The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-06

you have not read my thoughts quite
truly, Tor though 4 am indeed tired @ofs
this land, 1 am not yet tired of its people
not tired of all the black ones, as you
call them" Then, rising quickly to his
feet he kissed her upon the lips She
made no effort to escape, only smiled
into his eyes, and when he released
her and sat down again she gave a little
sigh of content, and, sinking upon the
ground at his feet, nestled her head
against his knee and remained silent.
So Rampholo found them when he
presently brought out his masters tea;
and used as he was to what he con-
s1dered the pecuHarities of the white
man, he could not help looking surprised
when he was told to bring another chair
and a cup for Mopatla, that she might
also take tea upon the stoep. If Ram
pho1o said nothing it was only be-
cause he had no desire to proyolxe a
master who fed and paid him so liber-
ally, but all the same he wondered, in
that slow-working brain of his, where
It would all end.
Mopatla drinking tea in comic imita-
ton of the white man was a sight to
be admired; but Mopatla, when tea was
over, and she had slipped from her
chair to sit again at the white mans
feet, and look UP into his face with
wistful dark brown eyes, Mopaua thus
was something to be loved
1t was not the first time that Harry
Robbins had thought that either. 1t
had occurred to him just so often as
he had noticed how different she was
to the other Kaffir maidens how much
more modest and dignified than they.
The sun had sunk below the hills now.
and only short half hour of twilight
would intervene before the blackness of
the African night descended upon the
land.
For awhile they sat thus in silence.
Ills hand rested upon the ebony shoulder
that peeped out from under the blanket.
and her head nestled against his knee.
Then, presently, he leaned over and
spoke gently to her, and his voice
sounded sweet in her ears-sweet AS
the music of water ripping in the rocky
river bed-as he talked to her in the
language of her people, an whispered
to her Of love. Yesi it had come to this
at last Home, with white-ha1red
mother looking for her sons return,
was so far away; and the figure of a
girl in q white muslin frock and rose
trimmed hat, was very indistinct now
'Mosali GA etso,'' he began, and as he
adopted the Kaff1r form of address the
words that she heard every day in the
kraal sounded with a new meaning in
her ears; "Mosali GA etso, do you know
| that [ love you; I, the White One. as
| you have named me?" Then as he saw
her look, half fear, half love. he went
| on: Yes! Mopatla 1 love you, ana
| want yeu to be my wife, and live al
ways with me in the store! Say, dear
one, that you, too, love me, and toinor-
row L will seek the chief, your father
and ask him to let us marry, YOU and /.
after the custom of your people and of
minei'
Her head sank yet lower into the
shadow. The thing she had lenged and
trenrhled for had come to pass TO be.
| the wife of the white man to live in
| the store with him, to be the mistress of
| that place of wonders, and the envy
| OF the Kaffir maidens for all time Sure
! ~ never yet was such vista of happi-
ness opened to the eyes of mortal Kaf-
fir girl.
| She looked up at him still half doubt
| ing. do you then love me so much.
O White One she asked, ''you who
come from the land beyond the great
| waters? VIII you give up your own
| people to live always with us? And VIII
You never tire of Mopatla when many
moons nave passed, and when the other
white ones pass you by and mock you
as the man who married a Kaffir maid
en-, even black maiden of the tribe OF
the Magetese?
| 1t was bold Of her to ask such 'ques-
/! tons as these, and she, as well as Har-
~ Robbins, knew 1t.
! The lot of white man married to a
haffir girl can never be a happy one.
His male friends may still acknowledge
Inn and occasionally take his hand
when they meet, but their wives and
daughters will pass him by as though
tney dreamed not even of the existence
| of such an outcast.
But he would not draw back now. Be-
Sides such things seemed altogether in
definite and hazy; only the present was
real.
And SO he went down and kissed her