The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1903-01-16

TOR OF THE
BOER CAMPAIGN
IN ATAL|%1
By II. B. Mackenzie

,01N - * ~ % ~ ~ - ~ ~ q SNE
Brave little woman!" said Rothes,
a tone Of emotion in his voice. Il al
ways thought her rather a butterfly.
and I beg her pardon mentally for
that"
I'm fact, you thought she and I were
very much alike?" said Bluebell, with
a little. tone of coquetry. Confess now
you think me that, too, don't you,
Doctor Rothes!
II never thought you anything
but" He was speaking with q sud
den passion, but he suddenly checked
himself and paused. "You know you
are not justified in speaking like that"
he said at last gravely. did l ever
give you reason to DO SOL"
Bluebell laughed a little.
do you remember the ball ut Mar
itzburg last spring, Doctor Rothes?
All, o didn't approve of me at all
them"
He remembered it quite we'll. It
was the first time he had met the Les
lies, for he had been practicing in
7 Maritzburg himself then. Bluebell's
wild, childishly high spirits had car
ried her away that night, and she had
firted Unfortunately with all the Of
flcers then stationed at Maritzburg.
Bluebell remembered it, too.
Who Is that grave-looking young
man gazing so strangely at me?' she
asked her partner, a gay young lieu
tenant. DO you think he wants an
introduction, or is he only trying to
Wlther me with a glance of his eyer"
The latter, l think" the lieutenant
a answered, more truthfully than
CALAMITY. He's Doctor Rothes, and
they say he is one of the awfully seri-
Gus kind, you know. Takes life like
a funeral, and believes one should go
to church twice on Sundays. That
kind OF thing, don't you know"
hothes' sunburned face had Deepen
ed just q little in tint.
1T is too bad to bring back those
old foolishnesses to ones memory"
ne said. I did not know you then,
Miss Leslie. had not seen you in
your home. I did not know you earn
cd the love and devotion OF the poor
natives on your fathers place. 1 did
not know you taught them, a. far as
was possible, not the mere profession
OF Christianity. but its practice"
Bluebell bent 4 little over her
horses head.
i am afraid I ought to teach my
SELF that first. Doctor Rothes. Charity
begins at home. But let us not sneak
OF this. We can't be anything but
friends, can we. with this terrible dan
ger facing us? Surely it will draw all
European people out here closer to-
gether II anything could?"
Yes" said Rothes quietly. " We
cant be anything but friends"
Bluebell felt vaguely hurt At the
cold words. They rode on, the horses
necks quite close together, and Rothes
talked OF the coming ordeal. Bluebell
felt somehow strangely disappointed.
The last time she had met Adair
Rothes he had held her hand long.
and looked into her eyes with a look
that had made every vein in her body
thrill: and now he was 80 cool and
indinerent-a friend. as he had said.
and nothing more.
1t was not that Bluebell was In
love with him. She told herself about
q dozen times . day that she liked
Adair Rothes very much, but could
lever imagine him a. q lover: yet
now, why this sinking of her heart?
It wa drawing towards sunset-a
glorious sunset. The whole Of the
sky died in crimson and gold, the very
veldt reflected the crimson, 80 that II
looked AZ II it were bathed4 In blood.
Bluebell s%huddered as she thought that
very soon 1t might be.
A kopjs was before them. one OF
those little hills rising steeply from
the one side, sloping from the other,
SO common On the Natal veldt. Sud
denly, as Bluebell looked towards It.
a figure on horseback emerged from
behind 1t, and came riding straight
towards them.
Bluebeil felt . thrill of annoyance
and aversion run through her. for sh<
recognized the rider at once. It va,
the millionaire, Gerald Moore