Rocky Ford enterprise., 1900-06-29

looked after him. with mingled agony
and humiliation In her heart.
He had not always been like this.
Bluebeil could remember her early
years OF childhood In fai-on Scot
land. when a sweet-faeed. 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 cousin. long supposed to be
dead. turning up: and. In a sulien. de-
fant mood. the man had set OF 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 homo
affection to soften II since his vife
died: and he had become harder and
more sulien 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
M she had thought: perhaps her evil
dent aversion to the Idea Of marrying
him had offended him. and decided
him to act more mercltul part than
he had at mrs, Intended.
Meantime. too. they had heard no
further news OF the invading Beers.
One night Biucbeii had gone to her
own room rather earlier than usual.
She had had hcadachc-an uncom-
mon ailmcnt with hcr-and. saying to
her aunt that she felt sure that there
was a thunderstorm coming. she bads
her goodnight and went TO bed: but
for a long time she could not sleep.
The nigh, was very hot-an unusual
thing nj that season. when. though
the days are swci,crinsly warm. the
nights are corrcspondin.ly cold-and
there was the strange stiffness In the
air which prccedcs thunderstorm.
Blucbcii lay waiting for the hrst sud
den clap OF thunder. the first dazxl!ns
blaze Of lightning. all her nerves uu-
strung. not by fear. but by the over
charged electricity In the air. and her
own throbbing temples.
Al last Blucbcli's ears. strained To
catch any noise. detected a strange
throbbInE sound: but Il seemed to be
very far away. II was certainly not
the rumbling OF thunder. Was II .
real sound. or did II exist only In her
fancy. In the throbbing tympanum Of
her ear? Biucbcii lay sill and lis
tened.
No. Il was no fancy: She heard II
again. and this time moro distinct.
Il was the sound OF horses hoofs-of
many horses hoofs-Blucbell we'll
knew. though the noise produced was
no, that OF several distinct sounds.
but OF one Ialloping along the wagon
path OF the vcldt.
Biucbcii started up in bed. sudden
trembling selling her. The Boers' or
course II was the Bocrs! She did not
have n doubt on the subject. But In
what direction were they going. All!
they were coming towards New kclso!
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. II
was about 1 o'clock In the morning.
and every one was in bed. Should
she go to wake them? Bluebell hesi-
tnted. Perhaps the horsemen would
pass right on: they must be going
towards Ladysmith. Was 1t not bet
ter that her father should sleep on In
ignorance that the hated Beers were
SO near. II 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 un-
evenly. and nervous little shoots OF
pain ran through the palms OF her
hands.
ITO be continued.)