The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-19
EL IZABETH AND HER ROOINEI<: Az9Rs @sy III g


World. mapping out a golden future. when
Gerrlt de Ruijter should como back from
the war and they should marry.
At whites the dread Of his remembering a
past that would tear him from her would
chill for breath Elizabeth's glow, but on
Antony all skies smiled. No faint distant
thunder of the war marred their serenity,
for Elizabeth rode no moro for news to
the track Of the world.
Then the world found them ont On. dov
as they were driving a herd of sheen n
fresh pasturage, they saw a horseman ri1-
ing toward them across tho veldt and no
he came up to them Elizabeth recognized
IN the squat, squared-faced. pig-eyed bow
OIL H. who belabored cruelty his faded mare.
Fritz. the youngest of the SchommcIs
lie reined up twenty yards from them.
looked them over with an inpudent stare,
and said, with Il malicious laugh. so that's
your Rooinek, Bette,
GU won't have him long We're tired Of
your disSracing the countryside, riding
about with cursed Highlander. and TO-
morrow were coming. l and father and
Hans. and all of us, to hang him. And Hans
is going to marry you.
Hell sjambok your cursed English no.
tons out of you; he says he WILL"
Elizabeth was white with anger and sud
den fear. but she cried. hercely: THE
Schommels have interfercd with the Dc
Ruijters before now, and 1t was the Schom-
mels who were hanged''
Times are changed, Bette" cried the
boy, with another laugh. You haven't
heard the news
"Cronje is captured and your father and
your cousins are prisoners. Hans Is going
to marry you-after we've hanged that
cursed Observation-Disclosures you like It or not,
and Vrengderiik will some day belong to the
schommels. We've wanted it long enough. -
She rode home with her head high. but
with fear knocking at her heart The
Schommels were the black sheep Of the
countryside.
Their long record Of atrocious brutallties
to the natives their slaves Of the tribes
who had once lived near them. appalled,
even their neighbours. tolerant as they were
in such matters.
Antony listened with q very grave face
as she told him Of their danger, but when
she had done he only said, with tho CHEEKY
air of an older man: 1T was a good thing
that that boy must brag Of what they were
going to do.
Eve will tight Them"
And for tho first time Elizabeth knew
that he was stronger than she, and the
knowledge warmed her heart.
AS soon as they reached home they set
about turning the house into fort-no very
difficult matter, for the Bectfuana border
was not far away. and 1t had been built in
the days Of many raids. Antony's cheerful
ness, his boyish Joy at tho prospect of a
fight. kept Elizabeth's courage high.
He helped with the defenses, and It was
at his suggestion that she dispatched a
kaffir to Weltevreden with letter asking
help. on the chance that one or more of her
cousins might be home on furlough looking
after the farm, Later three moro Kaffrs
followed him, driving thither the best Of the
cattle and the horses.
But when all their measures had been
taken. in the reaction from the hustle Ellz-
abeth's heart began to sink. She and An
tony supped in the big kitchen, and he saw
to 1t that she made good supper. They
talked for while after it Of her father
and cousins. prisoners Of tho English.
Their fate touched her but littles Antony
filled all her mind. Soon, seeing how wsszy