it gives way before you; it is
not. Everything is possible if one is
resolved" she said. She drew in her
little lips together and Gregory obeyed
her. She was so small and slight now
it was like dressing small doll. He
would have lifted her down from the
bed when he had finished, but she
pushed him from her, laughing very
softly. 1t was the first time she had
laughed in those long dreary months.
mo, no; can get down myself" she
said, slipping cautiously to the floor.
"You seev' She cast defiant glance
Of triumph when she stood there.
Hold the curtain up high. i want to
look at myself
He raised it and stood holding it.
She looked into the glass on the OPP
posite wall-such queenly little fig
ure in its pink and white; such
transparent little face, refined by suf-
fering into an almost angellike beau
ty. The face looked at her. She look
ed back, laughing softly. Doss, quiv-
ering with excitement, ran round her,
barking. She took one step toward
the door, balancing herself with out
stretched hands.
II am nearly there" she said.
Then she CROPPED blindly.
ooh, l cannot see! cannot see!
Where am II" she cried.
When Gregory reached her. she had
fallen with her face against the sharp
foot Of the wardrobe and cut her fore
head. Very tenderly he raised the lit
tie crushed heap of muslin and ribbons
and laid it on the bed. Doss climbed
up and sat looking down at it. Very
softly Gregory's hands disrobed her.
''You will be stronger tomorrow, and
then we shall try again." he said, but
she neither looked at him nor stirred.
So she lay all that. morning and all
that afternoon.
At last in the evening he bent over
her
'The oxen have come" he said. eve
can start tomorrow If you like. Shall
get the wagon ready tonightY'
Twice he repeated his question. Then
she looked up at him, and Gregory saw
that all hope had died out of the beau
tiful eyes. 1t was not stupor that slone
there. It was despair.
Eyes; let us 60" she said.
ut makes no difference" said the
doctor, staying or going. It is close
now"
So the next day Gregory carried her
out in his arms to the wagon which
stood "inspanned" before the door. AS
he laid her down on the "kartel' she
looked far out across the plain. For
the first time she spoke that day.
'"That blue mountain far away-let
US stop when we get to it, not before"
She closed her eyes again. He drew
the sails down before and behind, and
the wagon rolled away slowly. The
'landlady and the niggers stood to
watch it from the "stoep."
Very silently the great wagon rolled
along the grass covered plain. The
driver on the front box did not clap his
whip or call to his oxen, and Gregory
sat beside him with folded arms. Be-
hind them, in the closed wagon, she
lay, with the dog at her feet, very
quiet, with folded hands. He Greg
Ory) dared not be in there. Like Hagar
when she laid her treasure down in
the wilderness, he sat afar off. For
Hagar said, Let me not see the death
of the child"
Evening came, and yet the blue
mountain was not reached. and all the
next day they rode on slowly, but still
n - G .